For the last five years, I have been the Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews. I have written over 400 articles, interviews, book and documentary reviews, op-ed pieces, and action alerts for OpEdNews and readers at large. I have given voice to issues and individuals that you won't find elsewhere, not even in the New York Times or on NPR.
I have interviewed election integrity advocates and experts who are not shills for corporate or special interests. I've done a series on political prosecutions and another on whistle-blowers. I have investigated our penal system to expose many of its abuses through the eyes of prisoners and their families.
Additionally, I have purposely counterbalanced the bad news by focusing on the positive, interviewing countless activists striving to make their corner of the world a better place. I have written about mindful consuming, local networks of shelters and soup kitchens, post-Katrina efforts in the Gulf area, alternate gift-giving, and much more.
How can you help ensure this type of coverage continues?
I am a volunteer and receive no salary, expense account or benefits. My work as an independent journalist and activist is supported through contributions from people like you. Your donation in any amount will make a difference. Only by helping one another can we hope to succeed.
2010 is drawing to a close. It has been a momentous year. The Supreme Court's historic decision -- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission -- allows corporations and special interests (including foreign entities) to pour unlimited and unreported millions into political campaigns. We just witnessed how that played out in our recent elections. The purported grass-roots Tea Party movement was actually financed almost exclusively by several billionaires with their own agenda. [See Covert Operations , Jane Mayer, New Yorker]
Interestingly enough, people of all political stripes understand and oppose the concept, but how to overcome this democracy-throttling decision is another matter entirely.
With your help, I will continue to write about how to restore a healthier democracy through:
Election reform -- Getting rid of electronic voting, as has been done in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands
Campaign finance reform -- Less corporate money and more public financing and
Media reform -- Reversing the concentration of media ownership.
Today - please consider making a fully tax-deductible contribution by sending a check made out to Citizens for Election Reform to P.O. Box 107, Evanston, IL 60204 or by donating online using PayPal or a credit card at the International Humanities Center website. Thank you for your support!
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