Paper to be read for our discussion on possible new WDC strategies relating to our campaign finance reform agenda for remainder of 07 - by Bill Benedict
Have you heard of the Wisconsin Voter Owned Elections coalition? There is a very good reason if you haven’t. There is no such single issue driven citizen group or coalition in Wisconsin.
This fact, in spite of the strong mandate Wisconsin voters gave for voter owned reform in our spring election. No such entity has emerged. While the caucus scandal has produced five different campaign reform bills, all of them continue to languish in two Assembly committees without any scheduled hearings in sight.
Since the notorious political corruption in our state capitol was first exposed now nearly three years ago, and despite reports of millions of dollars continuing being spent both under the table and openly by special interests groups for special favors – most blatantly recently by the health care and insurance industries - from our Governor and our legislators, no serious organization has assumed this mantel.
While Wisconsin is in deed fortunate to have numerous state wide clean government and political watchdog groups working for campaign finance reform in their portfolio – Common Cause, League of Women Voters , Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and the Peoples Legislature, to mention only a few – there is no single group that is committed exclusively to the single issue of voter owned elections or perhaps better known as campaign finance reform.
I propose that the above groups and dozens of other similar groups throughout Wisconsin pool a portion of their combined resources, special talents, web and media systems on behalf of a single, transparent mission – “To assure passage of a comprehensive voter owned election reform bill by year end 2007.”
Perhaps at first glance at this proposal your first reservation will be to conclude that there just isn’t enough time for such an integrative initiative of this scope. I say however that such a narrow time window will actually likely serve to play a big role in our success. Its often said that individuals, and particularly groups, can’t stay focus on any one thing for very long. This will certainly not be the case with this proposal.
I propose that the first item on such an agenda is to appoint an operational group using voluntary allocated staff time and volunteers from throughout Wisconsin.
As a playbook I would refer such an operations group for this initiative to use as their guide a strategy and philosophy proposed in an article by New York Times Magazine columnist Michael Crowley – “Can Lobbyists Stop the War?”
Here are four principles to successfully bring voter owned elections back to Wisconsin.
1. Assume an inclusive strategy which includes working with all political parties, civic and religious and special interest groups in a quiet, respectful and not in “an in-your-face” or confrontational manner.
2. Recruit and use all the high tech net and multi-media savvy people and groups you can fine.
3. Stay focused on this one simple and time focused mission – passage of the voter owned election reform bill - but create many different slogans to shape the narrative that you desire.
4. Use computer polling, surveys and mapping to assess the viability and acceptability of your planned strategies, and the scope and breathe of citizen and group participation along the journey.
Respectfully,
William R. Benedict
