The Idea Is Simple

Public elections are a public trust dependent on public compassion. The process of how to offer one’s self for public office should be transparent and financed by the common wealth for the common good, i.e. clean.

This freedom expansion statement could be moved as a resolution by party precinct representatives in every organized county party in Senate District 17, either Democratic or Republican. Let’s encourage county parties to discuss and work for clean elections beginning with our own parties.

How do we get there? We can start with our own political parties at the precinct level with the mantra that . . .

People, Not Corporations, Are Human Beings with Human Rights - 28th Amendment

Section 1 [A corporation is not a person and can be regulated]

The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.

Section 2 [Money is not speech and can be regulated]

Federal, State and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate’s own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure. Federal, State and local government shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.

Section 3 

Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.

During Election Season

Call all candidates for public office in all parties and ask if they will support clean elections beginning with their own political party in one or all of the following ways. Ask them to go on record about clean elections. Post positive and encouraging messages on their Facebook pages encouraging them to support clean elections.

Call both of your elected precinct party representatives and ask each one if they will use this language AND move a county party resolution that adopts this language when talking about expanding clean elections. Call your local board of elections to find out your elected precinct representatives in both parties.

Let’s Begin With Our Political Parties Means:

• Q&A allowed at any county party functions where candidates or elected officials are allowed to speak.
• Uniform two year election cycles for county and state party office to encourage participation and on-going public conversation.
• Petitions are required for county and state party office with significant signatures required to foster conversation and education of the process.
• Contact information for candidates is available to the public.
• Ending the stacked deck, i.e. executive committee officers and appointees.
• Allowing appointments of a registered voter and party member appointed by the central committee chair person and confirmed by the central committee to serve as a representative for a precinct or senate district without representation. The at-large member must reside in the precinct or senate district to which they are being appointed to represent.
• Providing time for reporting at county and state party meetings by party precinct representatives or party senate district representatives is made available.
• Re-establishing a significant quorum as best practice in county party meetings.
• Parties encourage their county public institutions, i.e. court houses, city halls, schools, libraries, to offer 1st Amendment meeting space for “peaceable assemblies for the redress of grievances” at no cost to local groups. For example, neighbors meeting for conversations that matter to organize their precincts to solve a problem and engage local political and governing bodies.

What Is The Chair Person’s Stacked Deck?

The stacked deck process has the effect of weakening THE PEOPLE’S representatives and shifting power to a single chairperson. Clean Elections end the stacked deck!

Under current Ohio revised code the elected party representative to the county or state party has one MAIN statutory obligation. Meet within 30 days of the party primary in even years and dilute their own precinct or senate district representation power by shifting power to an “executive committee chairperson.”

This is done in a three part process at the first meeting after the party primary:

1. Elected representatives meet as the newly elected central committee and elect from their own four officers: chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and treasurer.
2. At the same meeting the newly elected central committee chairperson calls the first session of the “executive committee” to order. (The county or state executive committee is made up of the elected representatives plus an equal number less one of at-large appointees, appointed by the executive committee chairperson and confirmed by the executive committee.) This executive committee elects from their own four officers: chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and treasurer.
3. The newly elected chairperson appoints a number of at-large members equal to an equal number of elected representatives less one, subject to the confirmation of the executive committee.