When Alachua County voters went to the polls Tuesday the focus of the media and most voters remained primarily on the hotly contested governor’s race and the proposed “Moving Alachua County Forward” transportation tax initiative.
However, voters also cast ballots on — and approved — a single, nonbinding proclamation by an overwhelming margin — 71.5 percent to 28.5 percent.
The ballot measure asked voters whether the U.S. Constitution should be amended to state that “only human beings, and not corporations, labor unions and other artificial entities, are endowed with constitutional rights” and that therefore, regulating political contributions does not restrict political speech.
According to the Associated Press, the polling found that nearly two-thirds of voters agreed that government economic policies disproportionately favor the wealthy.
It is ironic that the same voters who widely identified the domination of government by corporate interests as a major issue chose to hand the reins of power to the Republican Party. These Republicans have encouraged and welcomed the growing corruption and legalized bribery manifesting within American politics.
In Alachua County, voters re-elected Rep. Ted Yoho, a congressman who has received contributions from the political action committees of some of the most powerful corporations in America. Donations to Yoho’s most recent campaign included $5,000 each from AT&T and Lockheed Martin and $7,500 from the infamous Koch Industries.
Around the country, Americans voted to give control of the Senate to Republicans, including soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In 2013, when Democratic senators drafted a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood, McConnell called the proposal “absurd.”
The solution to the problem of money in politics is not simply to elect Democrats instead of Republicans. Many Democrats are just as beholden to special interests — whether corporations, labor unions or both — as Republicans. However, within the halls of American power, only Democratic lawmakers have identified the growing influence of these special interests on public policy as a serious issue.
Fortunately, voters and lawmakers at the state level are beginning to take precisely the kind of bold action that the issue of money in politics requires. State lawmakers in Vermont and California have passed resolutions calling for a constitutional convention to address the problem. Similar resolutions have received strong support in state legislatures across the country and will be voted on in the coming months and years.
Voters are frustrated with the lack of progress within Congress and the executive branch on the issues that directly affect the American middle and working classes. However, as long as lawmakers are motivated by donations, government policies will continue to favor the rich and powerful over everyone else.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 11/10/2014]
