Rebkeh
Rebkeh's JournalPublic Financing Options for Political Candidates In Missouri
Have you all seen this yet?
The funds collected through this program would be distributed only to candidates who voluntarily agree not to accept contributions from corporations or contributions over $1000 and to raise at least half of their money from contributions of $100 or less. The size of the match would depend upon how many taxpayers elect to contribute to the fund and how many candidates agree to the conditions attached to receiving public funds for their campaigns.
RATIONALE:
Some people contribute money to political campaigns because they believe in the candidate or the cause and want to contribute. Some people (primarily the “artificial persons” known as corporations, and some extremely wealthy individuals) contribute huge amounts of money designed to gain access to, and influence with, our elected representatives.
Determining the exact point at which a line is crossed from support to bribery, is somewhat subjective. However, it is clear to even the most casual observers that money has corrupted our system and that corporate interests (Wall Street, mega banks, and mulit-national corporations) have gained effective control of our government. Government of, by, and for the people has been perverted into government by and for corporate interests.
:big snip:
Be it enacted by the people of Missouri:
Two new sections of the Revised Missouri Statutes are hereby enacted, to be known as sections 130.230 and 143.990, to read as follows:
130.230. 1. “The Missouri elections trust fund” is hereby created to provide public financing for candidates for office in Missouri who agree to accept and meet certain conditions and limitations.
2. The government by the people trust fund will be administered by a board, to be known as the “public finance commission” consisting of seven members, to be nominated by the governor and approved by the senate.... see site for more
Website, also to download the petition:
http://governmentbythepeople.org/faq/a-public-financing-option-for-political-candidates/
This may have already been shared here, if so, my apologies
Check out this website
Populists In Action
http://populistsinaction.org/
Municipal Election - next week
I hope everyone is voting on April 5th, we have another opportunity to make our voices heard.
I admit I haven't been keeping up with what is happening locally, but I did find this handy resource. I don't know much about the candidates beyond these short and sweet descriptions (green boxes).
http://www.uselections.com/mo/mo.htm If anyone can fill in the gaps, please do so. That's what DU is for, yes? I can research all day long but there's nothing like hearing all the who, what, where, when and whys from actual people within the community. Or in this case, the state.
For Bernie Sanders supporters,
There is one person that is a strong supporter of Bernie, Winston Apple for Lt. Governor. Here's his site:
https://appleformissouri.com/
VOTE! 
About the American Dream
It occurred to me today that some people still believe it's within reach. Even if they believe it's inaccessible for most, they cling to the belief that it's still accessible for them. Occupy did a pretty good job explaining why they are wrong.
As did George Carlin, quite prophetically too.
Is this another difference between the supporters? It seems like it might be. 
Because some of you don't see GD-P posts ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511586646Last edited Sun Mar 27, 2016, 04:31 PM - Edit history (1)
This subtle (not really) false narrative is ridiculous, absurd and straight up wrong.
Edited -- UPDATE -- (also a post downthread, #50)
I think there's more than one thing happening here.
There are paid operatives from various campaigns (republican and democrat), volunteer operatives, independently acting online operatives and straight up trolls. And this is not counting the majority - regular, every day supporters of a candidate, people like myself.
They all seem to be using race in one form or another to their benefit never stopping to consider how much damage they leave behind. (does not include the regular supporters)
The most destructive are the people that choose whoever has the momentum of the moment (in this case it's Bernie) and create as much conflict as possible by attacking them. If and when the pendulum swings the opposite direction, the trolls will switch sides and keep the conflict drama going .. not caring at all about any actual position. Or, for that matter, the people caught in the cross-fire - black and white both.
Too often the truth, along with facts, opinion, innuendo, legitimate data, illegitimate data, propaganda and distorted perception get into the mix and people argue the finer points of each... creating chaos.
Enough.
My OP is simply an effort to put it all in perspective with one simple truth - efforts to paint Bernie as the pro-racist is patently ridiculous. It is a false narrative I see being floated and sometimes actively pushed - that Bernie has a race problem. He does not.
I don't care who is doing it. It has to be stopped. So, let's stop giving it another minute of validation.
I just wanted everyone in this group to see this.
A vote for Bernie is NOT anti-black or pro-racism (updated)
This subtle (not really) false narrative is ridiculous, absurd and straight up wrong.
Edited -- UPDATE -- (also a post downthread, #50)
I think there's more than one thing happening here.
There are paid operatives from various campaigns (republican and democrat), volunteer operatives, independently acting online operatives and straight up trolls. And this is not counting the majority - regular, every day supporters of a candidate, people like myself.
They all seem to be using race in one form or another to their benefit never stopping to consider how much damage they leave behind. (does not include the regular supporters)
The most destructive are the people that choose whoever has the momentum of the moment (in this case it's Bernie) and create as much conflict as possible by attacking them. If and when the pendulum swings the opposite direction, the trolls will switch sides and keep the conflict drama going .. not caring at all about any actual position. Or, for that matter, the people caught in the cross-fire - black and white both.
