Current Events > NY Rep. Collins says donors told him to get tax reform done 'or don't ever call'

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https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/07/ny-rep-collins-says-donors-told-him-to-get-tax-reform-done-or-dont-ever-call-again.html

New York Rep. Chris Collins said Tuesday, "My donors are basically saying 'get it done or don't ever call me again."

To be clear, these are not the people donating $10 to a campaign. Collins doesn't have many of those.

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00001285&cycle=2018&type=C

Only 6% of his contributions are small-dollar contributions from 'regular people'. The bulk are quite overtly corporate donations, all maxed out, from those organized by campaign fundraising 'bundlers'. Generally affiliated with an industry.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14434721

It is no stretch that it is these bundlers that are making demands of him, not the people who donated $10 to him.

This is happening across the republican party.
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I don't think this is particularly surprising. People donate money to politicians whose interests align with theirs, and if that stops being the case then they stop donating money.
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eston posted...

I don't think this is particularly surprising. People donate money to politicians whose interests align with theirs, and if that stops being the case then they stop donating money.

And if it was that simple it would be great. Unfortunately it more so is "if you don't do what is in MY best interest you no longer get my money"....and the politician doesn't say "sorry, my beliefs don't align with that right now", or "i need to do what's best for everyone"....they say "fuck...i want that money"....and do it anyway.
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TheVipaGTS posted...

eston posted...

I don't think this is particularly surprising. People donate money to politicians whose interests align with theirs, and if that stops being the case then they stop donating money.

And if it was that simple it would be great. Unfortunately it more so is "if you don't do what is in MY best interest you no longer get my money"....and the politician doesn't say "sorry, my beliefs don't align with that right now", or "i need to do what's best for everyone"....they say "fuck...i want that money"....and do it anyway.

fair next tbqh

eston posted...

I don't think this is particularly surprising. People donate money to politicians whose interests align with theirs, and if that stops being the case then they stop donating money.

the point is, this tax cut doesn't have a constituency. most of the claims about its benefits to the middle class are blatant, falsifiable lies.

it is being driven by the interests of a tiny fraction of our population with a massively outsized voice in politics.

FLUFFYGERM posted...

fair next tbqh

only if you're comfortable living in an oligarchy, man.

which, like, that's fine, you do you. but own it. say "fuck america, i want to live in an oligarchy, not a republic." say it loud and clear, so people know.

we live in a world right now where patriotism is used as a veil to cover for strongly anti-american sentiments.
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FLUFFYGERM posted...

TheVipaGTS posted...

eston posted...

I don't think this is particularly surprising. People donate money to politicians whose interests align with theirs, and if that stops being the case then they stop donating money.

And if it was that simple it would be great. Unfortunately it more so is "if you don't do what is in MY best interest you no longer get my money"....and the politician doesn't say "sorry, my beliefs don't align with that right now", or "i need to do what's best for everyone"....they say "fuck...i want that money"....and do it anyway.

fair next tbqh

no it isn't. these politicians are elected by the majority to do what's best for the county, district, city, state, whatever...We shouldn't be ok with a small percentage buying the politicians like that. Just because "that's just the way it is" doesn't mean we can't voice our concerns about it.
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TheVipaGTS posted...

these politicians are elected by the majority

eh, they're not, not really. in the house, most of them are elected in packed districts where their odds of losing to a primary opponent are much greater than their odds of losing to an opponent of a differing political ideology. this means the donors *really* control everything, because they're not worried about the people turning on them and voting the opposite party, they're worried about the donors financing a primary opponent.

on the senate level, they're not re-elected all at once, so if the whole group does something shitty, only those up for re-election in the next cycle are likely to face the brunt of the punishment--so a party might time highly partisan, anti-american actions to coincide with a re-election cycle that poses minimal threat to them.

this is all leaving out the ongoing voter suppression efforts. notably reductions in early voting centers.
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Darkman124 posted...

only if you're comfortable living in an oligarchy, man.

which, like, that's fine, you do you. but own it. say "f*** america, i want to live in an oligarchy, not a republic." say it loud and clear, so people know.

we live in a world right now where patriotism is used as a veil to cover for strongly anti-american sentiments.

idk man, if i vote for someone and ask them to represent my interests that seems fair to me given that it's a democracy fam

FLUFFYGERM posted...

Darkman124 posted...

only if you're comfortable living in an oligarchy, man.

which, like, that's fine, you do you. but own it. say "f*** america, i want to live in an oligarchy, not a republic." say it loud and clear, so people know.

we live in a world right now where patriotism is used as a veil to cover for strongly anti-american sentiments.

idk man, if i vote for someone and ask them to represent my interests that seems fair to me given that it's a democracy fam

And yet the politicians being elected are not representing the interests of people who elected them very well. Just because you don't care doesn't mean others don't. And you are only 1 vote out of millions.
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FLUFFYGERM posted...

idk man, if i vote for someone and ask them to represent my interests that seems fair to me given that it's a democracy fam

their response is entirely dependent on how much money you have put in their election campaign

that is not fair and not consistent with a functioning republic.
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Darkman124 posted...

FLUFFYGERM posted...

idk man, if i vote for someone and ask them to represent my interests that seems fair to me given that it's a democracy fam

their response is entirely dependent on how much money you have put in their election campaign

that is not fair and not consistent with a functioning republic.

eh i don't see a problem with letting people who spend more have more say :)

FLUFFYGERM posted...

eh i don't see a problem with letting people who spend more have more say :)

that seems inconsistent with the declaration of independence, and as such fundamentally unamerican

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

all men are created equal.

governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. not just campaign donors.
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Darkman124 posted...

FLUFFYGERM posted...

eh i don't see a problem with letting people who spend more have more say :)

that seems inconsistent with the declaration of independence, and as such fundamentally unamerican

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

all men are created equal.

governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. not just campaign donors.

why can't we just modify the declaration of independence? are you saying it's perfect and holy and that it can never be edited?

FLUFFYGERM posted...

why can't we just modify the declaration of independence? are you saying it's perfect and holy and that it can never be edited?

the declaration of independence?

yes, i am saying that.

it lays out the basic concept of why we want to be a democratic republic and what very basic, fundamental truths guide the spirit of the american republic. those ideas are timeless. campaign finance as it is run today breaks that spirit. it's also not a legally binding document, but rather the most foundational piece of american writing we have.

the constitution is what can be edited as it lays out legal powers. it should be edited to reflect this modern issue, so that law in practice upholds the spirit of the declaration of independence.
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Darkman124 posted...

FLUFFYGERM posted...

why can't we just modify the declaration of independence? are you saying it's perfect and holy and that it can never be edited?

the declaration of independence?

yes, i am saying that.

it lays out the basic concept of why we want to be a democratic republic and what very basic, fundamental truths guide the spirit of the american republic. those ideas are timeless. campaign finance as it is run today breaks that spirit. it's also not a legally binding document, but rather the most foundational piece of american writing we have.

the constitution is what can be edited as it lays out legal powers. it should be edited to reflect this modern issue, so that law in practice upholds the spirit of the declaration of independence.

But it takes about inalienable rights given to us by the Creator. Surely you don't believe that poppycock.

and what about the part of the declaration of independence that rejects the taxes imposed on us without our consent? hnnnnng can we keep that part after we edit the document to make it more modern?

You really arent good at this, pc
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