Illuminating Money and Politics

Want to know who is giving how much money to which politicians and why? 

Visit MAPLight online to follow the money and find out. You will be surprised what you see!

The new MAPLight is essentially the "Google" search engine of Money And Politics (MAP). It illuminates the often-murky connection between money and politics. You can search by special interest group, subject area, bill number, or legislator. For example, here is the page dedicated to Fabian Nunez.

In the area of the Environment, you can look up campaign contributions and votes related to the subjects of air, coastal, forestry, parks, recycling, toxics, water, and wildlife. The results show who was for each bill and who was against, and how much $$$ flowed along the way. It is truly fascinating to play with and behold.  www.maplight.org

Money & Politics will soon be online and searchable not only for the California legislator, but also for the entire U.S. Congress! Have fun with the site and let me know what info-goodies you uncover.

MAPLight Launch Party - U.S. Congress Site

You are invited to the launch party and a sneak peak of the highly-anticipated MAPLight search engine and database for the U.S. Congress. Be the first in the country to experience a live demo while enjoying cocktails and appetizers in the company of fellow politicos, internet experts, and community leaders.

WHEN:
Sunday, April 29, 2007
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

WHERE:
Private Residence
Address to be sent upon rsvp
Palo Alto, CA 94306

HOST COMMITTEE:
Lisa Webster, Jon Foster, Catherine Crystal-Foster, Dan Newman, Thomas Layton, and Nadine Weil

RSVP:
510-868-0894
Sean at maplight dot org

Hope to see you there!

On a broader note, each presidential candidate is projected to have to raise and spend around $400 million each before 2008. This makes one wonder if this is really the best way to serve democracy. And what is the opportunity cost of this money? i.e. imagine if the more than $2 billion (that has to be raised painstakingly by corporations and individuals like you and me) could be instead spent investing in education or renewable energy for instance.

I submit that we consider public campaign financing reform in the future and follow the examples of Arizona and Maine who are already doing it successfully. In these states, the lobbyists are disappearing, the state candidates from both parties are running clean, and the politicians are working for the citizens. Now that is a democracy by and for the people, not a government for sale.