To the Editor:

So, another election cycle has come and gone. I am sure that each of us can find some results on a national or local level that made us happy, but I am willing to bet that we can each find some results that upset us. More so than ever before, elections and ballots are won because of money, specifically money donated and spent to frame issues and influence opinion. I am sure that many of us believe, “oh, I am well-informed of the true facts and consequences”, and thus our votes reflect genuine informed choice. Perhaps this is true for some, but for the most part, elections and public questions are actually won due to the votes of those educated by sources of information with a vested stake in the outcome. The science of voter education and persuasion is very sophisticated and has gotten tremendously more so since even the last election cycle. Hundreds of millions of dollars (yes, really) have been spent in the last two years to create the results of this past November 4. And most of it was done without a candidate’s name or a party label attached, so we do not perceive any partisan influence.

So where does this money come from? Sure, there are a handful of wealthy individuals who have very deep
pockets of personal wealth engaged in the practice of issue framing. The primary source of the spending, though, is corporations, the ones who stand to profit or lose due to the channels opened or closed by our legislators and laws. (And even the deep pockets of wealth of the aforementioned individuals are typically due to the stakes they hold in these corporations.) So who owns these corporations and who has given them the opportunity to spend those dollars to influence our elections? You do and you did. Your savings account, your checking account, your child’s UGMA or 529 college account, your 401(k) or your IRA have provided the cash to these corporations. You are the owners (or in some cases, the creditors) of these companies and the people writing the checks to the PACs and lobbyists answer to you.

It is not difficult to voice your opinion to the companies you own and support. You can write them a letter or email, you can vote at their annual meeting (in person or by mail) for resolutions like transparency about how much money was spent and for what cause or candidate. You can vote at those meetings to elect a board of directors with a policy of proper governance. You can even choose not to own a company who spends your money in ways with which you would disagree. (And baloney to those who say, “I am just one person. What effect can I have?”) If you are not willing to make these mild efforts, you can hardly be surprised when a local ballot or a national election’s results do not go your way. You helped pay for how voters perceived the issues and candidates.

Theodore Casparian

Jefferson Road