To the editor:
Since the Supreme Court decisions in Citizens United and McCutcheon vs Federal Election Commission, more and more money gets poured into political campaigns, we know less and less about where that money comes from, and campaigns focus more and more on attacking opponents and less and less on addressing our many important problems and their solutions.
Many recent polls show this Supreme Court does not reflect the judgment of the American people: a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents support campaign finance reform that would make the raising and spending of unlimited amounts of money by Super PACS (Political Action Committees) illegal. One Gallop poll showed that at least half of Americans support radical reform that would provide a 100 percent government-funded campaign system for federal elections (firedoglake.com).
Susan Collins is not the candidate to work for such reform in the Senate. She says she wants to increase transparency in campaign finance, but voted against the Disclose Act which would “require that corporations, labor unions, trade associations, nonprofit advocacy groups and super PACs disclose campaign contributions and expenditures of more than $10,000 or more within 24 hours of spending the money” (Portland Press Herald, July 25, 2012). She says she is opposed to the Citizen’s United decision, but she voted against the Udall Amendment which would have provided for the reversal of that decision.
Shenna Bellows is the right candidate to work for meaningful campaign finance reform. She supports both the Disclose Act and the Udall Amendment. The exorbitant amounts of money now spent in campaigns negatively affects political decisions about all the problems I care most about: affordable and accessible health care for all; the economy and income inequality; food integrity; global warming and the environment, quality education; infrastructure upgrades; and social justice for all, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
Shenna Bellows has the experience, the priorities, the drive, and the intelligence to find solutions to all of these problems. Visit her website at http://bellowsforsenate.com, and please vote for her.
Alice Bolstridge
Presque Isle
