As we head into a momentous election year, with state and national legislative seats up for grabs, even let-them-eat-cake Republicans are scrambling to sound sympathetic to today’s hard-hit working-class families.
A large part of the problem, both with state and national elections, is the ridiculous amount of MONEY required to run a campaign--and more to actually get elected. Until we somehow mitigate this problem, we will continue to be governed only by the wealthy.
No wonder the government funded campaigns didn't fly for people who have a desire to be of service to the living. Reverse S.C.O.T.U.S. Citizens United of 2010 decision now
Again the only way to increase working class representation is to reform how running for office is paid for. Public funded campaigns where everyone gets the same amount of money to run and shortening the election campaign cycles to one year maximum is the only viable solution. Good luck with that with citizens united and the powers that be in office.
As if the elected people who benefit by politics <=> money would vote for reform. But at the state level, we can. Both by organizing during local primary elections and by initiatives in states where possible. Corporations only exist because of state charters issued explicitly as serving the public good. Why tolerate those that don't? About time we remind them the menu is not the meal.
We let this happen, but we have to fix it. First and best reason to fix it is: it's not sustainable. So, if we don't fix it, we are going to face ruin.
We Luddites hold on to the Craftsman and artistic creative survival skills. As with the Native Americans, strangers devour the land. Watching 'Dancing at Lunasa ' with Meryl Streep
Thanks for the lowdown about the relevancy of our congress and their status compared to who they represent. I had wondered how much tax breaks given to development really paid off then the lowdown laid out the results. There were many listed that paid tax breaks around 5 to 6 million per job but the top was in Mississippi for about 15 million dollars per job and as the lowdown reported the town went broke because of their elected officials fuzzy math . The lowdown about cities rejecting Amazon became relevant when an Amazon distribution center was announced 2 weeks later 10 miles from my house. It was a well kept secret until the announcement they obviously knew the citizens wouldn't like the details. Many things in the lowdown seem irrelevant but they are relevant somewhere to someone. I look forward to more relevant things to instigate my typing finger next year!!!
I'm angry about that "job creation" b.s. also. It's corporate blackmail. Why not spend our tax money directly to hire more of us?! It's not like our infrastructure, parks, and public schools don't need repairs.
As a retired working class (Professional Enlisted Soldier) candidate, I can see a few problems, beginning right here in Washington State (the much lesser corrupted Washington). While I did not have to pay to file, I poored (Yes, that's right: Poor is what you end up if you throw cash into your campaign) money into signs, handouts, and T-Shirts. I ran as an independent in a largely Republicritter County, and refused endorsements from either party. The fact that we spent at least as much, if not more, to get our message out to the voters, and probably knocked on more doors, the "Vote for these" cards mailed by Democraps and Republicans did not contain our name. In spite of the comments of people we spoke to, it came down to party mailers, and all 3 people in our district were from one party.
For those seeking legislative seats, which pay an annual salary, the first block is the filing fee. All candidates must pay paid on the salary of the office to file. While, in a state legislature, this is a comparatively low amount, and does tend to take out those who aren't serious, it is still money. Parties, of course, can help with that.
Then, of course, there are the rules. A single candidate can attempt to understand and comply with all of them, but at least a manager and treasurer for a campaign will allow the candidate to concentrate on their message. Essentially, the more the candidate feels they are driven to represent their constituency, like it or not, the more they need money. There was a time when Legislators got no salary. They volunteered their time. These days, that wouldn't fly, no matter how folks thought, because we all need to make a living.
BOTTOM LINE: It is up to US, as individual voters, to take the time to study the candidates and the issues, and to IGNORE or ESCHEW the PARTIES. We need to encourage friends and neighbors to vote the candidates, not the parties and let the selected candidates know we are doing so, if we ever want to return to true Representative Democracy in our Republic.
"I feel your pain." No, you don't. If you ever did, that disappeared when you entered the political party elite, the Ivy League educated elite, the corporate elite, the government elite. Membership in one confers networks with the others. The very wealthy elite ether earned it through hard work or inherited it from those who did, thus superior genes. As betters, elites have the right to use their connections so the best interests are served. Since in this country anyone can make it if they try, the non-elite must be lazy, defective, or stupid. Sure.
