THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
THURSDAY MARCH 1, 2012
Page 25
WEIR ONLY HUMAN
Weir Only Human
Always Follow the Money! By BOB WEIR It’s been said that all politics is local, meaning that a politician’s success is directly related to his ability to understand the issues of most importance to his constituents, and to the best of his ability, carry out their wishes. If the politician has principles, carrying out those wishes is a no-brainer. But, suppose the voters elected a congressman, mayor, sheriff, or other authority figure that had an “open mind” when it came to making deals with wealthy companies that swooped down over the local community with business projects that posed severe discomfort, or potential hazard to the residents? Big companies have big checking accounts, hence are capable of making significant contributions to campaign treasuries. Of course, the ethical elected official will not be influenced one iota by those who seek to buy the power of his office. Nevertheless, he’s unlikely to turn down those “donations” that don’t seem to have any strings attached (at least no strings he’d admit to). Yet, you’d have to ask yourself why a
company, or an individual, with business or personal interests in the area would spend money on someone who isn’t viewed as sympathetic to their concerns. The answer is; they wouldn’t. The problem we face in selecting the best people to govern us is the fact that running for office can be expensive. In some campaigns, the amount of money spent is obscene. It’s a sad commentary on our culture that so many people are manipulated by political ads that distort reality and send voters to the polls with a twisted view of the candidates. One way to change this exercise in mind manipulation is to level the playing field by taking big money out of politics. Another way is for the voters to be made aware of whom the money donors are, and make a judgment on the candidate’s credibility based on whom he accepts money from. No reasonable person objects to wealthy people buying mansions, yachts, sports cars, etc., those are retail items. However, everyone should object to wealthy people buying elections. We often hear pundits talking about money as a form of free speech. That’s utter nonsense (no pun intended)! If money equals free speech, then it must be painfully evident that most Americans have very limited access to that Constitutionprovided right, when compared to the deep-pocketed fat-cats on Wall Street and
K-Street. The same goes for voters in local communities who may find themselves being influenced by well-financed campaigns and ethically-challenged candidates who have little compunction about filling their treasuries with ill-gotten gains. Therefore, if the voice of the people is to have any meaning, it’s important that voters know who’s contributing money to candidates on every level of government. A gambler will bet a bundle on a horse because he expects a significant return if it wins. Sadly, the same often happens in political campaigns. Example: suppose candidates A and B are on opposite sides when it comes to zoning changes in their city. If candidate A is on record for supporting those changes and has received large donations from a business concern that seeks to build retail stores in an area that is not zoned for them, it seems obvious that the money is being spent to buy access to the candidate’s vote. Keep in mind; if it was a development favored by the local residents, there would be no need to stuff the campaign coffers of candidates who also favored the planned projects. Hence, when large sums of cash are injected into the contest, it’s usually because of an attempt to thwart the will of the people. In order to do so, voters must be persuaded into believing that their best interests are being served by the new ad-
ditions to their surrounding environment. Very often, that persuasion comes from advertising that promises increased revenue that would lessen the tax burden on residents. What’s often left out of equation is the fact that any revenue gained would be more than offset by additional city services that would be required if said project was built. In the final analysis, we elect people to represent us equally, not to favor those who spend the most money putting them in office. One way to deal with this usurpation of democracy is to allow voters to follow the money by requiring that campaign contributions be reported publicly within 48 hours of receipt. When a voter goes to the polls he/she should know which candidates are already bought and paid for. Bob Weir is a veteran of 20 years with the New York Police Dept. (NYPD), ten of which were performed in plainclothes undercover assignments. Bob began a writing career about 12 years ago and had his first book published in 1999. Bob went on to write and publish a total of seven novels, “Murder in Black and White,” “City to Die For,” “Powers that Be,” “Ruthie’s Kids,” “Deadly to Love,” “Short Stories of Life and Death,” and “Out of Sight.” He also became a syndicated columnist under the title “Weir Only Human.”
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