Dear Move. on , You Want My Money and Time, Offer Something Back

By Linda Winsh-Bolard

I have been working with a group of concerned citizens for quite a time on changing things for better. We got together during the fight for health care reform.
We spend a lot of time and effort on that issue.

We also reached to other groups.

Of course, in dues course, many other issues emerged; the logical progress of things.

We were also approached by many other groups asking us to help and donate. Hardly a day passes without someone asking me for a donation.
We, of course, are volunteers. There are possibly thousands of volunteers in US working on behalf of both parties.

The longer I watch them, the more I can see that they sacrifice a lot for benefit of few.

It used to be that those volunteers were the wives of either rich or politically aspiring men. Sometimes well off students with similar ambitions. But these days there is a portion of people who are neither rich, nor connected, who truly want to work for change and get used for political ambition s of others.

This irritates me.

It also bothers me that I fell into this trap.

Because it is truly a trap. When it comes down to it, volunteers are asked to donate time, skills and often goods (from copiers to phones and stamps) on behalf of somebody who wants to secure a well paid job in politics. And these days the volunteers are not worthy of meeting this great person much less compensated in any other way.

Volunteers are used as slave labor. They have no access to anyone making decision, no influence in choosing what the organization supports nor any access to anyone in charge. Certainly not to any candidate. Nobody remembers them or will help them in any way. The days when you could start your career by working as a volunteer for somebody’s campaign are over. The campaigners do not want your skills, they want you to do the lousy task connected people despise- like working door to door or calling strangers.

Volunteers are disregarded and discarded.

They get disenchanted. But new ones are always found. Organizing for America as well as Move-on are looking specifically for young people; older ones are not worth the effort. They might be asking too many questions or have too much experience.

As I am, asking questions, that is.

This was sent to me as goals the Move on’s top people want to work on. It came with the usual donate to our cause request, which is in the range of $5 to $15 a week for nearly each e-mail. I get about 5 e-mails a week. Move on claims to have 5 million members and I truly wonder what happens to donated money.

Nevertheless, I looked at those issues:

• Overturn Citizens United: Amend the Constitution to protect America from unlimited corporate spending on our elections by overturning the Supreme Court's decision giving corporations the same First Amendment rights as people.

• Fair elections now: Pass the Fair Elections Now Act, providing public financing to candidates who are supported by small donors so they can compete with corporate-backed and self-funded candidates.

• Lobbyist Reform Act: Pass legislation to end the overwhelming influence of corporate lobbyists by: prohibiting individuals from switching from corporate lobbying to government service, or vice-versa, within a 5-year period; stopping corporate lobbyists from giving gifts and providing free travel to government officials; and posting online the attendees and content of all meetings between lobbyists and government officials.


Here is my answer:

Dear Move-on, since there is no way to communicate with anyone in charge, this is how I feel about those “issues”:

Spending years on something as toothless as attempts to overturn Supreme Court decision (even if it ever came to pass the corporate financing would stay, just not as blatant) is a waste of time.

Ditto for Fair Election- if the Supreme Court killed it twice in the same quarter, it will do it again.

The third one is worthy. It will also never pass as long as the other two do not precede it.

The only benefit will be the long life of your own organization, years I suspect, where few chosen ones will use the revolving door of politics-activist-media for their own betterment.

I resent the comments one of your regional members made to what I consider important:

Instead of “overturning” the Supreme Court decision, to propose further definition of who can be involved, as a voter, donor or candidate, in any election as that of physical person only, with additional limit on how much can be donated by anyone to a candidate or party (current $30,000 is a lot).

Such definition would solve the problems created by corporate funding, provide fair election by evening the playing field and is no more "new" that giving the right to vote to women and black people were in their time.

I am sure other people thought of it. Albeit, it cuts organizations such as Move on, OFBA or Tea Party out as well as the corporate funding. And that means that some rather plushy jobs would be gone for ever. Actually, all those hanger ons would be gone. I sincerely doubt that is what Move on, or any other organization living off the election campaigning, have in mind what they call for "reform".

The cuts will involve large portion of lobby as well. If lobbyists are unable to finance campaign and bribes are forbidden, then lobbyists influence is severely limited.

Additional benefits: only one issue campaign. Most people also see the absurdity of bank building tottering (on temporary wheels?) to the voting booth.

I don't see why ordinary people would not ask. It certainly is not harder to obtain than overturn a Supreme Court decision based on protection of free speech. The benefits are much better as well.


It is equally ironic that supposedly progressive people will not even bring up shortening of the working week, sick pay, vacation and shorter working life.

Republicans attack all of those constantly and yet the Dems have nothing to say?

Frankly, we will not have any more production jobs, agricultural jobs and few new ones in construction. We have run out of space and natural materials. This, still promoted, model of an economy build on ”consumption" is over; there are not enough natural resources to support it.

We don't have any choice in that. We are unable to stretch the Earth, create oil, metals or water. We are not gods. We have to accept that things still made would be smaller, lasting longer (10 years warranty on Hyundai beats the 3 on Ford) and more effective- and that means fewer jobs in production. There will be some jobs in service but currently service does not pay living wage.

For every 7 jobs shortened out of 40 hours to 35 hours a week, 1 job is created.

As for pay cuts- they average 15% on the last 2 years, and guess what- the only jobs created were by feds in census taking- temporary. May I suggest cutting off the top pay?

This is not new either; shorter working day usually followed a crisis.

This is definitively crisis; let’s have some small gains for working people.

So, dear Move-on, unless your party has something positive to offer to me, I don’t think I will vote for it. I will be one of those adults who will defy your prediction and show you as much loyalty as you have shown to me: after life long Democrat vote I will vote independent. I know that losing the independent vote will lose you the election but it looks to me like you do not care how much I lose in my life. Why should I care for you?

Sincerely,

Linda Winsh-Bolard