Last week the special election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District caused me to make changes to Voting Alert Beacons #3 and #5, Listen/Ignore and The Money respectively. WHY?
First, some facts. The final round election was held on June 20th after a primary which included a slew of Democrats and Republicans. However, in the April 18th primary, no one garnered more than 50% of the vote. So, the run-off election ensued between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel. It was a closely watched campaign with heated debate on the issues of our day. However, two facts caught my eye. Jon Ossoff doesn’t live in the district he proposed to represent, and more money was spent in this race then ever before in any Congressional District race. There are several numbers floating around, but a common figure seems to be $50 million plus. WHEW! The alarming factor is that the lion’s share of this money came from outside the 6th District. Many PACS and special interests contributed, along with vast sums from both New York and California.
This has happened before. Sometimes people who don’t live in the State, Congressional districts, or state legislative districts run for office in those same areas, and are supported by money from the “outside.” When this happens, the local elections are influenced by national special interests and power brokers. So, specifically we’re left to conclude, and it’s not a reach to see, there is little difference between what happened in the 6th District and the apparent Russian interference in the 2016 national elections. WHY WOULD ONE BE ACCEPTABLE AND THE OTHER NOT?
Here’s what I changed:
Beacon #3 Listen / Ignore: Regardless of local laws, IGNORE candidates who don't live in your State, Congressional district, or state legislative district.
Beacon #5 The Money: DON'T vote for candidates who accept money from outside your State, Congressional district, or state legislative district.
Simple and logical, right? The power of each vote we cast and all of them together is immense. Don't forget!
. . . remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her. America’s best days are ahead of her. They always have been and always will be.
Dave
Copyright © 2017 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.