November 3. 2004
Page A4
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
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Wellness Within REACH Activity Calendar
Pilates (Contact AAHC)
M att Dishman
Tue, 8-9pm
Stretching/Body Sculpting
(Class courtey of Hitt Dishman)
M att Dishman
Tue, Thu, 7-8am, Lois
Low Impact Aerobics
Daniel’s M em orial Church
Tue, 7:1S-8:15pm, Granville
W a te r Aerobics (Contact AAHC)
Columbia Pool, M att Dishman
African Exercise
M att Dishman
Sat. 10-1 lam, Addo
Tai Chi (Contact AAH C)
St.John’s Comunity C enter
Tue, 6:30-7:30pm
W alking Group
Peninsula Park
Sat, 12:30pm, Woods
Lloyd Ctr, 1st FI. in front of Sears
Tue, Thu, 6:30pm, Woods
Body Conditioning
W ild Oats Market
Sat, 9:30-10:30am, Nickerson
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W eight Mgnt./Conditioning
W h itak er Track
Tue, Thu, 9 -10am, Hasan
Kickboxing
Mallory Ave. Christian Church
Tue, Thu, 6-7pm, Keller
Yoga
W ild Oats Market
Tue, Thu, 7:30-8:30pm, Wren
Columbia Pool, 7701 N Chautauqua
Daniel's Memorial Church, 1234 NE Killingsworth
Malory b n Qinstian Churdi (Gym), 126 NE Alberta
Matt Dishman. 77 NE Knott
Power of Money in Elections
Public campaign financing would create fairness
Presents for your health.
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Granville • 6:30-7:30pm. Nickerson
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bv
J udge G reg M athis
Now, more than ever, it is
time to implement public financ
ing for campaigns.
Nearly four billion dollars was
spent on this year’s U.S. presi
dential, congressional and sen
ate campaigns - a 30 percent
increase from four years ago,
according to the C enter for
Responsive Politics.
Corporations, wealthy donors
and other interest groups do
nated most of the money as a
way to impose their will on the
American people and buy influ
ence from their favorite politi
cian.
Leading the way were in
dustries that have a stake in
pending federal regulations
that may or may not be good
for the Am erican people. The
pharmaceutical and healthcare
in d u stries, w hich have the
most at stake given the push
for reform s, were, o f course,
the biggest donors. Even the
sports industry got in on the
act, giving over $14 m illion,
prim arily to conservative Re
publican candidates. I wonder
if the black ath letes know
they’re helping their bosses
finance candidates that legis
late against the interests of
black people?
Public financing would re
move the corruption that is
ram pant by virtue o f corpo
rate financing. W hen politi
c ia n s
are
e le c te d
on
som eone’s bill, the group or
groups who financed that elec
tion own the politician for the
duration o f the p o liticia n s’
term. When that happens, the
interests of the people take a
far back seat to corporate in
terests.
When politicians
are elected on
someone ’s bill, the
group or groups
who financed that
election own the
politician for the
duration o f the
politicians ’ term.
-JudgeGregMathis
Public financing would also
level the playing field by en
abling the average person to run
for office. With the incredible
amounts of money behind cam
paigns, the vast majority of those
who run for office are in the
u p p er tw o p e rc e n t o f the
wealthiest Americans.
Maine is leading the way in
the financing reform effort. The
state implemented public financ-
The NAACP, the nation's oldest Civil Rights group,
released the follow ing report on the eve o f the Presi
t »w
In W isconsin and Ohio, the Republican Party
issued last-minute challenges to more than 30,000
voters in each state, leaving little time for voters to
prove their eligibility in time to cast a vote.
In Florida, the Secretary o f State told elections
voter forgot to check the “citizenship” box, even
timidate or discourage voters escalated in the 2(X)4
though the final signature on the form is a clear,
election.
written affirmation o f citizenship.
In some cases, public officials used the power of
In Ohio, the Secretary of State ruled that new voter
their offices to encourage efforts to disenfranchise
applications must be printed on 80-pound paper -
voters rather than devoting their energies to resolving
postcard quality - until public outcry forced him to
the kinds of problems that disenfranchised millions of
reverse the decision.
