Even as local voters prepare to head to annual town meetings this spring, several towns are considering measures that would limit the influence of money in national politics and provide for greater transparency in political donations.
A proposed resolution in Greenfield and warrant articles in Montague, Colrain, Shutesbury, Whately and other towns are among those influenced by the Northampton-based pro-democracy group Represent.Us.
Reed Schimmelfing of Represent Western Mass, an affiliate of the national nonpartisan anti-corruption group, said that has inspired measures to be approved in South Dakota as well as Portland, Ore.; Miami-Dade County, Fla,; and San Francisco. He added that residents in Colrain, Conway, Shutesbury, Whately and several Hampshire County communities have been circulating measures for upcoming annual warrants.
Overall, about 30 communities in Massachusetts are considering these measures, and Leverett passed one at its meeting last year, he said.
“The point is we are affected by this, even if our community is squeaky clean, even if our legislator is the upstanding citizen we believe,” said the Northampton resident. “Across the country, it happens, sometimes very blatantly, sometimes insidiously. And we are the poorer for it.”
“The point is for us, as American citizens to let our voices be heard in any way possible, and for citizens to participate in the democratization of the political process,” said Whately Selectman Paul Newlin, who’s been circulating a petition for an article for his town’s April 26 annual meeting warrant.
Town meetings provide a rare opportunity for people to talk, neighbor to neighbor, about issues that truly matter, said Newlin. “Obviously people realize that our most recent presidential election has been seriously marred by all sorts of irregularities, and we want our elected officials to prevent that from happening in the future and to ensure that electoral democracy is in fact strengthened.”
Suzanne Patnaude, whose proposed resolution notes that nearly 84 percent of voters in the town and in the Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester State Senate District supported a 2014 ballot initiative calling for campaign finance reform, said the Greenfield petition represents “a localized, grass-roots effort to counteract” the Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United decision “by having municipalities and state government police themselves in getting big money out of politics.”
Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru as well as Congressman James McGovern, D-Mass., has sponsored proposed constitutional amendments on the state and federal levels, respectively, declaring that corporations do not have rights afforded to humans, and the Greenfield resolution would support and even “implore” the town’s elected representatives “to lead this effort to enact these initiatives.”
Patnaude, a Greenfield resident, added, “On the grassroots level, it doesn’t really cost anyone anything” to adopt the resolution.
Montague resident Leigh Rae said the resolution she hopes town meeting considers on May 6 is a nonpartisan attempt “to build awareness about negative impacts of money in politics, and to build a grass-roots movement toward change” to rein in lobbying, campaign financing and gerrymandering.
“The recent election made me aware of the factors affecting our system that are driven by big money,” she said.
Elaine Puleo of Shutesbury, who circulated a petition for her town’s May 6 annual meeting, said, “I think that doing it from a grass-roots level and working it up to the state level is the appropriate way … I think there are plenty of common people who believe in it and would like to see (the system) changed, and this is the way to do it.”
Represent Us, founded by longtime former Shelburne resident Josh Silver, has more than 650,000 supporters nationwide and over 50 local chapters focused on passing local and statewide ballot initiatives, “bringing democracy directly to the people when elected officials fail to enact and enforce ethics and important reforms,” according to its publicity.
On the Web:
www.represent.us
bit.ly/2kudHtI
bit.ly/2o62bCE
bit.ly/2mtFXOp
You can reach Richie Davis at rdavis@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 269