If politicians can be bought, the public must do the buying

If you and I — the electoral “we” — share dismay, disgust and despair over the overt and covert roles of corporate and special-interest money in politics, then it’s time buy back our government and our democracy. It’s time to outbid the corpo-kleptocracy for the largesse and lawmaking of our politicians.

Have a position on health care reform? Upset with immigration policy? Got a beef about about farm subsidies? Got an attitude about abortion, either pro or con? Think defense spending’s a problem? Irritated about paying for the Iraq War? Angry about the erosion of privacy rights? Think public education needs to be reformed? Tired of inaction about climate change?

Whatever our issues, whatever our points of view, whatever our positions, they don’t matter — because there’s an industry or a special interest that has outbid our politicians for their ears. Thus we may shout as loudly as we can, but our politicians do not hear us. We’ve been outspent and out-influenced. As long as our campaign financing debacle is not addressed by the very politicians who need corpo-kleptocratic money to be elected — and stay elected — our voices will be diminished to mere whimpers.

The 2008 presidential election will be the most expensive in history. Says FEC commissioner Michael E. Toner: “We are looking at a $100 million entry fee.” It gets worse, however, for all federal elections.

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Poll: Students would sell their votes

You know all those campaigns to encourage the young folks to vote? Participate in the political process? Engage in democracy? You know, the “Rock the Vote” campaigns and such? Voter registration drives?

A poll of more than 3,000 students by a New York University journalism class may prompt one to ask: Why bother?

Although 90 percent of respondents said voting is “very important,” many attached as much economic as democratic value to the vote:

• Two-thirds would trade a vote for year’s tuition.
• Half would trade their vote permanently for $1 million.
• A fifth would trade their vote for an iPod Touch.