If Allowed Only One, I’d Take Public Campaign Financing As The Solution Hands Down

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Democratic reform is the issue behind every issue.

It’s is so easy to lose sight of the most obvious solutions in the face of all of our pressing problems. We have so many grievances against our government and the corrupted free markets that it boggles the mind to even consider beginning where to start. Should we mount a major defensive for our safety nets against the likes of Congressman Paul Ryan? What about all the reverse flow commerce and jobs outsourcing caused by our so-called free trade agreements? How about strengthening our progressive system of taxation by ending all loopholes and taxing all capital gains the same as earned income? What about fixing or abolishing Wall Street? How about creating a national energy policy? What about reducing costs of health care? What about...? In my view, none of this will ever happen until we take our government back and the only way, the only way to do it is by removing the money.

It all revolves around money. In my view, the very first thing to do is reverse Citizens United. But that's really not genuine reform since it merely restores our wobbly election system to the time of the first 225 years of our nation. We have to remove all private money from the electioneering process of our public officials. We need to restore the public in our Democratic Republic.

People in the Tea Party have it relatively easy. They want to cut taxes everywhere in order to starve and smash our Constitutional government. It’s been easy for them to succeed because they have been co-opted by the wealthy few and major corporations, so they can easily buy politicians, lobbyists and legislation. And, who doesn't like a tax cut? But we need to remove that system of bought government before anything positive for the common good can or will happen. Of course this would put the OWS movement at the opposite end of the spectrum set by the Tea Party. I don't care. I'd say bring it on. It’s all about money and when it comes to good government, our number one priority must be to remove the moneyed influence. This is what I want more than anything right now.

I’ll even go as far as to say that without the complete end of privately financed campaigns as our number one national priority, OWS will go nowhere and our country will likely die a long slow death.