Money in Elections

Big money has blocked nearly every attempt at legislation to limit the influence of money in our political system. They are a self perpetuating system that buys politicians who will make it easier and less transparent for them to buy more politicians.

I attempted to place a Citizen Ballot Initiative on the Colorado ballot in 2015. You can see a copy of this Ballot Initiative at the Colorado Secretary of State web site, for proposed initiatives for 2015 number 24.

Here is the link to the proposed Citizen Ballot Initiative to remove excessive money from elections and to preserve voters rights.

http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/filings/2015-2016/24Original.pdf

This initiative would have only allowed campaigns or political groups to retain their tax-free status if they could show by their actions that they were operating in the interest of Colorado and Coloradans. One of the main ways political organization would be deemed in the interest of Colorado and Coloradans would be that they could only accept assistance, items of value, or money from those who could legally be Colorado electors.

This would mean that out of state influence, corporate money, union money, super pac money, or money from unidentified sources would all be excluded, since none of these entities could legally register, receive a ballot, or vote in our elections. This would have returned control of Colorado elections to Coloradans.

Unfortunately the Secretary of State and Attorney General Office refused to title the initiative, thus keeping it off the Ballot in 2015. Not a surprise since this Initiative would have leveled the playing field and kept the incumbents in a race from a massive advantage as they build war chests of money, obtained from many of the same people and organizations that ask for special interest legislation that benefits them at the expense of the people, the elected official’s constituents.