Uncorrupting the System

Koch brothers $$$ behind The Pledge

In pondering the question of the Grover Norquist problem I have been getting closer to seeing the bullying as something that is larger than the money he represents.  I mean, he IS all about wielding that wad of cash to “Primary” those running for elected positions.  As he says, he doesn’t directly threaten them (the politicians), he just notes that if those running either don’t sign on to his pledge or go against what his pledge stands for he will carry the message to the voter so that the voter may act.  He said something like this on CBS's 60 Minutes with a smirk on his face and his ego stuck way out in front of the camera.

The first problem is I don’t like bullies.  The second problem is that Norquist represents everything bad that money has done to our political system.  The idea that one person can so thoroughly subvert the system is the opposite of what democracy is and what it stands for.  By extension, it means also that we (this country) no longer have the moral high ground to tell other countries about democracy.  This also means that old boy Grover has access to OUR representatives that normal people do not have.  That he can threaten is a large problem and will not, has refused to, release our elected officials when they have asked him to release them.  To say that, forever, there is no need to raise revenues through taxes is absurd on its face.  Some of these pledges date back to the early 1990’s!!  Over twenty years have come and gone and to imply that nothing has changed… simply stupid.

It hit me recently that what is needed is a short cut to release our politicians from this absurd burden of enforcement by Americans for Prosperity and Grover Norquist.  It’s simple, really, we declare victory and go home… well not exactly.  What The Grover and his ego holds over each politician is money.  He tells them that if they veer from the pledge in even the slightest degree his organization will “Primary” the politician.  It is the ability to use his hidden money to put up opposing candidates of the same party against the incumbent representative.  Here I mean to say that the money is hidden because Norquist’s organization does not have to disclose where the funding comes from!!  That’s right, there is NO disclosure.  The threat would be meaningless if we could GET THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.

There is a massive movement afoot to have ONLY publicly funded elections.  If that becomes law and there are penalties, felony conviction assured, for any who either give or take, money or trade outside of the public funding then Norquist goes poof and disappears.

In the meantime here is a release for any who have signed onto and come to regret that decision to join the Norquist pledge:

Pledge for the American Process

Date: ________________

I, ______________, have determined of my own cognizance that the group Americans for Prosperity and specifically Grover Norquist has misled the country through its pledge to accept no present or future tax increases.  This pledge has crippled the political process and debased the people elected to represent their constituency.  As such, I, ________________, do hereby renounce and rescind my former pledge to the Americans for Prosperity.  As a free agent in the process of democracy I now re-pledge my fealty to my constituents and my country.  I agree to pursue the best interests of the United States of America and to listen to and work for those individuals who elected me.

Signed: ______________________

With a Sense of Protest:

This linked story is a straightforward indication of a low information person in a position of authority.  A lot of shame goes to those who hired Lt. Pike (& his ilk) to be anywhere near the young people of this nation.

Lt. Pike gets the A$$hole of the Year Award

Seriously, the U C Davis police force deals with students every day and THIS is what they came up with?  Lt. Pike should resign and await his criminal prosecution and civil claims.  Beyond stupid.

Flavor of the Month & Thought of the Century.

If you look at the field of Republican Candidates the latest to rise in the polls (sort of) is Newt Gingrich.  Here's a little story about this guy and his rather bizarre past (never have liked him much):

Newt as a wasteland.

Beyond that there is this thought; a very dangerous thought.  What may be needed to dig us out of the political morass we are in is a Constitutional Convention (CC).  It is something that is allowed (even called for in some circumstances) to correct large ills should our system ever encounter problems it cannot fix otherwise.  I submit that we may well be at that juncture now.

Before we call for this action we need to understand that once called for the sky is the limit on what can happen.  That is, there may well be multiple ways in which this process can be manipulated and corrupted just as the current system has been.  We might well need a form of internet voting for the CC so that we have a direct voice in this process.  This following TED talk is an example of what is possible that cannot be tampered with:

eVoting without Fraud

We need this to change the process and fix a few things that are seriously broken. A CC can then take up as many suggestions as we can create and tear down the problems to be rebuilt as we wish.

Here are some thoughts on what we can change:

1.  Corporations are not people.  A person is a Natural Person and can never be a corporation or other than a Natural Person.

2.  All elections are publicly financed, period.  Any contributor or recipient stepping outside of this system (by contribution of either cash or trade) is subject to arrest for a Felony and can be jailed (mandatory) for long periods of time in regular (not special) prisons.

