[Peace] "Support Campaign Cash Reform - Support Shays-Meehan Bill" - from IMC newswire

[John Wason]

Following up on this, which was posted to the IMC newswire a couple days ago
by our own ML:

I phoned the 800 number today and got a recorded message, something about
how democracy works.  Apparently it was already too late for me to register
my opinion.  Then I called Tim Johnson's Urbana office.  The staffer there
told me that the Shays-Meehan bill had PASSED, with Tim voting in favor of
it.  She also said that the Ney bill was DEFEATED in the House, but she
claimed not to know how Tim had voted on the Ney bill.  Now the Shays-Meehan
bill goes to the Senate.....

John



>   Support Campaign Cash Reform-Support Shays-Meehan Bill 
>   by 9-11peace.org via repost 9:27am Tue Feb 12 '02 (Modified on 5:28pm
>   Tue Feb 12 '02) article#4034
>   
>     Leave No Weapon Behind?
>     Support Shays-Meehan WITHOUT poison pill amendments.
>     Accept no substitutes!
>     Call 800-660-8244 TODAY!
>     
>   Dear friend of 9-11peace.org,
>
>   We stand on the brink of the largest military budget increase in 20
>   years. This increase will mean that close to half of the allocable
>   money will be spent on the military -- and therefore, not on our
>   schools, health care, or foreign aid. Nor is this $379 billion
>   expenditure likely to make us much safer: included are dozens of
>   multi- billion dollar projects which even defense experts think are
>   useless.
>
>   The real winners are the corporations that manufacture arms and
>   military equipment. With four lobbyists for every person in Congress,
>   the defense industry has been pushing for years to continue funding
>   for scores of outdated, ineffective, and unnecessary projects. And our
>   elected leaders listen. After all, since 1990, the defense industry
>   has chipped in a whopping $67,296,848 for political campaigns. So when
>   the budget reaches Congress, we can expect that few of our
>   representatives will bite the hand that feeds them by voicing dissent.
>
>   But there is some good news. If we act now -- TODAY -- we may have the
>   opportunity to break a critical link in the chain that binds our
>   elected leaders to the defense lobby. The House will vote on Wednesday
>   on a piece of legislation that will make it much more difficult for
>   big businesses to buy influence.
>
>   The vote will be extremely close. Your call to your Representatives
>   today could play a crucial role in pushing them to do what's right.
>   Working with our sponsors, MoveOn.org, for whom campaign finance
>   reform is a top priority, we've made it easy and inexpensive to make
>   your call. All you need to do is to dial the FREE 800 number below,
>   and the operators will put you through to your representative.
>   The number to call is 800-660-8244.*
>
>   If that number is swamped, you can find your Representative's number
>   at:
>   http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
>
>   Make sure the staff knows you're a constituent, and urge your
>   Representative to:
>   "Please vote FOR the Shays-Meehan bill. Vote AGAINST the Ney bill."
>
>   Please let us know you're making this call at:
>   http://www.moveon.org/callmade.html
>   We'd like to keep a count.
>
>   The Shays-Meehan bill will ban "Soft Money" -- enormous, unregulated
>   contributions to political parties, mostly by corporations like Enron,
>   that make up the single biggest pot of money in our political system.
>   The Ney bill is a bogus substitute, designed only to draw support away
>   from the Shays-Meehan bill. The Ney bill would leave Soft Money
>   intact.
>
>   This critical vote is the culmination of years of work by supporters
>   of campaign finance reform. It's the best chance we've ever had to get
>   big money out of our political system and take back our democracy.
>   It may be the best chance we'll ever have.
>
>   Please make your call *now*. Thank you.
>
>   Sincerely,
>   - Wes, Joan, Peter, Carrie, Susan, David, and Eli MoveOn.org /
>
>   9-11peace.org February 11, 2002
>
>   PS: For more details on defense industry political contributions,
>   check out: http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.asp?Ind=D
>   For more information on Campaign Finance Reform, we've posted some
>   resources at: http://www.moveon.org/cfralert.html
>
>   * We thank the American Association of Retired Persons for making this
>   800 number available.
>   
>   www.9-11peace.org/
>
>
>   Republicans Trying To Kill Campaign Cash Reform 
>   by ML 12:46pm Tue Feb 12 '02 comment#4039
>   
>   For background:
>   http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0212-03.htm
>   The question locally is will US Rep. Tim Johnson take his orders from
>   House Speaker Dennis Hastert to kill this measure or will he live up
>   to his campaign promise to support real campaign finance reform?
>   Be sure and call Johnson and ask. Let him know that the district is
>   closely watching this vote and will hold him accountable for any
>   reneging on his solemn campaign promise.
>
>
>   Phone Numbers For Johnson 
>   by ML 5:28pm Tue Feb 12 '02 comment#4043
>   
>   Please call your Representative, Timothy V. Johnson, NOW, at:
>   Representative Timothy V. Johnson
>   Toll-free: 800-660-8244 *
>   - or if the 800 number is swamped -
>   Direct Phone: 202-225-2371
>   Direct Fax: 202-226-0791
>
>