Last year, the insurance companies gutted health care, the banks walked off with a trillion dollars in bailouts and oil coal, and nuclear lobbyists hijacked the clean energy jobs bill. That was before the Supreme Court recognized corporations as equal to individual citizens and effectively repealed all limits on corporate political spending.

Everyone knows that it costs millions of dollars to run for political office. The 2008 election cost over $5 billion. A single Senate seat can cost upwards of $50 million. Where does this money come from? Huge donations come from huge corporations.

As President Obama stated, “The Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics. It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.”

Despite all this, we can change things. We need conscientious reform—a new system of campaign finance that will allow ordinary Americans to run for office, will make politicians accountable to voters not funders and will restore faith in our political system.  The Fair Elections Now Act will establish a public option for congressional candidates similar to the successful systems in Maine, Connecticut and Arizona.

No matter what issue you care about, no matter what side you’re on, you have a right, as a person, to be heard. Help us to change the way elections are funded and free our political system from the stranglehold of big money—join Democracy Matters.  Contact me (csmith8) or stop by a weekly meeting in the Gustie Den (Sundays 6:30 p.m.) and stand among the thousands of students working to make a difference.

Cydni Smith ‘11