Bedell to Hold Meeting on Campaign Finance

By Ed Fallon

As many of you know, my primary goal during my campaign for governor was to get big money out of politics. Whether the issue is health care, the environment, education, agriculture or economic development, far too often wealthy special interests are able to buy their way into the process and influence the results.  “Big campaign donors aren’t in it for altruism.  They don’t consider their money a contribution; they consider it an investment.  (And a pretty sound one, too.)”  (Democracy’s Edge, p.62 ) 

While I did not win the Democratic nomination for governor, I’m not going away anytime soon, and campaign finance reform will remain one of my top issues. The influence of money in politics can be seen at every level, and it’s important that we keep fighting to take power back from special interests.  “In the 2004 Senate race, 91 percent of winners outspent their opponents, and in the House of Representatives, it was 95 percent.  For so many Americans, money in politics is such old news that even numbers like these hardly cause a stir.”  (Democracy’s Edge, p.59 )

But those kind of numbers should cause a stir!  Former Iowa Congressman, Berkley Bedell feels the same way about money in politics and, like me, he’s not just sitting around waiting for the change to happen.  When elections become auctions, average citizens lose their right to a representative government.  And that needs to change.  With a significant outcry and call for reform, this deeply entrenched system can be changed.  “In the four years after the 1998 clean elections law passed, the number of candidates and voter turnout in Arizona went up by a quarter, and the number of minority candidates rose substantially.”  (Democracy’s Edge, p.60 )  “Now armed with proof of clean elections’ impacts, citizens are pursuing initiatives in more than thirty states and already crafting legislation in fifteen.” (Democracy’s Edge, p.63 )   

Bedell is asking people to get involved in calling for reform at the national level and he knows he needs to do so early.  He wants to work with people all over the state of Iowa in order to send a message to local, state and national politicians that “business as usual” is not acceptable.  He will be hosting a meeting next Wednesday, August 2, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Polk County Senior Center, 2008 Forest Avenue, to listen to your ideas on how we can make this happen and to share some of his own thoughts.  If you’d like to attend, please call Berkley at (712) 336-5070 or e-mail your RSVP to: berk.survey@gmail.com.  We hope to see you there!