JB: Bummer. And, regarding the stiff penalties that local police extract from those expressing their creative side, you aren't kidding! I just this second got an email from Mark Crispin Miller with a YouTube of a musician who was assaulted and arrested by NYPD, although he broke no law. What next?
JWE: As we have seen since Occupy, and again in Ferguson, even the freedom to assemble has been militarized against. But it is that direct action and confrontation that helps tell this story, which becomes part of a larger debate in a rapidly-evolving culture. You can take steps to avoid getting arrested, and not get careless, or, perhaps getting arrested is part of your political statement. As a wise man in our film declares, "I think it's a form of resistance."
JB: Jack Abramoff made a guest appearance in Pay 2 Play. What could a convicted felon have to contribute to your film?
JWE: After his release from prison for defrauding Indian casinos, Abramoff released a book about the lessons he learned in D.C., called Capitol Punishment. I caught up with him while he was promoting his book, and found that he had some good insights toward reform, which was why he was working with United Republic, a non-partisan group committed toward reforming money in politics. In PAY 2 PLAY, Abramoff introduces a key premise of the film, which is that major political spending is about a return on investment; there is nothing more profitable than lobbying and contributing to campaigns in order to get preferable treatment for your business. Others can make that claim. But Jack Abramoff can attest to having done it. He said that for tens of millions, he was able to make clients billions. He also mentioned some reforms that have stuck with me: Term limits for Congress, because the hardest part of his job as a lobbyist would be to re-establish relationships with new electeds, and then the revolving door problem into K street isn't as rewarding because of the broad turnover. He warns: "99% of what I did was legal, and that's the problem."
JB: Yikes! It's fascinating that a reformed felon has come back and is working with a non-partisan group dedicated to taking money out of politics. Who would know how the system works better than he? I wonder who's involved in United Republic and how it's doing. We didn't feel their impact during this election cycle with unprecedented amounts of unidentified dollars flooding into candidates' coffers. Pay 2 Play comes up with a number of recommendations regarding future elections. Would you care to share them with us?
JWE: The Money Out Movement has never been stronger, and is only gaining momentum. The response to Citizens United has actually grown year to year, as more people understand how none of our problems can be addressed until we face the campaign finance crisis. United Republic has evolved over recent years and spun off into another group, Represent.US, a more youth-oriented social media savvy organization using satire with a focus on corruption, since that aspect resonates with people. Lawrence Lessig, who appears in PAY 2 PLAY, is part of United Republic, as well as the founder of Rootstrikers, and the Super PAC MayDAY.US, which has raised over $10 million to back clean-money candidates for office. During the election, MayDay.US held a competition for 30-second spots, and I was honored to be one of the winners. United Republic also featured the reporting work of Lee Fang, who appears in PAY 2 PLAY, an investigative journalist that first reported on the Koch Brothers' Billionaire Strategy Retreats. United Republic is just one of the many partners that we are fortunate to have on PAY 2 PLAY, part of a larger coalition that is tracking this dark money and reporting on its influence. Over $145 million in dark money was spent in this midterm election.
The six solutions we outline at the end of the film are remedies intended to address widespread apathy and disenfranchisement. Public Financing for Campaigns exists already in the U.S., and this system allows federal candidates the freedom to listen to voters instead of donors. Another important step is to End Gerrymandering, the strategic re-districting that slices districts into blocs that only vote one way. Disclosure is essential for voters to know who is spending money and airing ads in their elections, because an informed electorate is the point of elections. Compulsory Voting is already accepted in countries like Brazil and Australia, and we should be making laws to get people to vote instead of preventing them from voting. Free Airtime for candidates is also common in other countries, and this can allow candidates to talk to voters instead of backers, and expands the conversation beyond 30- second attack ads. Finally, we need a Constitutional Amendment that overturns Citizens United, affirming that Money is Not Speech and Corporations are Not People.
JB: PAY 2 PLAY is a remarkably hopeful and often humorous treatment of a serious subject. It also gives specific examples of how a single individual can make a difference [Paul Hackett, candidate Chili, the street artists]. I loved that aspect of the film and it's a belief I fully subscribe to. I urge all our readers to grab the chance to see this film. Thank you, John. It was great talking with you again.
JWE: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about PAY 2 PLAY, Joan!
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my 2011 interview with John:
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