Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Who will debate this?

Set forth below is the cover page of a document entitled Fighting Big Money, Empowering People: A 21st Century Democracy Agenda. The document was published this month by the organizations listed below. The full document can be found at the preceding link.

I call for a debate of this document to be conducted in our Birmingham area. I call for the debate to be joined by Republicans, Democrats and independents.

I will start with Democrats.

I call on Rep. Terri Sewell, Professor Mark Lester, and local Democratic organizations to issue statements along the lines of
The recently published political document Fighting Big Money, Empowering People: A 21st Century Democracy Agenda raises issues of utmost importance that should be addressed by all residents of our Birmingham area. I/we call on  Rep. Gary Palmer and local Republican organizations to engage in debate with local Democratic leaders and organizations. Our local political news media and commentators should participate and assist in publicizing this debate to the residents in our Birmingham area. 

[Cover page of document]
Fighting Big Money, Empowering People:A 21st Century Democracy Agenda

Like every generation before us, Americans are coming together to preserve a democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people. American democracy is premised on the consent of the governed, and on the idea that we all deserve a say in the government decisions that affect our families. We stand united supporting commonsense protections that recognize the people as the ultimate check on the corrosive influence of money in politics, which is eroding the very foundation of self-government.

Brennan Center for Justice
Common Cause
Democracy 21
Democracy Matters
Demos
Every Voice
Issue One
Mayday
People for the American Way
Public Citizen
Represent.Us
U.S. PIRG

July 2015

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Gary Palmer's Tele-Townhall today

For over a year, Gary Palmer has communicated no response to me relative to Just answer the question, Gary Palmer.

I don't think there is any reason for me to try to call in to his Tele-Townhall today.

I have been endeavoring the past couple of days to publicize, via Twitter, Just answer the question, Gary Palmer.

I don't know whether I have caught any other constituent's attention who will call in today and ask Gary Palmer to Just answer the question, Gary Palmer.

If there are constituents who are interested, I think there are two recent developments that Gary Palmer could be asked about.

One development is Jeb Bush's proposal announced yesterday that all lawmaker-lobbyest meetings should be made public. For more information, see Jeb Bush re Lobbyist-Lawmaker meetings and Matt Murphy 5/19/14.

A second development is the below email I received last Friday from Take Back Our Republic, based in Auburn, reporting the results from a survey showing "Conservative Alabamians Support Specific Rules on Money in Politics":


From: Justin Hill, www.takeback.org <press@takeback.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 17, 2015 at 9:20 AM
Subject: Survey: Conservative Alabamians Support Specific Rules on Money in Politics
To: rdshattuck@gmail.com
Most conservative Alabamians support specific measures to address the problem with money in politics, according to a new poll released by Take Back Our Republic (www.takeback.org).

Certain campaign reform measures have appealed most broadly to liberal groups, but Take Back Our Republic specifically surveyed previously identified active conservatives and determined that specific measures to curb the influence of big money in politics are supported by those who back conservative causes and are likely to vote in Republican primaries. The following measures had support among a clear majority (not just a plurality) of the state’s conservatives who were surveyed in the past week:

Survey of Conservative Alabamians
QuestionSupportOpposeUndecided
Strengthen and Enforce Laws Against Foreign Money (e.g. FEC case) 84%6%10%
Verify Credit Card Contributions? 66%19%14%
Disclose Contributions to Outside Groups/Raise Limit for Candidates 64%25%11%
Get Tax Credit for $200 Contributions 54%34%12%

A total of 691 state residents who have previously identified themselves as active conservatives or libertarians participated in the survey. The results will be distributed to the 63 founding members of the State Chapter of Take Back Our Republic.
“After years of running conservative political campaigns, this research verified that the most active conservatives do believe money in politics poses a problem,” said TAKE BACK Executive Director John Pudner, who last year launched the political campaign that overcame Eric Cantor and his political war chest of millions.
“There are some clear first steps conservatives would like to take to address money in politics, and these are not all the same steps liberals might choose,” Pudner said. “The state conservatives we interviewed were divided on other campaign finance issues, and Take Back hopes to continue to encourage discussions. Some strongly support tax credits for small donors to balance off big donors. Some want protection from employment retribution for contributions, while others worry that would lead to too much legislation. Some want limits put on donors, while others feel strongly this is a limit on their 1st amendment rights to free speech.”

As a 501c3 under the IRS code, Take Back hopes to educate the public on the various issues and potential solutions surrounding money in modern campaigns.
  

Monday, July 20, 2015

Matt Murphy 5/19/14

Relative to Jeb Bush's proposal for a law that all lawmaker-lobbyist meetings be made public (see Jeb Bush re lobbyist-lawmaker meetings), please listen to what I say in this May 19, 2014 interview with Matt Murphy, starting at time 7 min 11 sec.


Audio recording and upload >>

Jeb Bush re Lobbyist-Lawmaker meetings

THE DAILY CALLER
Posted By Alex Pappas On 10:46 AM 07/20/2015 In | No Comments

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said Monday he would like to see a new law requiring lawmakers to disclose all meetings with lobbyists.
“We need to reform disclosure rules in Washington,” Bush said in a speech Monday morning in Tallahassee. “Here is what I propose: every time a lobbyist meets with any member of Congress, that should be reported online – every week, and on the member’s official website.”
Bush said the “definition of the term ‘lobbyist’ should be expanded to address the cadre of ‘government relations’ and ‘government affairs’ specialists now populating the Capitol.”
The Republican also said he wants a law that would increase the amount of time between lawmakers leaving the House and Senate and becoming lobbyists.
I will use all of my influence to enact into law an immediate, unequivocal six-year ban on lobbying – a full Senate term – for ex-members of the House and Senate,” he said.
As for the executive branch, Bush said, “We will take similar measures at the White House. I will strengthen existing prohibitions that prevent departing executive branch employees from lobbying members of my administration.”
During his speech at Florida State University, Bush presented his plan for reducing the federal workforce by implementing a freeze on hiring.
“We will go by a simple three-out, one-in rule across the federal workforce, with exceptions for critical positions related to our security and safety,” he said. “Only one new hire for every three who leave.”
Added Bush: “This policy can, on its own, reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy by 10 percent within 5 years.”