Americans nationwide in 2(XX), according to a report
In Minnesota, the Secretary o f State came under
by the NAACP, People for the American Way and the
fire for distributing posters warning of possible ter
Lawyers Committee forCivil Rights Under Law.
rorism at the polls that could serve to discourage
voters.
existence o f ongoing organized voter suppression
In Arizona, the local Fox Network affiliate accused
efforts represent a profound failure of leadership and
a group of college students of illegal voter registra
pose a tremendous moral challenge to Americans and
tion, despite a state law requiring only that voters
their elected representatives,” said Julian
establish a residency of 29 days for
Bond, chairman, NAACPNational Boardof
eligibility.
In Pennsylvania, an official-look
Since the original report was issued six
ing flyer announced that due to
weeks ago. incidents of voter suppression
high turnout, Allegheny County
have been reported at such an alarming rate
had declared that Republicans were
to vote on November 2, and Demo
a new report had to be issued.
crats on November 3.
Among the trends detailed in the report
included a strategy by Republican Party
In Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylva
officials to launch last-minute challenges to
nia and West Virginia, registration
voter registrations by the tens of thou
sands in several states, a variation on the
NAACP Chairman
Julian Bond
so-called "ballot integrity” strategies o f the
past.
Home Office h t o t w
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preference.
Directors.
Anwncan F s m fy M utual rworwncw Company and Ms SutNMtMrtM
Judge Greg Mathis is chair
man o f the Rainbow PUSH-
Excel Board and a national
board member o f the South
ern Christian Leadership Con
ference.
Reports o f dirty tricks campaigns designed to in
“The failure to resolve those problems and the
Check your local telephone directory for
the agent nearest you
truth. The rest of the country
should take notice.
Public campaign financing
makes the motto of government
being “for, of and by the people”
attainable.
officials they must reject voter registrations if the
dential Election:
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■
Election Marred by Voting Barriers
Our democratic
principles betrayed
On the road with Family.
ing reforms that have cut the
costs of running for office and
made it feasible for anyone with
a commitment to public service
to achieve their goal of becom
ing an elected official.
It should be the goal o f a
democracy that any and every
citizen has the potential to be
come an elected official. The
people of Maine understand this
There was a new. aggressive strategy to place
programs run by consultant Nathan
Sproul have been accused of de
stroying voter registrations for
partisan purposes, or masquerading as opinion poll
sters or nonpartisan vote registration organizations.
extraordinary numbers of partisan challengers inside
In Lake County, Ohio, a fake letter appearing to
polling places to challenge individual voters as they
come from the Lake County Board of Elections was
try to cast their votes.
mailed to newly registered voters, telling voters signed
There were decisions by elections officials that
up by the Kerry or Capri Cafaro campaigns or the
tended to discourage voting, rather than encourage
NAACP that their registrations are illegal and they
record numbers of new voters. Anonymous flyers,
will not be able to vote.
fake letters and misleading phone calls gave voters
In Milwaukee, Wise., flyers were circulated under
false information about polling places and voting
the heading "M ilwaukee Black Voters League" with
regulations, or falsely advised voters to vote by
some "warnings for election time." The false informa
phone.
tion on the flyer included these warnings: “If you've
There were house-to-house voter scams wrongly
already voted in any election this year you can 't vote
informing voters that they can vote on a computer,
in the presidential election.” Also, “If anybody in
record their votes with a visitor or hand over their
your family has been convicted, you can’t vote in the
absentee ballots to fake election officials.
presidential election."
Several states received reports o f voter registration
The failure to resolve systemic problems and the
N S U R A N C E
workers assigning new registrants to political parties
existence of aggressive organized voter suppression
All you' protection under one roof
without their knowledge or consent or of voter regis
efforts represent a failure of leadership and a betrayal
trations being destroyed on the basis of political
o f our nation's democratic principles.
AMERICAN FAMILY