Fwd: Dollarocracy: How Big Money Undermines Our Democracy | Common Dreams

[Bruce Preville]

Your comments please.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/16-8

Best,

Bruce
___________________________________________________________________
Bruce Preville
BP Consulting
408 866-3333

What is 21st Century Democracy?

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. - Bucky Fuller

We seek to create a movement of ordinary yet concerned Americans, educating and empowering them to recognize that now is the time to stand up to injustice, inequality and the abuse of power, to reclaim our democracy.  

Dream Menders - Reclaiming Our Democracy

[Spencer Graves]

On 9/21/2013 11:13 AM, Bruce Preville wrote:

Your comments please.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/16-8

      In this article, McChesney and Nichols recommend


            1.  Overturn Citizens United. 


            2.  Expand voting rights and the fairness and transparency of elections. 


            3.  Create "a media system that informs rather than discourages voters."


      Rootstrikers / Dream Menders are doing some important work with Common Cause, Move to Amend, and others on items 1 and 2. 


      What can we do about item 3? 


      I don't know any group that is seriously pushing a legislative agenda to create "a media system that informs rather than discourages voters."  That's a major gap.  I think we should be working on that. 


      Most if not all of you have seen my estimate of $100 per day in lost income that the median American family pays because of the lack of such a system.  That's the growth in the difference between the mean and median family income over the past 40 years.  I think this is actually a conservative estimate:  Robert Reich's new book and movie on "Inequality for All" says that this understates the difference, because our cost of living for many things like housing, health care and education have risen faster than inflation.  (http://billmoyers.com/segment/robert-reich%E2%80%99s-plan-for-fixing-america%E2%80%99s-economy/).  Moreover, I believe the economy could have grown faster without the massive problem we have with crony capitalism (https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Documenting_crony_capitalism). 


      Spencer

Best,

Bruce
___________________________________________________________________
Bruce Preville
BP Consulting
408 866-3333

What is 21st Century Democracy?

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. - Bucky Fuller

We seek to create a movement of ordinary yet concerned Americans, educating and empowering them to recognize that now is the time to stand up to injustice, inequality and the abuse of power, to reclaim our democracy.  

Dream Menders - Reclaiming Our Democracy

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-- 
Spencer Graves, PhD
Executive Director
Effective Defense
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.effectivedefense.org

[Spencer Graves]

On 9/21/2013 10:02 PM, Bruce Preville wrote:

What action do you recommend we take in the next month on Media?

      1.  Plan more carefully for the "US of ALEC" event, Sunday, Oct. 13.  This would include sending announcements (and reminders) to whatever lists we have, getting it in the Mercury News if we can -- getting press there to hear Helen Grieco if feasible.  Showing up early with food, etc., to get things set up so it all goes smoothly.  


            * That should include having a spare copy of the DVD, so if Helen doesn't show for any reason, we can do it without her.


      2.  Try to create a coalition of all the different groups working on electoral reform so they talk with one another and each can support the others' agendas where they are compatible. 


      3.  I should finish reading Dollarocracy, contact McChesney, Free Press, and other related organizations to try to get something more going on the Media. 


      What do you think? 


      Thanks for asking this question:  I feel a need to be doing more to prepare for Oct. 13 -- especially getting a spare copy of the DVD. 


      Spencer

Bruce
____________________________________________________________________
Bruce Preville
RESULTS Global Regional Coordinator
and Interim San Jose Global Group Leader
408 866-3333

RESULTS trains volunteers to speak powerfully to their elected officials, the media and their local communities to inspire members of Congress to be leaders and spokespersons for the end of poverty, world-wide.  RESULTS  identifies sustainable solutions to the problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world and works to generate the public and political will and resources necessary to make them succeed. 

Nelson Mandela: It always seems impossible until it's done!  Always.

Despite Pessimism of the heart, cultivate and maintain Optimism of the will.

On Sep 21, 2013, at 12:43 PM, Spencer Graves <spencer...@effectivedefense.org> wrote:

On 9/21/2013 11:13 AM, Bruce Preville wrote:

Your comments please.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/16-8

      In this article, McChesney and Nichols recommend


            1.  Overturn Citizens United. 


            2.  Expand voting rights and the fairness and transparency of elections. 


            3.  Create "a media system that informs rather than discourages voters."


      Rootstrikers / Dream Menders are doing some important work with Common Cause, Move to Amend, and others on items 1 and 2. 


      What can we do about item 3? 


      I don't know any group that is seriously pushing a legislative agenda to create "a media system that informs rather than discourages voters."  That's a major gap.  I think we should be working on that. 


      Most if not all of you have seen my estimate of $100 per day in lost income that the median American family pays because of the lack of such a system.  That's the growth in the difference between the mean and median family income over the past 40 years.  I think this is actually a conservative estimate:  Robert Reich's new book and movie on "Inequality for All" says that this understates the difference, because our cost of living for many things like housing, health care and education have risen faster than inflation.  (http://billmoyers.com/segment/robert-reich%E2%80%99s-plan-for-fixing-america%E2%80%99s-economy/).  Moreover, I believe the economy could have grown faster without the massive problem we have with crony capitalism (https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Documenting_crony_capitalism). 


      Spencer

Best,

Bruce
___________________________________________________________________
Bruce Preville
BP Consulting
408 866-3333

What is 21st Century Democracy?

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. - Bucky Fuller

We seek to create a movement of ordinary yet concerned Americans, educating and empowering them to recognize that now is the time to stand up to injustice, inequality and the abuse of power, to reclaim our democracy.  

Dream Menders - Reclaiming Our Democracy

-- 
Spencer Graves, PhD
Executive Director
Effective Defense
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.effectivedefense.org