Elites Donate But Masses Pay The Price

The disgrace of uninformed political giving in California.

Every day at Govern For California we review public records of political donations. What we’ve found is deeply disturbing. Donors who label themselves as “progressive” have given to candidates who as elected officials have suppressed civil rights. “Free-market” donors have given to candidates who as officials have supported crony capitalism. “Fiscal conservatives” have given to candidates who as officials have created unfunded obligations crushing classrooms. “Social justice advocates” have given to candidates who as officials voted to enrich prison interests at the expense of social services.

Most disgraceful is that affluent political donors often don’t suffer the consequences of their uninformed donations. Their children might not attend public schools but most children do. They might not ride public transportation, receive welfare, be much affected by tuition increases or earn their living from the in-state economy, but the vast majority of their fellow citizens do. Their uninformed political donations often enable harm to their fellow citizens.

You have a duty to engage in due diligence before you contribute money to a candidate for office in California! At Govern For California we know not only what candidates say but also how they vote and who supports them. Please don’t contribute money to a candidate just because of what they say and without knowing their record. You owe that much to your fellow citizens.

This article originally appeared on Medium, 2/18/18