How does money in politics affect the economic and social
well-being of Northern Maine? And by “Northern
Maine,” I don’t mean Bangor. I mean the
vast areas of Aroostook County, Northern Penobscot, and Washington County. There was already way too much money
determining the outcome of elections when Supreme Court decisions dramatically compounded
the influence of corporate greed in political decisions that vitally affect us. The Citizens United decision defined a
corporation as a person and money as speech; it struck down regulations that
limited the amount of money they could spend on political campaigns. The McCutcheon vs. FEC decision eliminated
caps on how much people can give in total to federal candidates and party
committees. That means that our individual
voices in Northern Maine are being drowned out by voices of greed coming from
elsewhere.
We in Northern Maine have always had to struggle to have our
voices heard in Augusta—let alone in Washington—where money and profit
rule. Giant corporations from outside
Northern Maine have gradually taken over our farms, retail outlets, forestry
industries, and government. They were
already controlling our lives, silencing our voices, and shipping out their
profits to other areas. They have not
improved our economy. We are rural,
sparsely populated, and struggling to survive economically and to maintain what
is left of our pristine environment and our quality of life which in so many
ways should be a role model for Augusta, Southern Maine, and the rest of the
nation, not a way station to be ignored.
We have increasing numbers of organic farmers here who need and
deserve public support in Augusta. They show
the way to improving our citizens’ health which corporate food producers have
been undermining for many decades. We
still have forests, wild lands, and wild life that provide a quality of life
necessary for personal happiness of local citizens, travelers, and tourists;
these resources need protection from corporate greed that use up these
resources for profit and leave our soils, waters, forests, and air polluted. We still have some semblance of town hall
government where diverse voices can be heard and respected. This kind of government must be protected and
strengthened to combat the power of money coming from outside interests and
determining political decisions that affect our lives.
Whether you are Democrat, Republican, Tea Party,
Independent, or Other, arm yourself with information. Do everything you can to find out how
candidates are being funded. If you can’t find out from the media, ask the
candidates and the party officials before you vote. Ask them where their campaign funds are
coming from. Ask them what kind of obligation they will owe from their funding. Ask them if they will support campaign finance
reform to restore the democratic principle of one person, one vote.
The definition of a corporation as a person and money as
speech is a travesty of justice. We in rural Northern Maine have to speak even
louder since that travesty, and our best megaphones are informed voices: private speech one-to one in homes and
neighborhoods, public speech in town halls and other public meetings, Letters
to the Editor, and the vote. The
upcoming elections are an opportunity to make your voice heard, both in the
primary elections in June, and in the general elections in November. Think about what is best for Northern Maine
and vote accordingly. Don’t let our
fate be determined by those who will use our resources for their own gain and take
their profits elsewhere.
