The Strafford Town Democratic Committee works to elect Democrats at all levels of government. We meet at 7:00 PM on the first Tuesday of the month at the Hill Library, 1151 Parker Mountain Road, in Strafford, NH. Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, April 7. Committee Chair, former State Rep. Bob Perry remains active and provides legislative updates here. |
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School Funding & Property Taxes 101 Presented in Strafford
On March 3 our committee hosted a School Funding & Property Tax presentation by Attorney Andru Volinsky who is currently serving as a member of NH Executive Council. Mr. Volinsky was the lead attorney in the landmark Claremont school funding case. He is talking to people throughout the state with the goal of informing New Hampshire citizens about the current school funding system and the inequities it imposes on students, property taxpayers, and the economies of many local communities.
Watch the full presentation and discussion here.
Watch the full presentation and discussion here.
The Devastating Impact of Big Money in Our Elections
At the heart of every issue, and at the core of everything our government in the last ten years has done or failed to do, we must consider how much political influence was exerted on lawmakers by the unrestricted flow of Big Money in U.S. elections. To what extend has loyalty to the donor class among our elected officials affected decision-making or caused our present-day gridlock? It is not a conundrum officials wished upon themselves; it is a reality most would prefer to extinguish, because they must spend, on average 4 hours a day dialing for dollars, and often face the wrath of donors who expect a quid-pro-quo.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission in 2010 by its 5 - 4 Republican-appointed jurists repealed, in a single ruling, 100 years of campaign finance regulations. Ten years of opened floodgates to political spending has spawned non-stop electioneering by corporations and wealthy individuals. Adding further to the diminished value of our votes through Big Money contributions, foreign and domestic, Mr. Trump has publicly solicited election assistance from nations that are adverse to our national interests to manipulate the 2020 election to assure his ascendancy to a second term in office.
Imagine a Congress dedicated to discovering a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease; devoted to legislation allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug prices; deciding high-speed rail more important than colonizing the moon; mitigating climate change rather than protecting the fossil fuel industry. Imagine the possibilities if we worked boldly to unshackle our elected officials from the bonds of Big Money!
One way to stem this wave of legalized bribery by monied interests is to pressure Congress, beginning at the local level, town by town, to pass the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing states to once again regulate money in politics as it was once able to do beginning with the Tillman Act of 1907. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillman_Act_of_1907 .
To date, approximately 80 New Hampshire municipalities have successfully passed such a petition at their annual public meetings.
Legislation to allow voluntary public funding of elections is a different approach that has a greater impact. Maine, Arizona, Connecticut, and dozens of municipalities have pass these regulations, Seattle and New York City among them. New Hampshire Senate Bill 304 creating a voluntary voucher system of campaign funding lives in a study committee.
Another is to require timely registration and strict reporting of political spending - transparency - so voters can know who is attempting to influence our elections, and to what extent. Transparency in political spending is not just authorized by Citizens United, it is encouraged. However, bills requiring transparency and fix loopholes in existing law were vetoed this term by Gov. Sununu. Since the percentage of the U.S. population making political contributions is less than one half of one-percent (0.47%), corporations are happy to fill the void.
These movements are not about challenging the 1st Amendment; rather it is a grassroots and legislative effort to preserve national political autonomy, our representative Democracy, and free our elected officials so they may better serve you and me, instead of their contributors. The video below was created by a NH campaign finance reform advocate and worthy of your time to watch.
https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/grandmother-of-opioid-crisis-victim-fights-to-pass-28th-amendment?fbclid=IwAR1RFM51qsXLCh7tEhd_r9p6tJiqSN4EBoUYVuZ-rHsParNzdoY6f8saRuM
Both the New Hampshire House and Senate passed HB 504, a bill that would allow Congress and state legislatures to regulate the role of money in elections and governance to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, and protect against the buying of access to or influence over representatives. But for Gov. Sununu's veto, New Hampshire would have become the 20th state to essentially overturn the Citizens United court ruling. The legislature was not able to override the veto by the required 2/3 majority.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission in 2010 by its 5 - 4 Republican-appointed jurists repealed, in a single ruling, 100 years of campaign finance regulations. Ten years of opened floodgates to political spending has spawned non-stop electioneering by corporations and wealthy individuals. Adding further to the diminished value of our votes through Big Money contributions, foreign and domestic, Mr. Trump has publicly solicited election assistance from nations that are adverse to our national interests to manipulate the 2020 election to assure his ascendancy to a second term in office.
Imagine a Congress dedicated to discovering a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease; devoted to legislation allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug prices; deciding high-speed rail more important than colonizing the moon; mitigating climate change rather than protecting the fossil fuel industry. Imagine the possibilities if we worked boldly to unshackle our elected officials from the bonds of Big Money!
One way to stem this wave of legalized bribery by monied interests is to pressure Congress, beginning at the local level, town by town, to pass the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing states to once again regulate money in politics as it was once able to do beginning with the Tillman Act of 1907. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillman_Act_of_1907 .
