Follow The Money!

It's an old saying, but it still holds true when it comes to politics in the Badger State. If you want to play, you've got to pay! The People's legislature has become the Lobbyist's Legislature. They write the bills, buy the bills, and we are stuck paying for them. There are many reasons why I've chosen to run, and I can preach about the issues all day long, but at the end of the day, it all comes back to money in politics.

Why is medical coverage so complicated, expensive, or unavailable? Follow the money.

Why are prescription drugs so expensive? Follow the money.

Why is the state in debt? Follow the money.

And so on and so forth.

And it all comes back to incumbents needing cash to get re-elected. They pass the laws, we foot the bill; they take the money, and we re-elect them.

And how does it hurt us? Consider this: (from www.wicleanelections.org)


Wisconsin is the 3rd highest taxed state in the nation, (depends who crunched the numbers. I've seen anywhere from 3rd highest, to 17th highest) while corporations are the 3rd lowest.

Privatized electoral funding is costing $1300 per taxpayer in government giveaways to the special interests that fund the elections. (i.e. , the lobbyists)

Health care costs are 10% higher than other states and 15% of our people have no health care at all. This is because health care interests give $1.4 million yearly in campaign contributions to block meaningful reforms and a universal health care system.

So it costs you, the taxpayer, $1300 per year in fees, hidden taxes, etc. that the legislature hands out in corporate welfare via bad legislation in return for campaign contributions.

What if I told you we could take $1295.00 off of that cost and at the same time, return ethics to the legislature? Well, we can. It's called Clean Money Elections. And Arizona and Maine are proving it.

In Maine and Arizona the Clean Money system works great. If you want to run for office you simply acquire a requisite number of constituent signatures, 80% of which must be accompanied by at least a $5 check. That eliminates frivolous candidates, and it qualifies you (for the primary) to receive one third of the funds allocated for that race. (Up to $100 may be given during the qualifying process, and all monies must be spent on legitimate campaign expenses. No other private money is allowed.)

If you win the primary you receive the remaining two thirds, but following the primary you cannot spend any more private cash, not even your own. If your opponent chooses to run under the current rules, and outspends you, the public grant provides additional matching funds (which discourages such practices in the first place).

Lobbyists are still allowed to lobby; they just can't lobby "public" candidates with cash in hand. For the fat cats who want to give more, they can give to those candidates running under the current, moneyed guidelines. Thus, their "speech" is not inhibited.
Maine and Arizona legislators love their Clean Money system because private fundraisers have virtually dried up and they can spend more time with their constituents and families.

The Wisconsin Legislature "attempted" (I use the term loosely) to bring up legisltation that would attempt to start trying to clean up our ethics problem in Madison. And you'd think with the Assembly Republicans seeing their comrades getting sent to prison, they might have tried to enact some reform. But Gabe Loeffelholz blocked efforts to bring it to the floor. ( Mr. Loeffelholz, by the way, is a member of the Jensen 10 so you'd think he'd have a conscience. But I guess not. http://www.therestofus.org/wisconsin/jensenten.htm )

Check out more on clean elections by going to www.wicleanelections.org