Too often the truth, along with facts, opinion, innuendo, legitimate data, illegitimate data, propaganda and distorted perception get into the mix and people argue the finer points of each... creating chaos.
Enough.
My OP is simply an effort to put it all in perspective with one simple truth - efforts to paint Bernie as the pro-racist is patently ridiculous. It is a false narrative I see being floated and sometimes actively pushed - that Bernie has a race problem. He does not.
I don't care who is doing it. It has to be stopped. So, let's stop giving it another minute of validation.
Great pic! (Bernie supporter)
This is the America I love!
https://m.imgur.com/kLfyBTL?r
Anyone know if TYT will cover the caucus results?
The regular show is on at the moment.
Let me know. Thanks
Finally, a real choice.
Indeed.
Bernie Sanders, the Man Who Rewrote the Rules of Political Attraction, Woos California
Mar 24, 2016
By The Rev. Madison Shockley
:snip:
Sanders’ speech, while predictable, was still exciting to hear, and it was stirring to witness the full power of the “Bern.” He employed an important rhetorical device that allowed him to avoid the egomania that infests other campaigns. At the head of each refrain he would begin with the phrase, “This campaign is listening to … women … young people … African-Americans ... workers .… immigrants.”
The other candidates begin their pitches with “I”; Sanders begins with “This campaign.” While Donald Trump proclaims, “I will take care of women,” Sanders says, “This campaign” will stand with women as they fight for their right to earn equal pay for equal work. The best line of the night came after the candidate noted that Wal-Mart employees are forced to use billions of dollars in public assistance because the corporation pays its low-level workers so poorly. Sanders exclaimed that it’s time for the Waltons, the family that owns much of Wal-Mart, “to get off [corporate] welfare and start paying their workers a living wage.” And the crowd goes wild.
:snip:
More: http://m.truthdig.com/report/item/bernie_sanders_the_man_who_rewrote_the_rules_20160324
Bernie or Bust is privilege? Nonsense
Utter bunk, and that's putting it mildly.
Bernie or Bust rejects the status quo. Maybe where one has the freedom to risk upsetting the apple cart, while the rest of us seem to have less at stake can seem selfish. Don't rock the boat! Security first, then progress. I can maybe see that. Maybe but... No. Here's where they're wrong:
The status quo is not as secure as you think it is. In fact, unless you are part of the very top in terms of wealth/power, the status quo is failing you. The longer it continues, the worse it gets.
The privileged want to keep the status quo. People with privilege want to keep things exactly the way they are, or roll it back even more. They are invested in inequality
So, no. It is the other way around, Bernie or Bust is the opposite of privilege. Somebody's got to take a stand. (Full disclosure: I have not taken any pledge or committed to withholding my vote. I simply defend B or B's right to vote as they see fit.)
Or, put another way, read a post of mine from a few weeks ago:
Connecting the message of economic populism to social justice concerns
From Venn to Circle: Economic Populism and Social Justice for POC
( http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511397357 )
Let me break it down for you:
The first priority of business is to make a profit.
The first priority of government is supposed to be to serve its people.
When big business “merges” with government, its priorities take over. People no longer matter, then democracy starts to become more perception than reality.
We know this. But, hang on…
PEOPLE ARE NOT COMMODITIES! Black people know this better than anyone, seeing that this is how most of us ended up here on the continent in the first place.
The wealthy class needs “others” to be a peasant class because that’s how we were taught. “I get mine, you get none” or the softer version, “I get more, you get less.”
But how have the people up top kept this trick going for so long?
Easy. They break our legs and then call us lame, and people believe them. They blame the poor for being poor, like they had nothing to do with it. Please. They use bigotry, in all its forms, to keep people down.
But now? Their wealth has expanded so much, there aren’t enough poor black folks to support it. Not enough poor white folks either, they need MORE. They need new “others,” so what did they do?
They broke up the unions.
Now blue collar middle class folks are part of the peasant class. They are getting a little taste of what poor blacks been feeling for generations and they don't like it. Nobody likes it.
See, structural racism secures this model that keeps people commodified, income inequality is a result of that model. Now that the pool of the people getting screwed has grown, we need to come together.
The working poor getting fucked and the poc that have always been getting fucked should be natural allies. They should have been allies a long time ago but now… we REALLY got to do this. Our government has been taken over by our “friends” in big business. Nobody is safe anymore, not even the semi-rich. They will be next if we don't put a stop to it. Everyone has a dog in this fight.
Bottom line:
The commodification of people – when business merges with government and profit comes before people – is a terrible model for everyone.
Long held patterns of exploitation of poc (from slavery to now) for profit is still exploitation.
Newer patterns of exploitation of middle class whites for profit is still exploitation.
It’s the exact same model.
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Gender: FemaleHome country: USA
Member since: Sat Oct 17, 2015, 10:59 AM
Number of posts: 2,450
