Among conventional reasons offered for poor governance is that today’s media does a poorer job of holding officials accountable. While I think that’s too rosy of a view of the past (how well did 1999 media cover the CA Legislature’s vote to issue more than $100 billion of retroactive pension increases?), even if it’s true, most stories attract public attention for just a day or two.
Protecting the general interest requires a long attention span. While the public is easily distracted, special interests — especially the corporations, unions and associations that annually extract more than $200 billion in rents for ostensibly supplying public services — know to pay attention to daily activity in the State Capitol. So do we.
Protecting the general interest also requires power. As Upton Sinclair said, “it’s difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” We’re understood because we bundle donations from people like you to 18 GFC Courage Committee Chapters that persistently donate to legislators. If you haven’t already donated this year, you may do so here. If you’ve already donated this year, send us more people like yourself.
