Posted on October 1, 2012 by at Writeindependent.org
money – politics – congress – pledge – honest – candidates – election – corruption – fix – excuses – campaign reform
I have been asking candidates to sign the Pledge for Honest Candidates, which will go a long way to reforming our government so long as you, the voter, will vote for these Honest Candidates.
Candidates for congress can be so disingenuous. They SAY they’re all about campaign reform, but when you put them to task, they drag their feet or they do what the two following candidates have done: kick the can down the road.
Yes, some pledges are bad (see Grover Norquist’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge that has locked congress into a position of never raising any taxes EVER, on any tax bracket, or any company, under any circumstances, even when it would bring our country out of debt). But some are necessary, and it’s time to get money out of politics for REAL, not make false promises.
I can’t trust the following two people because they refuse to sign on the dotted line about campaign finance reform. If they can’t make a simple decision like fixing the “money in politics” problem, even when it is their decision to make, then I can’t vote for them. Can you?
Read below what Jack Orswell (CA 27) and Zoe Lofgren (CA 19) have to say about signing the Pledge for Honest Candidates:
Judy – I agree with the principles of the pledge, but it says I won’t accept more than $100 if elected. If we cannot change the law in the next year, I won’t have sufficient funds to be re-elected in 2014 to continue the fight. I agree the goal should be $100 per person and I will fight for it, but the pledge holds me to a different standard than my competition until the law gets passed.
Jack Orswell
My argument against this “logic” is that: if your constituents vote you into office, why do you need more money the second time around than you had the first time? If you are in office and doing a good job, you will get reelected.
Moreover, we need to make this effort to get money out of politics ALL AT ONCE, because that is the way bills get passed when money is not involved: by having a majority in congress passing the bill, bolstered by public support. Of all the factors involved in passing new legislation, that last bit cannot be overstated: the voters need to get NOISY, and it needs to happen NOW! The public must make it so uncomfortable for our representatives to do otherwise, that they will go against their own selfish interests and pass laws based on the people’s wishes.
The next candidate gives me a different excuse that is bolstered by the No Labels group, thank you very much.
Dear Mrs. Frankel:
Thank you for contacting me about the Pledge for Honest Candidates. I appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts with me, and I apologize for the delay in my response.
I believe that openness and accountability makes our democracy stronger. However, I do not sign pledges from any group as a general policy; the only pledge I take is the oath of office. Please know that I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House of Representatives in a bipartisan manner on legislation to address the concerns of my constituents and Americans across the country.
Again, thanks for being in touch. If I may ever be of any assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely
Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress
What are your thoughts about these excuses? Are you as tired of them as I am? If this is the way your candidates behave before they are elected, imagine how much more difficult they will be once in office, when they don’t need your vote.