Canney CommunicationsDemocracy belongs in the hands of the people.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning.” American Abolitionist Frederick Douglass
The words of Frederick Douglass are something I have held in a small notebook for the better part of two decades. These words continue to resonate today and can rightly be applied to a variety of issues we all face. This week Maine citizens stand to lose a piece of their Democracy.
The Veterans and Legal Affairs committee will vote on whether they want to take away public funding for gubernatorial candidates. Why is it important to have a system that puts public money instead of special interest money behind candidates vying to be decision makers? Because we live with those decisions and those decisions must be in our best interests not the interests of those with the deepest pockets. If the VLA decides to gut clean elections it will be time to take our democracy, our power back on this issue. More than a decade ago it was Maine people who said – Enough. We want our elected officials, legislators and governors to report to us and that is how the Clean Election Act was passed.
More than a decade later, we must make this a call to action. The reasons are everywhere – you can find them on wall street, the housing crisis, in healthcare. It is a complex puzzle of special interests who have influence beyond the reach of the average citizen. When a candidate decides to run clean he or she is making a commitment to the voters. It is the first step toward removing the special interests and putting the power back in the hands of the people.
If the committee members vote to get rid of clean elections they will be doing so against your wishes — against the wishes of 75% of the people according to the most recent poll. You will have to ask yourself, with that many people in support who is the committee representing? The 75%? I don’t think so. Legislators are put into office to represent the will of their constituents. They have a chance to do that on Wednesday but will they? Whatever the outcome of tomorrow’s vote please contact your legislator either to thank them for remembering who they serve or to ask exactly whom they are serving.
Tags: #cleanelections #mainepolitics #maine #canney #canneycommunications #we the people
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