Forum Post: Rallying Cry: Take Private Money out of Politics!

Everybody keeps talking about how OWS needs specific, finite demands. Here's my opinion: special interest money should be banned from politics.

This entire system has been increasingly corrupted by special interest money ever since the supreme court ruled that money is equivalent to free speech. In reality, money is not speech -- in fact, most political money is used to silence free speech from the opposition, or from any third party candidate who cannot raise enough money to compete with the primary parties.

Both Arizona and Maine have "clean elections" systems, where politicians who refuse all private donations are entitled to public matching funds. These two systems produce some of the most respected senators and bills in the country -- including statewide health care systems for both states.

"Clean elections" can be broadened to the entire country, and be made mandatory. All politicians would get a fixed amount of public money to wage their political campaign, and absolutely zero private contributions would be allowed. Obviously, there are issues that must be worked out, such as private committees taking out political ads. But fundamentally, politicians who are no longer able to compete for special interest dollars will no longer be beholden to special interests.

So again, I claim that OWS should have the following demand: take ALL private money out of politics!