COST- METHOD OF SELECTING POLITICAL LEADERS
1980--Carter-Reagan $29.4 million in federal funds each—Anderson
1996-- $448.9 million
2000-- $649.5 million
2004-- $4.2 billion—Bush $362 million $5.92 for each vote—Kerry $362 million $5.52 per vote.
2008-- $7 billion
2012--$9.8 billion for statewide, municipal, congressional and presidential campaigns.
Romney $1.13 billion Obama $1.08 Billion.
2012—political donation record Sheldon Adelson $100 million.
The average cost of a Senate campaign has gone from $2 million in 1990 to $8 million in 2010—the average House campaign from $320,000 in 1990 to over $1.1 million in 2010.
Under the present system the political contributions of millionaires and billionaires has produced a “Millionaires Club” made up of 67 Senators (67%) and 183 House members with assets over $1 million to do ALL the people’s business while only 1% of Americans are millionaires. The “Millionaires Club” is so busy repaying and protecting the millionaires whose contributions made their election possible they do not have any time to devote to solving the many problems such as poverty, unemployment, Social Security, Medicare and healthcare facing the millions of Americans in the 99%.
Consider the fact that the $2 billion contributed to Romney-Obama in 2012 by millionaires would create 150 thousand Arkansas
Voters have the power to change the millionaire control in American politics. However only about half of Americans qualified to vote will take the time to vote and many of those who don’t have a million dollars will vote for the candidates selected by millionaires like Sheldon Adelson.
Will you work and vote to change the manner in which elections are held and to change to a system where qualifications of the candidates are more important than the amount of money they can raise. Or will you continue to support the present system by not voting or voting for the candidates that millionaire’s dollars have selected? Study the candidates and their contributors and then vote wisely.
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