The other day, in the town of Allen, our 4 term mayor Ed Pawlowski was sentenced to 15 years in club fed, $93,000.00 restitution, and a whole lotta misery for 38 counts of pay to play. More info here https://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-allentown-mayor-ed-pawlowski-sentenced-20181022-story.html
He should have listened to me
Several months before, on 1-21-15, my friend Robert and I celebrated the 5th anniversary of the #citizensunited Supreme Court decision that greatly expanded the role of money in politics. We did this by attending a meeting of Allentown city council in an effort to persuade them to adopt a symbolic resolution in support of the American Anti Corruption Act. While we failed that night, in time, we were able to assist council with adopting an anti pay to play law. That work is ongoing.
But there is much more to be done. Donald J Trump ran for President on a platform to “drain the swamp” yet has done the exact opposite by filling key positions with oligarchs. If you give me your write in vote as your Congressperson for the PA 7th district, one of my first order of business in DC is to compose and propose a version of the anti corruption act something like this:
“Proposed anti corruption act
Summary of Provisions
FIX OUR BROKEN ELECTIONS
Politicians prioritize big donors to get elected and redraw their districts to stay in office. By changing how our elections work, we can put power back in the hands of the people.
End Gerrymandering: Create an independent citizens commission for redistricting that follows strict guidelines to ensure accurate representation for all voters.
Change how elections are funded: Offer every voter a small credit they can use to make a political donation with no out-of-pocket expense. Set strict limits on campaign contributions.
Make candidates more accountable to their constituents: Allow political contributions only from the district where the candidate is running.
Equalize ballot access: Level the field for all party and independent candidates. Potential candidates should have to collect the same number of petition signatures regardless of political affiliation.
End closed primaries: Primaries are a function of the major parties but are funded by all taxpayers, though not all taxpayers can participate. Open primaries to all voters, or eliminate them altogether.
Let voters rank their top candidates: Ranked choice voting allows voters to support their top choice without fear of inadvertantly helping elect the other party’s candidate.
Allow early voting through absentee ballot: Lift the restrictions on the use of absentee ballots to make voting access easier for qualified voters.
Keep voter rolls up to date and secure: Allow all state agencies to register voters using positive identification and share that information with county boards of elections.
Make voting easier for working people: Allow voters to vote at voting centers outside their precinct or ward.
Make election day a holiday: Voting is the most important action for a citizen of a democratic republic. We should enshrine and encourage voting by making election day a holiday.
Make all elections accurately auditable: Votes must be recorded accurately and have an auditable paper trail.
Allow hiring as well as electing poll workers: Currently, poll workers are elected in Pennsylvania, leading to understaffing at the polls. By allowing county boards of elections to hire poll workers, elections can be fully staffed and poll workers can be properly trained.
END UNLIMITED GIFTS AND SECRET MONEY
Pennsylvania lawmakers are allowed to accept gifts and donations of unlimited value. Lax financial rules lead to open bribery of state politicians. Secret money groups funnel millions of dollars into state elections. Voters deserve to know who is buying political power.
Enact and enforce a gift ban on politicians: Politicans are influenced by money, lavish gifts, trips and fancy meals. We need a gift ban to stop this practice which is unlimited in Pennsylvania.
Immediately disclose political money online: Update disclosure laws on political donations and spending. Make public disclosure of all significant transactions immediate.
Stop donors from hiding behind secret money groups: Require any organization that spends money on political advertisements to file timely online reports disclosing its major donors.
Crack down on super PACs: Enforce the mandate that super PACs must be independent from candidates by making meaningful rules aimed at preventing coordination.
STOP POLITICAL BRIBERY
From lucrative job offers and unlimited gifts to campaign contributions, there are too many legal ways for special interests to bribe politicians. Exchanging money for political influence is corrupt and should be illegal.
Make it illegal for politicians to take money from professional lobbyists: People who get paid to influence politicians can either lobby or donate, they can’t do both.
Ban lobbyist bundling: Prohibit lobbyists from aggregating other people’s contributions and delivering them to political campaigns.
Close the revolving door: Stop elected officials and their staff from selling off their government power for high paying lobbying jobs. Prohibit them from holding or negotiating jobs with firms that lobby or do business with the state while in office. Bar former elected officials and staff from all lobbying for five years after leaving office.
Eliminate conflicts of interest: Make it illegal for sitting politicians to hold positions with lawfirms and companies that do business with the state.
ENFORCE THE RULES
Existing anti-corruption laws are weak and outdated, and agencies routinely fail to penalize the rulebreakers. Stronger enforcement will stop elected officials, lobbyists and super PACs from evading the law.
Eliminate lobbyist loopholes: Prevent lobbyists from skirting the rules by strengthening the definition of lobbying and penalizing paid lobbyists who fail to register.
Strengthen anti-corruption enforcement: Fix the State Ethics Commission and give prosecutors the tools they need to combat corruption.”
More information about this movement can be found at https://anticorruptionact.org/ and https://represent.us/
#sendmetotrump