We all instinctively know that Dark Money is corrupting our political process. Polls indicate that more than 80 percent of Americans, across all parties, are concerned about the effects of secret money. It’s not a partisan problem; it is a democracy problem. Many people like to say it was the Citizens United decision in 2010 that unleased billions of dollars in Dark Money into our elections, but corporations and the rich have actually been gaining the upper hand much longer than that.
And now we have a system where 95% of the time, the biggest spender in an election is the winner. These obscene expenditures are not just at the national level. It affects state and local elections of all types, even our judicial elections.
Not only do the voices of Special Interests matter more than individuals’ voices, but our corrupted system also leads to citizen paralysis. "Since the system is rigged, why bother trying to fix anything? Why bother to vote?"
What’s your favorite issue: healthcare, tax reform, climate change, workers’ rights, education? In all of these, the “rights” of Special Interests outweigh the concerns of the voters. Special Interests distort our elections, using their Secret Money to confuse and overwhelm voters.
Just one example: last year California’s Prop 61, which would lower prescription drug prices, was favored by more than 5 to 1 in early polling. Yet it lost, after $109 million was spent on ads by “Californians Against the Deceptive Rx Proposition.” So, who funded the money for this shadow group? Top three funders were Merck, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Might voters have voted differently if they weren’t confused and misled by ads paid for by Big Pharma?
Don’t despair! There is a large pro-democracy movement taking hold across the country, from the reddest red rural areas to the bluest blue cities. Citizens are working hard to change our broken system, to put the rights of individuals above the privileges of the rich, corporations, unions, and super PACs.
Citizens are standing up for a variety of Clean Money issues: disclosure in political ads, campaign finance reform, reversing the Citizens United decision, ending corporate Personhood, and calling for a Constitutional Amendment to affirm that We, the People, govern America.
A variety of organizations are working diligently on these Clean Money initiatives, including California Clean Money Campaign, Move to Amend, American Promise, Money Out Voters In, Common Cause, Center for Responsive Politics, Issue One and many, many more.
So, don’t despair. And do get active. Some core issues require action from every single one of us. Getting Dark Money out of politics is one of those. As you invest your time working on your favorite issue, whether it’s healthcare reform, immigration reform, LGBT rights, or something else, include a few extra minutes in your week to make some calls, gather petition signatures, attend a local meeting or a phone conference meeting to learn more about getting rid of Dark Money. We can do this!