3.  All politicians are subject to recall at anytime after their third (or sixth or ninth) month in office.

4.  There would be a National Initiative process available once a year (or X years) and that wording for that initiative must undergo scrutiny by a select panel that must adhere to strict rules for clear understandability and no intent to subvert the intent of the initiative.  The number of signatures required to have an initiative on the ballot must be X% of all eligible voters on a State by State basis.

5.  Reinstate Glass/Steagall and, perhaps, other regulations (broadcast Fairness Doctrine comes to mind) as is deemed helpful in keeping factual content in our news sources.

6.  There are no corporations that are too big to fail.  A death penalty for corporations can be imposed through some legal proceeding that reviews pollution, fraud and other offenses.  Officers of corporations have only limited immunity from prosecution for their acts and the acts of companies they run.

7.  Make a Constitutional Convention mandatory every 30 or 50 years. 

The list can be very lengthy but not all ideas would probably pass.  In fact. I have lots and lots of ideas on what might be included but by now you get the idea.  Pick the things that are broken right now and save others for later via the regular but fixed process. 

The conversation needs to be national in scope and there needs to be a time limit on how long it would go on before items would be brought to a vote (via internet) of the People (not by Representatives).  Get the money out of politics and get the lobbyists out of the process.

Occupy the City Council

In Portland, Oregon and across the river in Vancouver, Washington occupiers have noticed something.  The city governments have contracts with Wells Fargo bank for services.  That is, both cities store their (our) money in the bank and write checks every day from those accounts.

The light has gone on and the protesters have begun a move to demand that governments put the money with regional banks and credit unions.  This massive control, because of the way the banking world works and is intertwined, would not completely keep the money out of the banks BUT it would keep it all on a short leash.  It would also show the cities how much control they have on and over the bank's policies.

In pondering this idea I have to admit that there IS a huge attraction to it.  Occupy the City Councils and demand monetary change that is controlled locally.  I guess I am okay with that.

Use Your Imagination

So, imagine your 84 year old mother or grandmother was supportive of the Occupy Movement and decided to visit the closest Park;

Seattle woman, 84, is pepper sprayed.

Joining the Occupy Movement should not be putting your life or health on the line but it is until the Occupy Movement takes down the Oligarchy and gets fair treatment by the system.

Get the money out of politics.  Get the lobbyists out of Washington.  Get the justice system back to non-activist judges.  Take down the barriers to economic fairness.

Protest in Song

Often it is the artists who get it and come forward with the message... this is such a case.

The Uncertainty Principle

For months now the Republican Party has been pounding the table with their collective shoe and shouting that the reason we aren't creating jobs is that business leaders are uncertain about the future.  Together they are trying to point to a perceived lack of confidence to invest in new jobs.  It has been a major talking point (to quote Herman Cain, "I don't have facts to back this up...") for so long surely we must all believe it.  Once I learned that big business was sitting on $2 trillion in cash reserves I had doubts about this talking point but needed a logic to go with that.  I mean, withholding that much cash from the economy was bound to have a consequence or two.  To not circulate is a decision that a central bank might do to slow an economy and $2T is an amount to contemplate for such a move.  So what was driving this decision?

It turns out that individuals have indeed bought into the scare tactic by the Republicans.  Further withholding cash from the system.  It is, in part, what keeps credit from the system.  When individuals keep cash as deposits in a checking account the banks do not have long term money to lend.  Sure enough, if you compound the big business decision to sit on cash and combine it with cash being held off shore (another $2T) because big business doesn't want to be taxed on it if they bring it home in addition to individual decisions to keep to cash (about $350B) more accessible you take the wind out of the sails of the economy.

Where the money went.

With the Republicans acting to stop government stimulus spending at all cost it seems we have a perfect storm to keep us in a repressed state.  The party of, "NO!" has brought about what a central bank would have a tough time undoing.  It is no accident that big biz is sitting on the cash and it is not uncertainty that is driving it.  Supply-siders have had it all wrong for 30 plus years but as a talking point tool they have found a way to keep the middle class down through this perfect storm.

To reignite the country we need to spend; we can't spend what we don't have the confidence to spend.  The uncertainty is with the smallest group, consumers.  Not big Biz.  Concern for having jobs has driven a large part of this connundrum.  As well it should... we are extremely vulnerable to a more serious crash.

Moving cash from the banks to credit unions has the effect of keeping local control on the money.  We still need that cash to be partially in savings accounts at the CU's to give the cash for the CU's to lend but with local control there is a stronger likelihood that the much needed stimulus will find its way into our economy... and not fall under the influence of the GOtPers saying, "NO!" all the time.