To date, approximately 80 New Hampshire municipalities have successfully passed such a petition at their annual public meetings.
Legislation to allow voluntary public funding of elections is a different approach that has a greater impact. Maine, Arizona, Connecticut, and dozens of municipalities have pass these regulations, Seattle and New York City among them. New Hampshire Senate Bill 304 creating a voluntary voucher system of campaign funding lives in a study committee.
Another is to require timely registration and strict reporting of political spending - transparency - so voters can know who is attempting to influence our elections, and to what extent. Transparency in political spending is not just authorized by Citizens United, it is encouraged. However, bills requiring transparency and fix loopholes in existing law were vetoed this term by Gov. Sununu. Since the percentage of the U.S. population making political contributions is less than one half of one-percent (0.47%), corporations are happy to fill the void.
These movements are not about challenging the 1st Amendment; rather it is a grassroots and legislative effort to preserve national political autonomy, our representative Democracy, and free our elected officials so they may better serve you and me, instead of their contributors. The video below was created by a NH campaign finance reform advocate and worthy of your time to watch.
https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/grandmother-of-opioid-crisis-victim-fights-to-pass-28th-amendment?fbclid=IwAR1RFM51qsXLCh7tEhd_r9p6tJiqSN4EBoUYVuZ-rHsParNzdoY6f8saRuM
Both the New Hampshire House and Senate passed HB 504, a bill that would allow Congress and state legislatures to regulate the role of money in elections and governance to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, and protect against the buying of access to or influence over representatives. But for Gov. Sununu's veto, New Hampshire would have become the 20th state to essentially overturn the Citizens United court ruling. The legislature was not able to override the veto by the required 2/3 majority.
Former Federal Election Committee Chair Visits NH
Ann Ravel’s visited New Hampshire to speak to the current status of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that was created to ensure every vote is counted, every vote counts, campaign finance laws are enforced, and violators are held to account, a brief review of her presentation is in order.
About 20 legislators participated in Ms. Ravel’s presentation at a breakfast in the state house cafeteria. She then traveled to Peterborough, culminating in a Democracy Dinner in Greenland. (Photo at right includes Strafford Town Democratic Committee Chair, Bob Perry on the far left and Ann Ravel standing).
Because President Trump refuses to fill at least one of 4 vacant seats, our FEC does not have a quorum. With no quorum, it can only investigate complaints of violations of campaign finance laws previously approved when it had a quorum, cannot take a position on those investigations by way of a vote by its members, and cannot investigate new complaints of violations of campaign finance laws. Thus, the remaining 2 members, it’s chair, a Democrat, and one member, a Republican, are paid in full, but cannot fulfill the duties with which they are charged. Thus, Donald J. Trump has given a green light to all organizations which influence our elections to bend campaign finance laws, or to violate those laws with impunity.
Ms. Ravel spoke of a $15M fine imposed on an organization that violated campaign finance laws, the largest fine levied by the agency, which she pursed when she held the position of chair of the FEC.
The current situation of the hobbled FEC, together with Trump’s denial of election manipulation of U.S. elections, brings our country to yet another area of unchartered waters. Not filling a seat(s) at the FEC is not an impeachable offense, but, no worries, multiple impeachable offenses exist, and will be laid out in forthcoming articles of impeachment.
About 20 legislators participated in Ms. Ravel’s presentation at a breakfast in the state house cafeteria. She then traveled to Peterborough, culminating in a Democracy Dinner in Greenland. (Photo at right includes Strafford Town Democratic Committee Chair, Bob Perry on the far left and Ann Ravel standing).
Because President Trump refuses to fill at least one of 4 vacant seats, our FEC does not have a quorum. With no quorum, it can only investigate complaints of violations of campaign finance laws previously approved when it had a quorum, cannot take a position on those investigations by way of a vote by its members, and cannot investigate new complaints of violations of campaign finance laws. Thus, the remaining 2 members, it’s chair, a Democrat, and one member, a Republican, are paid in full, but cannot fulfill the duties with which they are charged. Thus, Donald J. Trump has given a green light to all organizations which influence our elections to bend campaign finance laws, or to violate those laws with impunity.
Ms. Ravel spoke of a $15M fine imposed on an organization that violated campaign finance laws, the largest fine levied by the agency, which she pursed when she held the position of chair of the FEC.
The current situation of the hobbled FEC, together with Trump’s denial of election manipulation of U.S. elections, brings our country to yet another area of unchartered waters. Not filling a seat(s) at the FEC is not an impeachable offense, but, no worries, multiple impeachable offenses exist, and will be laid out in forthcoming articles of impeachment.
Dark Money Screening in Strafford
On October 1st a robust discussion took place after the Committee's screening of the Sundance award-winning documentary, Dark Money. Thanks to everyone for the great turnout!
Described as " a political thriller, this film examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials. DARK MONEY uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold.
View the movie trailer here.
Described as " a political thriller, this film examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials. DARK MONEY uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold.
View the movie trailer here.
