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Most political, social, and economic issues can be worsened by money in politics. Please read how money in politics can hinder progress and also learn how fair and clean elections can solve many political, social, and economic issues!

 

Education

• PACs and people associated with Sallie Mae, the largest student loan provider, have contributed over $500,000 to federal governmental candidates and parties in 2006. Nelnet, another major student loan provider contributed $489,000 to political candidates.

• The previous chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) , once told a roomfull of loan industry officials to "know that I have all of you in my two trusted hands."

As the cost of tuition and student debt continues to rise, so do the contributions of the student-loan industry to members of Congress. These loan institutions have used their clout to stymie efforts to make student loans more affordable. Even with the new Democratic majority in Congress pledging to reform the student loan system, expect to see the industry flex its muscle. The House passed student loan legislation as part of its first 100 hours agenda, but with contributions from the industry flowing into both Democrats and Republicans, it remains to be seen whether students will receive relief any time soon.

With Clean Elections, politicians would no longer have to swing legislation in the direction of the loan industry. Candidates would be more likely give advantage to the students because these are the people that would help put government officials in office--not major special interst groups and PACs. 

 

 

Environment

• In 2006 the oil and gas industry gave over $18 million in campaign contributions while donations from environmental groups totaled $889,748.
• Energy companies donate 20x as much money as environmental groups to federal campaigns.

 

"Congress submits to the pressure of timber, oil, chemical, agribusiness and other big-money interests by trying to weaken environmental safeguards," said former Sierra Club President Chuck McGrady. "The main reason many politicians side with the polluters is their never-ending need for campaign cash. Public campaign financing will eliminate the influence of donors who want to weaken environmental laws, and it will shift power back to voters and volunteers."

BUT Clean Elections allows environmental advocates who lack financial support from big energy to run for office and help inform the debate on energy policy and environmental stewardship.  Legislation no longer can be dominated by oil, gas and energy company contributions to candidates. 

 

Health Care

•  47 million American citizens are uninsured and another 50 million who are underinsured.  

•  The United States ranks 37th in the world in health care quality - the lowest amongst industrialized nations - yet Americans still pay more per capita on health care than any other industrialized nation.

Big Pharma , Health Insurance Companies, and Health Management have given over $220 million to political campaign in order to keep the status quo and make sure legislation will be passed in their favor of profits and not for the wellness of the population. The general public suffers because of these donations and the health care industry continues to get more expensive with depleating treatments for pacients.

 

 

Economy

 

Corporations’ major goal is politically to block any limits on their ability to maximize their profits.

Unfortunately this frequently leads to both bad economic policy and bad social policy for the majority of Americans.

Clean Elections would ensure that politicians were accountable to the voters rather than to big corporate funders. The greed of Wall Street and corporations would be held in check when politicians no longer rely on them for funding their election campaigns. Economic and housing policy would be made in the best interests of the American people as a whole rather than in the interests of wealthy corporate-based elites.

 

Civil Rights

• People of color make up 31% of the population but only 11% of elected state legislators and 14% of Congress.

• Candidates of color are typically underfunded.

 Fifty-two years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the nation is far from this reality. In the United States, people of color have lower incomes and fewer financial assets than whites. They control fewer business interests and are disproportionately represented among those living in poverty. Thus, when it comes to running for office, people of color lack the access to personal wealth and the networks of large donors that many privately-funded candidates enjoy.

 Clean elections: The percent of candidates of color has increased each election since clean elections was introduced. Candidates of color use the clean elections system more frequently than do white candidates.

 

Poverty

• In the last 25 years, a small group of people (less than 1% of American has become rich. This is the same group that contribute to the majoristy of campaign money.

• because the poor and middleclass contribute a little to political campaigns, politicians tend to ignor their needs and concerns because they do not have the influence and financial leverage like corporations and special interest groups.

We could lessen the extent of poverty and the level of income inequality – as do other democracies – if we had the political will. This will have only when our elected officials actually are responsive to their constituents rather than to their big funders. With “clean elections” middle income and poor citizens – like everyone else -- can have a voice, run for office, and hold politicians accountable. With “clean elections” democracy would be less unequal.

 

 War

• Iraq war as of January 1, 2008 cost $435 billion according to “The National Priorities Project. (see: costofwar.com; nationalpriorites.org).  That amount of money could provide almost 8 million college scholarships.

• Major corporations like Halliburton, Lockhead Martin and other defense contractors give millions of dollars in campaign cash because they expect a return on their investment.
  

The war in Iraq has been the most privatized war in American history. Private companies continue to profit heavily from a protracted war that has led to the loss of many lives and the waste of hundred of billions of tax-payer dollars!

 With Clean Elections, candidates can run for office without being accountable to defense contractors and energy companies seeking to protect their profits from oil.

 

Women's Rights

 

• Women are only 14.8 percent of Congress and 22.5 percent of state legislators.
• Women candidates are typically underfunded compared to men.
• Issues like domestic violence, women’s healthcare, and problems of female-headed poor families are not addressed by most politicians today.

  Considering women make up over half the U.S. population, these numbers are painfully low.

With clean elections, women not connected to big money can run and win. Over 300 publicly funded campaigns have been run by women using Clean Elections since 2000.

 

(*Thanks to Democracymatters.org for the information on this page!)