Slowly the country was forced by activists to live up to its ideals. The abolitionists. The farmer-labor Populists. The suffragettes. The reformist Progressive Republicans/Bull Moose parties. Labor union organizing. The New Deal. The '60s-'70s civil rights, women's liberation, Native American movements, LGBT Pride, anti-war, Earth Day.
Not so long ago, state legislatures did have workers, farmers, community advocates, homemakers, and small business owners--all for the common good. Equal representation implies the need for representation by class. If the majority working class were represented fairly, we'd have not only a very different politics, but a very different economic system as well.
It is time to end their"Cadillac" level of health insurance and put them on the same insurance as the rest of "working stiffs" have and then perhaps they will "fiercely" protect this benefit (Obama Care). The same should true for Social Security and Medicare.
If polls weren't helpful, no one would pay for them. There are push polls--such as asking "are you for bureaucratic government interference?" by someone pushing deregulation. But good polls are carefully designed with neutral wording to produce useful results. And they are assessed by experienced statisticians. Accurate polls, like the ones done last year in Rust Belt states, show deep anger at the Dems because for decades the D party elite did nothing to help. That doesn't mean the D party will finally field candidates who support workers. So then those polled yet again probably won't have "voted how they poll" since they would have no one to vote for (instead of simply against.)
We the majority working class have heard that b.s from the Dem elite for over 40 years. Allowed the Ds to become "eviler." More support for econopathic trickle up, including bailing out Wall St. in 2008 while the millions of us who lost jobs, pensions, houses got nothing. If you vote for any kind of evil, you're voting for evil period.
Claiming otherwise is deflection; an attempt to shift the blame to suffering people rather than accept responsibility for ignoring problems obvious to anyone who took the time to look. But then to the well off upper middle class the Ds actually represent, we're merely, as HRC put it, "a basket of deplorables."
Do you find the alleged centrist (actually center-right) neolib D leadership persuasive? What do they stand for other than retaining personal power? In 2016, Chuck Schumer said: "For every blue collar Dem we lose in western PA we'll pick up two moderate Republicans in the suburbs of Philadelphia and you can repeat that for OH, IL, and WI." He was also among the D party elite who openly conspired with the Rs in NYC, including getting an endorsement from Trump for Cuomo, to prevent the election of Mamdani.
You want more evil? Never say NO. Or you can heed the warning of German Pastor Niemoeller: "First they came for..."
In today's political climate ,the GOP( Greedy Old Panderers) are more afraid of Trump than their constituents hence their zombie like obedience.Solution:Vote them OUT!
Yup, when you see these campaign ads it is all open collared, sleeves rolled up working man serious. They grab a tool from their "yard boy" and promise they will wield it for us. Just another screw job.
The current administration has certainly gone ballistic with changing the election rules and gerrymandering to secure that there's no way to get the MAGA(ts) unseated.
Linda, and my fellow Independents, don't give up hope. We, in our individual states, with enough pressure, CAN make things happen. A few years back, two party loyalists in the State of Washington (Not the swamp near the Potomac) managed to get an initiative passed that would have effectively eliminated secondary (not 3rd, thank you) parties, and in the same fell swoop would have required party registration to vote in primary elections. The argument (and it might have been a good one) was that members of one party, in a primary, could vote for the most likely loser in the other party's primary. But, what about those of us who wanted our dissenting voice heard? Thanks to the League of Women Voters, the initiative was found to be unconstitutional. We do not have to be registered in one of the two major parties. However, in order to have a candidate appear on the ballot in the General Election, the "party" has to show a certain percentage of the voting electorate that supported that non-major party candidate. In order to get our secondary party candidates heard and elected, we do have to start locally, and by working in our states to get more than the two equally corrupt swamp denizens candidates heard, we have to disassociate ourselves from the Republicritters and Democraps, and organize a grass roots group to support reasonable candidates. Don't give up! Get even!!!
A large part of the problem, both with state and national elections, is the ridiculous amount of MONEY required to run a campaign--and more to actually get elected. Until we somehow mitigate this problem, we will continue to be governed only by the wealthy.
