This morning, the Network for Public Education Action has published a major report on the role of Big Money in buying elections to control education and undermine democracy.
“Hijacked by Billionaires: How the Super Rich Buy Elections to Undermine Public Schools” examines several districts/states where the super-rich have poured in money from out-of-state to buy control of school boards and buy policy, with the goal of advancing privatization.
The case studies include: Denver, Los Angeles, Newark, Minneapolis, Perth Amboy, N.J., Washington State, New York City, Newark, Rhode Island, and Louisiana.
This carefully documented report deserves your attention. It names names.
The rich use their money to steal democracy and local control.
Their only idea is privatization. They use their vast wealth to take away what belongs to the public.
Read it. Share it with your friends and colleagues. Post it on social media.
If you want to help the Network for Public Education and the Network for Public Education Action Fund continue its work to support public education, sign up, donate, come to our annual meeting in Indianapolis on October 20-21.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I highly recommend the book DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS by Nancy MacLean. It details the long history of both big money and radical ideology that is behind the privatization movement.
YES.
Why do we allow money from “outside” of a political district affect what goes on inside? We need a “New Rule” that says that financial donations can only be from people who will be directly affected by a policy or candidate in an election. Why should anybody not in the state of Idaho have anything to say about the voters of Idaho electing someone as their Senator? Sure people have free speech, let them speak all they want to, but donate money? No, that is letting outsiders determine what happens, also referred to as influence peddling.
Steve,
Your point is highlighted by the fact that the government sites of the members of Congress prevent e-mail comment from outside of their districts. But, they are eager for campaign funds from out-of-staters like DFER, Uhlein, the Kochs and Paul Allen (Microsoft’s co-founder)., etc.
Love having the pictures of those rich, white, entitled people…sure made a point with me.
COLONIALISM, ENTITLEMENT, GREED, ARROGANCE, SELFISHNESS, DECEPTION, IMMORALITY … are a few words that came to mind when I read NPE’s report re: the billionaire club. The oligarchs want a monarchy, not democracy, and they know exactly what to do to in order to achieve their goal of total and ultimate control of the masses, destroy public education.
Thank you, NPE.
What an impressive compilation of research! It is interesting to see how many different ways these billionaires can donate from direct donations from themselves and family members, to lobbying groups, “think tanks,” and PACs. The pictures are a nice touch reminding us more of a police blotter than a donors’ list.
I agree with Steve. We need to revamp our political contribution laws and overturn Citizens United, even it takes a constitutional amendment. With so much dark money swirling around, the voice of the people has been muzzled. The oligarchs are reshaping our country to conform to their ideals, not those of most Americans.
I say book the billionaires on a one way trip to Mars on Elon Musk’s maiden voyage — paid for with tax payer dollars.
They could all smoke pot, drink whiskey and generally have a grand old time along the way.
It would be the best money that we the taxpayers ever spent. Of course, Elon would have to agree not to bring them back as part of the contract
Jeff Bezos also has dreams of aiming for the stars as his average warehouse workers toil in deplorable circumstances (restricted, policed bathroom breaks, low wages, low benefits, sauna like temps in the summer). Bezos and Musk are anti-union. Bezos takes in more in 10 seconds than the average warehouse worker earns in a year.
Bezos should definitely on board.
Elon could give him the window seat — and leave the window open.
Gee, I wonder if Musk and Bezos got their ideas from the books: The Mars Project and I Aim For The Stars (but missed and hit London instead). The latter books were written by that “great American,” Wernher von Braun. Yes, that Wernher von Braun, Nazi, SS member and overseer of the Peenemunde rocket factory which utilized a very cruel and vicious form of slave labor.
I can’t take credit for that line: “I aimed for the stars but missed and hit London instead. That was from Mort Salh commenting on Wernher von Braun’s book, “I Aim for the Stars.” Mort is still alive at age 91.
Bernie proposes that Bezos (like other billionaire corporate executives/owners), be taxed dollar for dollar for the public benefits citizens provide to Amazon’s underpaid employees, e.g. food stamps, medical care, etc.
It would make more sense to require Bezos to oay ALL his workers (not just the management) a living wage so they would not have to rely on public assistance.
He can certainly afford to pay even the lowest level workers (pickers) at least $20 per hour
And give them health care and other benefits.
May I add this to Joe’s comment above. It is a post by Bernie Sanders.
How does it happen that the wealthiest man in the history of the world, Jeff Bezos, is also one of the largest welfare recipients in America?
It is quite simple, really.
Jeff Bezos and his company, Amazon, make huge profits by paying their employees wages that are so inadequate that many of them need public assistance just to get by. Today in America, thousands of Amazon workers are forced to rely on food stamps, Medicaid and public housing because they can’t survive on the wages they receive. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is now worth $158 billion, and his wealth increases by $260 million – every single day. How absurd is that?
And who pays for the public assistance subsidizing Mr. Bezos’ wealth? You do. The middle class subsidizes the wealthiest person in the world, while his workers struggle to put food on the table. That is what the rigged economy is all about. And in my view, that has got to end.
That is why I introduced a piece of legislation that aims to end corporate welfare by establishing a 100 percent tax on corporations with 500 or more employees equal to the amount of federal benefits received by their low-wage workers.
So, if a worker at Amazon receives $1,000 in food stamps, Amazon would be taxed $1,000 to cover that cost.
The bill gives large, profitable employers a choice: pay your workers a living wage or pay for the public assistance they need to get by. It’s common sense. Now I want you to send a message to my colleagues that it has your support, as well:Please add your name as an original Citizen Co-Sponsor of my Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (BEZOS) Act and send a message that taxpayers should not have to expend huge sums of money subsidizing profitable corporations owned by some of the wealthiest people in America.
ADD YOUR NAME
Bernie is always an advocate for the underdog. He is one of the few politicians that stays true to his convictions.
Go Bernie Sanders!
I added mine. I suspect that as presented, the proposal is far too simplistic, but any move toward paying all workers a living wage is a start. Plus, what does it cost to treat employees like human beings? You don’t have to have policed bathroom breaks if the work environment is worker friendly. I bet the forklifts are treated with more care than the workers who drive them.
Some day, even the fork lifts and robots will demand a living wage.
That’s why Elon Musk is so worried about AI. I bet he has nightmares about the robots in his Tesla factory coming after him with pitch forks and lithium ion batteries..
Kavanaugh’s entitled status limits him to legal interpretations that benefit the rich and harm the 99%. They make it impossible for him to anticipate court decision consequences on the 99%. Privilege stunted him as a human being.
Lawrence Tribe, who calls himself a liberal, signed a Vergara amicus brief on Shook,… letterhead, the brief if it had convinced the judge, would have harmed labor. He said the following about Sotomayor, “She’s not as smart as she thinks she is”. Neither Kavanaugh nor Tribe would make good justices.
Bravo! I’ve got a homework assignment… the last chapter provides a means of doing some research in NH…