Back in 2011, Mitt Romney was at the Iowa State Fair to shake hands, kiss some babies, and build support for his presidential campaign ahead of the Iowa Caucuses.
Romney got into an argument with some folks about Social Security, taxes and corporations. He responded, "Corporations are people, my friend." The exchange was caught on CSPAN and rocketed around the country, to be used by ad makers throughout the election.
It struck a chord because it so clearly defined the problem with today's political system: wealthy special interests have increasing influence in our political process and too many elected officials—or aspiring ones—don't see any problems with the status quo.
Those Iowans who confronted Romney, mostly farmers, are members of our organization, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. While half a country away, they're not much different from farmers in upstate New York or small business owners in New York City in one regard: They feel shut out by a political system that rewards big donors and lobbyists representing corporations. They feel their voices matter little to our elected officials. Everyday Iowans and everyday New Yorkers know corporations aren't people, my friends, and we all want politicians who'll stand up to the status quo and work to improve the political process through comprehensive reform of the way our elections are financed.
That's why we've signed a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York legislative leaders, along with more than 115 other organizations from 36 states, urging them to pass a package of reforms with small donor public financing at the core—this session.
As the cost of running for office increases, elected officials have to spend more and more time glad-handing with major donors and special interests and have less time to focus on everyday people. This skews the policymaking process and shuts out the people who can't write big checks.
New York could change this and become a national leader on restoring our government to one that is of, by, and for the people by passing a "Fair Elections" bill that empowers small dollar donors through public matching funds. As our letter states, a victory in New York, "would reverberate in statehouses across the land and in Congress, and could change how lawmakers and activists assess what is possible in the age of super PACs and big money donations in every corner of our nation."
As Cuomo said in March, "people watch New York." Even us Iowans.
The legislative session in New York ends soon. Albany politicians should not waste this opportunity to show the rest of the country that reform in the age of super PACs and Citizens United is possible. The time for rhetoric and blame games is over — it's time for action.
Every four years, we in Iowa see a different type of climate change through all the hot air given to us by politicians saying they're the ones to fix everything. We're tired of it. We want politicians to show us they've gotten something done.
I'm not being cute about Cuomo's rumored national ambitions. Whether he runs, I dream of the day in 2015 when a parade of wannabe presidents, of both parties, comes through our living rooms and fairs, and instead of saying, "Corporations are people, my friend," they say, "I'm working to follow New York's lead."That's why I'm watching, and so are the many Americans across the country who are fed up with our pay-to-play political system. We're rooting for you from out here in the Heartland, New York.
Hugh Espey is the executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.