Jill Stein's Candidate Statement

9/17/06

My name is Jill Stein and I am running for Secretary of State because it's time to take our democracy back. It's time to open up Beacon Hill, get the big money out and let the people back in. We need people - not the powerful and politically connected - to be the drivers in our political system. Only then can we begin solving the serious problems we're facing, and start building the healthy, just and sustainable Commonwealth we deserve.

I come to the race as a medical doctor and community advocate, with years of experience helping people engage the democratic process to improve our lives and communities. As a co-founder of the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities, and a board member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Clean Water Action, and other organizations, I've helped build grassroots coalitions across the Commonwealth. We've worked across a broad spectrum of issues - from protecting children's health, to cleaning up polluting coal power plants, making health care affordable, passing the clean elections law, stopping new eminent domain legislation, and more.

Some of these coalitions succeeded. Some were beaten back in the end by big money and entrenched power. What I've learned in all this is simple: If we want to solve the problems that people are struggling with, we need real democracy, where people - not the powerful and politically-connected - are the driving force in government.  

To achieve real democracy, we have a long way to go. Current vital statistics for our democracy, in fact, are cause for great concern. Money in politics is bigger than ever, as shown in the record-breaking spending in the governor's race. Competition in legislative races has plunged to a meager 25%, not surprising since big money - which flows mainly to incumbents - discourages challengers. Primary voter turnout is expected to be a disappointing 20%. Voting rights violations are widespread. And despite the strong desire for change documented in recent public opinion polls, Massachusetts legislators are routinely re-elected at an astounding rate of 98% - making a virtual charade of our elections process.

As money in political campaigns has grown, so to has the other arm of influence-peddling - lobbying. The number of Massachusetts lobbyists has skyrocketed from 100 to over 1400 in the past 15 years, resulting in the current ratio of seven lobbyists for every legislator. Lobbyists are a concern because they commonly funnel campaign contributions from the interests they represent, providing the fire power for influence-peddling. Lobbyists are now routinely writing key legislation behind closed doors, often released too late for the public and even legislators to read before the bills are voted on.

A poster child of this influence-peddling is the misnamed, and now unraveling "universal" health care bill. This misguided bill forces people who can't afford it to buy stripped down health insurance policies - a form of insurance that has proven nearly useless for protecting people's health and financial security. The bill was written and negotiated behind closed doors largely by the health insurance industry. The 145-page document was not released even to the legislature until the night before the vote, effectively preventing scrutiny of the bill by the legislature as well as the public. After the vote, the Boston Globe belatedly revealed that the industry had spent $7.5 million on lobbying over the year leading up to the vote, in effect buying the rights to the bill. Not surprisingly, it is health insurance companies who now emerge as the real beneficiary of the measure.

It's time to take our democracy back. Towards that end, I will strive to make the office of Secretary the independent watchdog for democracy it should be. I will advocate for reforms to revive our democracy, including the Clean Elections law, passed overwhelmingly by the voters, but repealed in a backroom voice vote by the legislature. I will support effective disclosure on lobbying. So that we can give voters more choices, I will support Instant Runoff Voting (also called Ranked Choice). This eliminates "splitting of the vote" and allows a voter to rank several choices, and not have to settle for the lesser of two evils. I will support fair redistricting, and removing barriers to voting through election day registration and by moving election day to a holiday or weekend.

Since I am not an insider in the Beacon Hill political machine, I have the independence and commitment to blow the whistle on influence peddling, and fight for real reform. I will work to make your voices heard on Beacon Hill and in your community, because it's your government- it doesn't belong to the lobbyists and insiders.   With your help we will open up state government, create real grassroots democracy and build the healthy, just future we deserve and that is within our reach.