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2015/07/20/jeb-bush-wants-every-single-lobbyist-lawmaker-meeting-made-public/#ixzz3gTawNmZh
 

Saturday, July 18, 2015

How about bare knuckles in AL?

Last November, Professors Lessig and Teachout talked with Bill Moyers about their bare knuckle fight against money in politics.



For 2015 MAYDAY has been practicing "nice guy" to knock politely on doors of Representatives in Congress and importune, "Will you please do what is right for the American people?"

Will this work?

Right now, MAYDAY seems to think so.

I don't know what they think about Alabama.

I have been laboring to fight the battle in Alabama for over a year. I can't say I have made any headway.

I have tried "bare knuckles" within my capacities. See, e.g. Just answer the question, Gary Palmer and Rep. Palmer: Do you #FeelTheBernHeat? 

Who can help me with "bare knuckles" against Gary Palmer in his Tele-Townhall next Tuesday (per the below)?


News from Congressman Gary Palmer
                
Participate in Congressman Gary Palmer's Tele-Townhall!

Join Congressman Gary Palmer of Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, for a tele-townhall. Participate by calling a toll-free number and join your friends and neighbors in discussing the issues important to you with Gary. Simply dial the number listed below, listen in, and, time permitting, ask your own questions directly of Gary.  You can also sign up with the link below to be called, rather than having to call in. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your views with your U.S. Congressman.

Who: Congressman Gary Palmer and The People of Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District

Where: Anywhere where you have access to a phone

When:
 July 21, 2015 at 5-5:30pm CST

How:
 Click this link to sign up to be called: 
https://vekeo.com/event/congressman-palmer-07212015/ 

Or, call (877) 229-8493 toll-free, then enter the call number: 114449.






Monday, July 13, 2015

Dear @ALforBernie and @BhamForBernie

Dear @ALforBernie and @BhamForBernie,

It appears that yesterday's first Bernie Meetup in Birmingham was a great success.

I know you have much organizing work to do, and it will take awhile for your campaign for Bernie in Alabama to take shape.

I am in the campaign finance reform movement.

I have previously written about how I would like Alabama for Bernie 2016 to push strenuously the campaign finance reform issue, regarding which Bernie Sanders is now the leading spokesperson. (Please see To: Alabama for Bernie 2016 Community.)

As you sort through the political issues that Bernie Sanders is raising and make decisions which you will emphasize, I would like the opportunity to meet with one or more of your leaders and discuss why I think your Sanders effort in Alabama should emphasize the campaign finance reform issue.

Please contact me if that is possible.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck






Saturday, July 11, 2015

1st Bernieham Meetup tomorrow

The 1st #BerniehamMeetup will take place tomorrow at 4 pm at Good People Brewing Company, 114 14th St S, Birmingham, Alabama 35233.

When I first saw the scheduling of the event, I posted To: Alabama For Bernie 2016 Community and was permitted to post a link to the same on the Alabama For Bernie 2016 Community Facebook, where the link remains as a comment to the top post there.

There will be a lot of enthusiasm and energy at the Meetup, and everyone will have to begin to get their bearings in the conduct of the Sanders campaign in Alabama.

It will take time for the campaign to develop.

I hope the Alabama campaign will take up and push on the campaign finance reform issue and possibly take me up on what I laid out in To: Alabama For Bernie 2016 Community.


Get a head start and tweet now for
campaign finance reform in #Bernieham

Send or retweet this tweet:
This is #Bernieham, and we are going to make campaign finance reform a top issue in Alabama. http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2015/07/1st-bernieham-meetup-tomorrow.html #alpolitics

Friday, July 3, 2015

To: Alabama for Bernie 2016 Community

To: Alabama for Bernie 2016 Community

In 2014 I ran for Congress in the Republican primary in the Alabama 6th Congressional district.

My campaign contended that Congress was "broke" and failing to do its job properly for the American people, and that the main reason for this failure was the corrupting influence of money in politics.

The other candidates, including Gary Palmer, ignored me.

Bernie Sanders has become the leading national spokesperson on the "money in politics" issue, and he is doing fantastically in the campaign he has launched.

I have continued to push on Congressman Palmer.

A month ago I initiated #FeelTheBernHeat starts in AL06, in order to continue trying to get Congressman Palmer to answer.

Further I am trying to get #FeelTheBernHeat to be used by voters in other Congressional districts. See Will you tweet this to your Representative?.

I solicit the Alabama for Bernie 2016 Community to consider whether they would like to participate with me in my effort to make Congressman Palmer, and Alabama's Senators and other Representatives in Washington, to #FeelTheBernHeat.

In your thinking about this, I hope you will consider whether this issue is Democrats versus Republicans, or something else.

On the front page of the MAYDAY.US website (at the lower right of the front page) there is a quotation from a Forbes magazine article you should think about it. The quotation is:
“The mortal struggle at hand today is not between the right and the left. It is not between Republicans and Democrats. It is not between the Congress and the president. It is between us (currently outsiders to our own government) voters and the Washington Insiders.”
Also, I note that your @ALforBernie twitter account retweeted the below tweet of Nate Silver.

If anyone in the Alabama for Bernie 2016 Community has any questions about me or my work, or would like to discuss this with me, please feel at liberty to contact me.