Democracy Matters

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Democracy Matters

• Change Elections, Change America

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Introduction

• Founder Adonal Foyle
• Born Canouan, St. Vincent the Grenadines
• Was impoverished
• Age 15 moved to
• the USA

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Adonal Foyle

• Drafted 1st round by the Golden State Warriors.
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Colgate University
• Decided to use good fortunes for the betterment
  of society

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Adonal Foyle

• Saw the inherent inequality and injustice in the
  campaign finance system.
• Felt that youth action was essential in any
  movement. Decided to start Democracy Matters.

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Adonal Foyle

• Democracy Matters informs and engages college
  students and communities in efforts to strengthen
  our democracy.
• Focuses on money in politics and other
  pro-democracy reforms

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Problems with Money in Politics

• Real democracy on the other hand has to allow
  everyone an equal opportunity to influence
  political decisions, regardless of your race,
  gender or sexual preference, and regardless of
  your wealth. Adonal Foyle

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Problems in Money and Politics

• Must ask ourselves in our society,
• Who rules?
• Who has access?
• For which people, groups, or interests is
  legislation made?

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Problems in Money and Politics

• 6 Main problems
• The Wealth Primary
• Money equals Victory
• Not Everybody Gives
• Campaign Dialing for Dollars
• Common American is Shut Out
• Current System Costs Taxpayers Money

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Problems in Money and Politics

• Only the wealthy can run or those with access to
  wealth
• Winners in 2002 - avg. House race 966,670, avg.
  Senate race 5,029,904 (Center for Responsive
  Politics)
• The wealth primary - money is increasingly
  deciding who can run as a viable candidate.

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Problems in Money and Politics

• Money in campaigns is proportional to victory
• Winners outspent losers in 2002 Senate races by
  21 (Center for Responsive Politics)

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Problems in money and politics

• Contributions do not come from large, diverse
  population
• 0.11 of U.S. adults -- were responsible for 83
  of all political contributions
• 0.28 of U.S. adults -- gave contributions large
  enough to be itemized at all
• Only 10 of campaign contributions come from zip
  codes with predominantly people of color

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Problems in Money and Politics

• Campaigns spend too much time chasing money
• Do not meet constituents and focus less on
  learning their issues.
• Not only didn't I talk to voters, the only time
  I saw them was on the elevator in a Center City
  Philadelphia building on my way to an office
  where I dialed for dollars, nearly every day.
  Peter H. Kostmayer-7term congressman

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Problems in Money and Politics

• The common American is shut out of the process
• Not just in ability to run, but in access to
  politician and ability to influence legislation
• "Senators and representatives, faced incessantly
  with the need to raise ever more funds to fuel
  their campaigns, can scarcely avoid weighing
  every decision against the questions, 'How will
  this influence my fundraising?' rather than 'How
  will this influence national interest?" Late
  Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)

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Problems in Money and Politics
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Problems in Money and Politics

• Privately financed elections cost taxpayers money
• Corporate handouts Medicare Bill - Drug
  companies ripped off consumers
• Lack of oversight Enron scandal, Tax evasion
  and tax cuts

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Private Money in Specific Issues

• The current system has had a dramatic influence
  on
• Environmental Causes
• Health Care
• Student Loans
• Car Insurance

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The Solution Clean Elections

• Clean Money, Clean Elections Reform (a.k.a. Full
  Public Financing of Elections) is the solution
  that helps diminish all of the previously
  mentioned problems

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The Solution Clean Elections

• What is it?
• Provides an option for a viable candidate to use
  public funding for the costs of a campaign
• Views elections as a public good where the best
  possible candidate should have access to the
  system regardless of wealth

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The Solution Clean Elections

• How it works
• To be eligible candidates show that they have
  broad support
• Normally through signatures small 5 donations
  from registered voters in their district
• Candidates receive funds for both primary and
  general
• If unopposed, amount is less
• If outspent, amount raises incrementally

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The Solution Clean Elections

• Where does money come from?
• No more taxes in many cases
• Arizona receives funds in 5 ways
• A 10 surcharge is imposed on all civil and
  criminal fines and penalties collected
• An individual who files a state income tax return
  may designate a 5.00 contribution to the fund
• The taxpayer may redirect portions of taxes owed
  to the fund
• The 5 contributions collected by Clean Elections
  candidates
• Fines levied against candidates for failure to
  comply with campaign laws or rules

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The Solution Clean Elections

• The Benefits
• Candidates spend more time with constituents,
  learning their issues and gaining grassroots
  support
• Candidates can state that they have taken no
  money from special interests
• Candidates can produce legislation that focuses
  on their constituents.

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The Solution Clean Elections

• Current Clean Money systems
• Arizona and Maine (state legislature, state-wide
  offices)
• North Carolina (judicial elections)
• New Mexico (Public Regulation Commission)

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The Solution Clean Elections

• Results
• Arizona
• Clean Elections candidates now hold 10 out of 11
  state-wide offices
• 49 of all state offices (statewide and
  legislative) are now held by Clean Election
  Candidates
• Minorities represented just 16 of the total
  number of candidates, but 30 of the number of
  Clean Elections candidates

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The Solution Clean Elections

• Maine
• 78 of Maines state legislature was elected with
  Clean Elections
• 15 increase in number of legislative candidates
  in primaries, from 374 in 2000 to 429 in 2004
• Maine became the first state in the country to
  pass a form of universal health care

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Youths Role

• The need for young adults grassroots movements
  and community service
• Youth have been essential in every major social
  movement
• Civil Rights
• Disability Rights
• Womens
• Labor

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Youths Role

• Youth provide the energy and devotion to provide
  change and better our future
• Campuses serve as ideal organizing institutions

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The On-Campus Internship

• Youth are not apathetic, just need outlets for
  action Adonal Foyle
• Democracy Matters is about becoming active in
  society and promoting change

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The On-Campus Internship

• What you can do
• Find out if your school has a chapter
• email joanm_at_democracymatters.org
• Start your own
• Become a paid campus intern
• Similar to running a normal student organization
• 8-10 hours a week
• 750 a semester

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The On-Campus Internship

• Intern duties
• Create a Democracy Matters chapter that works to
  get private money out of politics and people back
  in.
• Build coalitions of student activists
• Organize teach-ins
• Train college students to run workshops
• Coordinate with other colleges
• Lobby and educate elected officials
• Run petition drives and canvasses

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The On-Campus Internship

• Other activities
• Organize a music festival
• Start a radio show
• Plan a conference
• Host a debate
• Perform guerrilla theater

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The On-Campus Internship

• "There is a problem, public financing is the
  answer, and Democracy Matters dispenses the
  resources and guidance to students in order for
  them to fix it. That opportunity is an amazing
  one." Shawn Cloonan, University of Texas at
  Austin

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Democracy Matters

• Currently at 85 campuses
• 25 states
• Democracy Matters organizers have
• Placed Clean Money reform on ballots
• Written legislation for legislators
• Started new pro-democracy non-profits

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Democracy Matters
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Democracy Matters