No wonder the government funded campaigns didn't fly for people who have a desire to be of service to the living. Reverse S.C.O.T.U.S. Citizens United of 2010 decision now
sigh
Instead of the usual suit and tie candidate, I'd like to see way more candidates suited to ties with us working class folks.
Again the only way to increase working class representation is to reform how running for office is paid for. Public funded campaigns where everyone gets the same amount of money to run and shortening the election campaign cycles to one year maximum is the only viable solution. Good luck with that with citizens united and the powers that be in office.
As if the elected people who benefit by politics <=> money would vote for reform. But at the state level, we can. Both by organizing during local primary elections and by initiatives in states where possible. Corporations only exist because of state charters issued explicitly as serving the public good. Why tolerate those that don't? About time we remind them the menu is not the meal.
Yes!
Yes! Thank you
We let this happen, but we have to fix it. First and best reason to fix it is: it's not sustainable. So, if we don't fix it, we are going to face ruin.
We Luddites hold on to the Craftsman and artistic creative survival skills. As with the Native Americans, strangers devour the land. Watching 'Dancing at Lunasa ' with Meryl Streep
I love you Jim Hightower and I recommend your Lowdown to others. Thank you and may 2026 bring you much love and many joys and deep peace.
Thanks for the lowdown about the relevancy of our congress and their status compared to who they represent. I had wondered how much tax breaks given to development really paid off then the lowdown laid out the results. There were many listed that paid tax breaks around 5 to 6 million per job but the top was in Mississippi for about 15 million dollars per job and as the lowdown reported the town went broke because of their elected officials fuzzy math . The lowdown about cities rejecting Amazon became relevant when an Amazon distribution center was announced 2 weeks later 10 miles from my house. It was a well kept secret until the announcement they obviously knew the citizens wouldn't like the details. Many things in the lowdown seem irrelevant but they are relevant somewhere to someone. I look forward to more relevant things to instigate my typing finger next year!!!
I'm angry about that "job creation" b.s. also. It's corporate blackmail. Why not spend our tax money directly to hire more of us?! It's not like our infrastructure, parks, and public schools don't need repairs.
As a retired working class (Professional Enlisted Soldier) candidate, I can see a few problems, beginning right here in Washington State (the much lesser corrupted Washington). While I did not have to pay to file, I poored (Yes, that's right: Poor is what you end up if you throw cash into your campaign) money into signs, handouts, and T-Shirts. I ran as an independent in a largely Republicritter County, and refused endorsements from either party. The fact that we spent at least as much, if not more, to get our message out to the voters, and probably knocked on more doors, the "Vote for these" cards mailed by Democraps and Republicans did not contain our name. In spite of the comments of people we spoke to, it came down to party mailers, and all 3 people in our district were from one party.
For those seeking legislative seats, which pay an annual salary, the first block is the filing fee. All candidates must pay paid on the salary of the office to file. While, in a state legislature, this is a comparatively low amount, and does tend to take out those who aren't serious, it is still money. Parties, of course, can help with that.
Then, of course, there are the rules. A single candidate can attempt to understand and comply with all of them, but at least a manager and treasurer for a campaign will allow the candidate to concentrate on their message. Essentially, the more the candidate feels they are driven to represent their constituency, like it or not, the more they need money. There was a time when Legislators got no salary. They volunteered their time. These days, that wouldn't fly, no matter how folks thought, because we all need to make a living.
BOTTOM LINE: It is up to US, as individual voters, to take the time to study the candidates and the issues, and to IGNORE or ESCHEW the PARTIES. We need to encourage friends and neighbors to vote the candidates, not the parties and let the selected candidates know we are doing so, if we ever want to return to true Representative Democracy in our Republic.
Sandy Brewer
"I feel your pain." No, you don't. If you ever did, that disappeared when you entered the political party elite, the Ivy League educated elite, the corporate elite, the government elite. Membership in one confers networks with the others. The very wealthy elite ether earned it through hard work or inherited it from those who did, thus superior genes. As betters, elites have the right to use their connections so the best interests are served. Since in this country anyone can make it if they try, the non-elite must be lazy, defective, or stupid. Sure.
