[GPSCC-chat] Fwd: Prop 15 PreElection Event

[spencerg]

Hi, Fred, et al.:


	  Attached please find an expanded discussion of the "Four Puppet" 
model of politics I mentioned in my May 22 discussion of banks.  I wrote 
this believing that it might be useful to Nancy Neff, Sally Lieber, and 
others working on Prop 15.


	  Might someone be able to forward it to them?  I just sent it to 
"info at yesfairelections.org", but I did not receive a reply to an earlier 
email, so I don't know if anyone is reading that.


	  Best Wishes,
	  Spencer


########################
        How much to common citizens pay for our current "privately 
financed" political campaigns?


        People who think they don't pay anything if they don't 
contribute are exceedingly naive.  On May 22, Nancy and Sally said that 
the citizens of one state (one of the Carolinas?) got a rebate totaling 
$50 million, if my memory is correct, on insurance premiums after the 
first insurance commissioner elected by a publicly finance campaign took 
office.  That election cost the taxpayers between $2 M and $10 M;  I 
can't remember the numbers, but the return on investment from public 
financing in that one example was at least $10 for every $1 spent.


        Over the past half century, the price of sugar in the US has 
averaged just over double the world price.(a)  Research 20 years ago 
indicated that the sugar lobby reaped $3 billion of excess profits from 
this on $2.6 million in campaign "contributions".(b)  That's well over 
$1,000 for ever $1 invested in political campaigns.  With that kind of 
return on investment, it's no small wonder that the inflation in the 
cost of political campaigns far exceeds the rate of inflation in the 
economy as a whole.  As I mentioned on May 22, this would not work if 
the media from which most people get their world view honestly reported 
the story.  However, media that accept advertising will not do that for 
two reasons:  First, they will lose revenue from the big industries 
whose corruption is exposed.  Second, they charge political campaigns 
substantially more than standard commercial accounts, and stand to lose 
substantial sums on election years if the public ceased to be influenced 
by them.


        *** DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO NANCY AND 
SALLY?  I tried to send an email like this to an address at their web 
site but did not get a reply;  they may not have received it.  I think 
this makes an incredibly strong case for Prop 15.


        Best Wishes,
        Spencer


#################
(a) US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Tables 3 and 
4 (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Sugar/data.htm), accessed 2010.05.29.


(b) Philip M. Stern (1992) Still the Best Congress Money Can Buy 
(Regnery Gateway).



On 5/29/2010 11:35 AM, fred wrote:
> Our phone number corrected: 650-691-1215
>
> Fred
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject:     Prop 15 PreElection Event
> Date:     Sat, 29 May 2010 11:06:48 -0700
> From:     fred <fredd at freeshell.org>
> To:     South SF Bay Discuss at CA Greens <sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org>
>
>
>
> DEAR FRIENDS,
>
> Palo Alto YES on PROPOSITION 15 Area Coordinator Nancy Neff and former
> State Assemblywoman Sally Lieber will be speaking at our house (Unit
> 45), or our spacious Willow Park Condo Clubhouse, depending on the size
> of the crowd, on Sunday, June 6, 7:00 - 8:30 pm.
>
> YOU ARE INVITED to meet and hear Nancy and Sally and to enjoy a Sunday
> evening of congenial chat topped off with dessert, coffee and teas.
>
> You are also invited to bring friends.  (We would appreciate your
> replies so we can pre-estimate the size of the attendance.)
>
> We're looking forward seeing Our phoneto you on June 6.
>
> With warm regards,
>
> Fred and Lois Duperrault
> 500 W. Middlefield Rd., #45
> Mountain View, CA 94043
> 650-691-1215
> fredd at freeshell.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> sosfbay-discuss mailing list
> sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org
> http://lists.cagreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss


-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Operating Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567


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