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 On January 23, the Reformer featured an editorial entitled “Selling out our democracy”, which opened with a quote from Justice Stevens, denouncing what is probably their worst decision since Dred Scott:
“While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics.”
The justices decided that Corporations are Persons with full rights of Free Speech including the right to unlimited corporate funding for the candidates and causes they favor at election time.
Stevens called the majority opinion a dangerous rejection of common sense that “threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the nation.”
Admittedly, American democracy is imperfect; with the current condition of politics in Washington, it will take a major upheaval to amend the Constitution to restore the fundamental rights of flesh and blood people.
Things here in Vermont haven’t degraded to the levels seen in Washington. But the role of money is firmly embedded in our elected institutions and the way we elect our leaders. Conventional wisdom tells us that the candidate who spends the most money usually wins.
How can we change this? We have to start doing things differently; we need to start thinking completely out of the box.
Call it coincidence, but something like that is happening, right here, right now,
From a letter to the editor appearing the same day as the aforementioned editorial: Peyton wants governor’s seat
“I am offering my service to Vermonters in the capacity of governor.”
She goes on to say: “I have complete faith in offering you a gubernatorial option that is entirely noncommercial, organic and which aims to restore as much power to the people and away from corporate control of politics.”
In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that Emily Peyton is my friend, and that I admire what she’s trying to do: put power back in the hands of (flesh and blood) people where it belongs. I call it “walking” for governor, rather than “running”.
Emily has put forth some preliminary platform planks:
*** I want us to institute the Common Good Bank of Vermont.(where) we will have both the ability to create credit and decide where the profits are spent as a matter of depositors rights.
***I find particularly compelling the joyous challenge to become a pollution-free state. How can humans benefit the Earth’s environment instead of kill it?
***More public support for restorative justice and decriminalization of marijuana. Over the long term we want to move away from fear-based motivators, to begin to live harmoniously.
***I will not ask or need your money to get the word out, nor will I ask you to wear my name on your lapel or lawn or shake signs at you as you drive by, I respect your intelligence. If you want the change of pace, you can move it along by word of mouth and write in (your votes) Watch this space for further developments.
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For one thing most of these "outsiders" were members of one of the big 2 parties - and by their very nature connected to the beast at the navel.
The other thing that made me scoff was the idea that you could run a government if you didn't have those connections. Politicians are always trying to accomplish at least two things at once: representing you the voter, also representing their party, and perhaps even a third thing: representing our nation's government - but it's usually more popular to be against that for some reason.
So the idea of a true outsider always struck me as naive.
Now though, it seems that certain voters/groups have so much clout within the system (big investors, certain religious zealots) that it may be time to reach outside to someone like an Emily Peyton.
I like Peter Shumlin, what he's done and what he stands for. Ditto Deb Markowitz. Both are part of the Democratic party machine and I am ready to say goodbye to all that.
I'll probably come running back the minute someone says, "A vote for Peyton is a vote for Dubie". The thought of Dubie as Governor of VT makes me ill.