Slowly the country was forced by activists to live up to its ideals. The abolitionists. The farmer-labor Populists. The suffragettes. The reformist Progressive Republicans/Bull Moose parties. Labor union organizing. The New Deal. The '60s-'70s civil rights, women's liberation, Native American movements, LGBT Pride, anti-war, Earth Day.
Not so long ago, state legislatures did have workers, farmers, community advocates, homemakers, and small business owners--all for the common good. Equal representation implies the need for representation by class. If the majority working class were represented fairly, we'd have not only a very different politics, but a very different economic system as well.
It is time to end their"Cadillac" level of health insurance and put them on the same insurance as the rest of "working stiffs" have and then perhaps they will "fiercely" protect this benefit (Obama Care). The same should true for Social Security and Medicare.
Dang tongue-cluckers!
Isn't there some big number of dollars that someone who wants to run for office has to pay to get on the ballot?
Just curious, what are the ten states?
if only people voted how they poll, alas, they don't
If polls weren't helpful, no one would pay for them. There are push polls--such as asking "are you for bureaucratic government interference?" by someone pushing deregulation. But good polls are carefully designed with neutral wording to produce useful results. And they are assessed by experienced statisticians. Accurate polls, like the ones done last year in Rust Belt states, show deep anger at the Dems because for decades the D party elite did nothing to help. That doesn't mean the D party will finally field candidates who support workers. So then those polled yet again probably won't have "voted how they poll" since they would have no one to vote for (instead of simply against.)
there's only two choices. if you fail to choose the lesser of two evils you default to the greater.
We the majority working class have heard that b.s from the Dem elite for over 40 years. Allowed the Ds to become "eviler." More support for econopathic trickle up, including bailing out Wall St. in 2008 while the millions of us who lost jobs, pensions, houses got nothing. If you vote for any kind of evil, you're voting for evil period.
Claiming otherwise is deflection; an attempt to shift the blame to suffering people rather than accept responsibility for ignoring problems obvious to anyone who took the time to look. But then to the well off upper middle class the Ds actually represent, we're merely, as HRC put it, "a basket of deplorables."
Do you find the alleged centrist (actually center-right) neolib D leadership persuasive? What do they stand for other than retaining personal power? In 2016, Chuck Schumer said: "For every blue collar Dem we lose in western PA we'll pick up two moderate Republicans in the suburbs of Philadelphia and you can repeat that for OH, IL, and WI." He was also among the D party elite who openly conspired with the Rs in NYC, including getting an endorsement from Trump for Cuomo, to prevent the election of Mamdani.
You want more evil? Never say NO. Or you can heed the warning of German Pastor Niemoeller: "First they came for..."
In today's political climate ,the GOP( Greedy Old Panderers) are more afraid of Trump than their constituents hence their zombie like obedience.Solution:Vote them OUT!
Yup, when you see these campaign ads it is all open collared, sleeves rolled up working man serious. They grab a tool from their "yard boy" and promise they will wield it for us. Just another screw job.
The current administration has certainly gone ballistic with changing the election rules and gerrymandering to secure that there's no way to get the MAGA(ts) unseated.
Linda, and my fellow Independents, don't give up hope. We, in our individual states, with enough pressure, CAN make things happen. A few years back, two party loyalists in the State of Washington (Not the swamp near the Potomac) managed to get an initiative passed that would have effectively eliminated secondary (not 3rd, thank you) parties, and in the same fell swoop would have required party registration to vote in primary elections. The argument (and it might have been a good one) was that members of one party, in a primary, could vote for the most likely loser in the other party's primary. But, what about those of us who wanted our dissenting voice heard? Thanks to the League of Women Voters, the initiative was found to be unconstitutional. We do not have to be registered in one of the two major parties. However, in order to have a candidate appear on the ballot in the General Election, the "party" has to show a certain percentage of the voting electorate that supported that non-major party candidate. In order to get our secondary party candidates heard and elected, we do have to start locally, and by working in our states to get more than the two equally corrupt swamp denizens candidates heard, we have to disassociate ourselves from the Republicritters and Democraps, and organize a grass roots group to support reasonable candidates. Don't give up! Get even!!!
Thanks for the useful information. Let US reform our electoral process to be representative of living peoples. Happy New Year!