The CCAP (Coos County Alliance for Progress), a political action committee formed of local businesses and for profit special interests, spent down two thirds of its $16,300 war chest to secure three ballot spots in the general election. The bulk of the PACs spending, $7,500, went to support Fred Messerle in his bid for Coos County commissioner who is running on a platform of “change” that sounds an awful lot like “business as usual” to the average wage earner.
Lawrence Lessig, author of Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress–and a Plan to Stop It
tells Rolling Stone that corruption of the system is not just defined as someone taking bribes or working outside of the law but demonstrated in the public perception that financial influence will win out over public interest. Money corrupts politics, says Lessig, because the public give up.
One of the CCAP founders and a minor contributor, Al Pettit, has quipped that “perception is the reality” and Oregon statues governing public meetings and records law and conflicts of interest stress that elected officials should avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Almost a third of the PAC contributions came from Oregon Resources Corporation and as its stock prices continue to fall it is looking to negotiate a mineral lease with the county. Regardless how pure and well intentioned Messerle’s decision regarding ORC may be or how he justifies the terms and conditions of the lease and its proposed benefits to the people, he will not be able to rub off the smudge of 70% of his contributions coming from a mere fistful of profit motivated donors.
As Lessig points out PACs like CCAP separate the “funders” from the people and creates a “them or us” perception that cannot simply be reconciled with a belief that whatever is good for business is good for all. That dog doesn’t bark anymore, or it shouldn’t.
Just an observation, if MarkM had spent as much time and effort on his recent campaign as he spends writing to “Kay”, he would be commissioner elect.
Kay, what makes the TRUE progressives here, true progressives? I’m serious. See if you can put it in terms of what you are FOR, rather than what you are against. What does it mean to be a true progressive?
Kay, there really are no depths to which you will not fall. Be that as it may (and it always is) let me respond on point.
I’m not telling anyone how to run a campaign. As you note, my skills for that endeavor are lacking. That’s the HOW part of the formula. I’m just suggesting a practical, realistic way to raise some money to do it. I’m not the one complaining about CCAP money. You and Mary are. I think it can be overcome in small, local elections. But I allow you do need some money to get your message out. Here’s a way to get some. You don’t use it to “buy” votes. I don’t think you can in local elections. But you can’t communicate with voters without at least some money.
I’m much more interested in what the WHAT and the WHY of the MGx PAC would be. What would be your ten principles? Why would people donate to your cause?
Did you watch the TED talk about income disparity posted a while ago. I did. Very interesting, but really for me, old news. However, I was inspired to read his book, “True Patriots.” It’s very good. Very easy read and gets you thinking about what it means to you to be a liberal, progressive, Democrat, or whatever. You should read it.
If the MGx PAC put together a position/values/policy statement, it might be a good place to start a conversation. Maybe a movement. Then you could answer the WHAT and the WHY upon which to build a campaign. Ronnie Herne kinda did this with her charter, but she did it all alone. If you or Mary or anyone else here wanted to do this for real, I’d love to participate. Maybe we could change Coos County.
So, what do you stand for? Why should people join in?
I may not have been successful on May 15, but I’m very serious about this stuff.
Mark? Why don’t you have your wife, who does work, take you to Europe for a two week vaca?? Oops??????
Who appointed you the position of coming on here telling others how to “buy” votes? What a wanker you are and you should be embarrassed for what you say here. You , of all people, telling someone else how to run a campaign? Have you no pride whatsoever?
The Progressive Voice of Coos County instructing TRUE progressives how to be just like the crooks who bought THIS election? Wow, no wonder your wife wants to get your sorry ass off the intra-nets.
MGX, the posting of MarkM and what I recall that your friend Jon Barton said that monies collected for the PAC were intended to be spent to get Messerle elected causes this uninformed citizen to ask you does the PAC meet all federal election requirements regarding contributing to a campaign? Laws that require contributors to be citizens, residents, and be spending their own money. Or does federal law apply in state (county) election?
New topic, same story. Beat’in up on the bad boys.
Curious because I thought M proved the money doesn’t matter — i.e., Messerle’s votes cost so much and his base has no more growth potential. But let’s say money does help in getting your message out in front of the voters.
Instead of complaining about Barton, Petit, et al, why not DO something?
Fight back. Organize.
Form the Coos County Coalition of Working Families (CCCWF). Let’s say your base is those who supported Randy Sanne. Call it 3000 voters. Reach out to them for contributions. If you get an average of just $5/voter, you’ve got $15,000. Now you’re as big as CCAP.
What then?
Of course, if you’re successful you won’t have anything to complain about.
Oops. You should have ignored that.
Al will get the inside skinny from his ORish friend “Deceptions”, the mining troll with the phobia for geriatrics
Silly Goose RU, they got all that gold sucked from the black sands of Coos County, and no one, get that? NO ONE monitored the gold taken from our sands. Why isn’t someone monitoring that? No one seems to give a rat’s arse about it. And you know they are taking gold from it. How about someone with some authority step up and ask that question of ORC?
How about a comment “Al” on the latest quarterly report from ORC. When will they go bankrupt?
Mega busy… learning to convert NTD (New Taiwan Dollars) to Euros and dollars amongst other things
Been worried, where have you been?