Will The New York Republican Party Save The Day For Plutocracy?

Robert Mercer gave Ted Cruz's campaign $30 million and John Flanagan, who's preventing the overturn of Citizens United, Is NY GOP Senate Leader-- and Mercer's senator

The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision has unleashed unprecedented amounts of legalistic bribery into the political system. When predatory hedge fund billionaires like Robert Mercer spend $30,000,000 on the Ted Cruz campaign or when an agent of foreign governments like Mafia-related billionaire Sheldon Adelson spends even more-- not to mention the $900,000,000 the Koch brothers say they plan to spend in the 2016 election or the billionaires trying to buy the election for Marco Rubio or Hillary Clinton-- do we still even have a democracy? State legislatures are passing resolutions to overturn the Citizens United decision through a constitutional amendment. States that have already taken action include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia and resolutions are pending in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

A couple days ago, the Albany, New York Times Union editorial board said New York is just one vote away. The Assembly already passed a resolution and the Senate is on the verge. "One signature," wrote the editors. "That’s all it would take, from one courageous, unbought politician in the state Senate, to send a message to Congress that New Yorkers-- like most Americans-- are tired of having their system of government hijacked by big money."

Don’t be misled by talk that this is a partisan issue. It isn’t. Whether it’s liberals lamenting the influence of the 1 percent or conservatives decrying crony capitalism, this is the common backlash against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. A Bloomberg poll this fall found that 78 percent of Americans want the ruling overtuned.

So far, 16 states have called on Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishing that corporations and unions are not entitled to the same rights and protections as natural persons, and that Congress and states can put limits on political spending. America could finally rein in the billions that wealthy individuals and interests are using to skew our political system to their favor.

In New York, more than 20 municipalities, including Albany, Guilderland and Troy, have voiced support for an amendment. The state Assembly has signed on. So have 31 state senators-- one short of a majority.

One more signature, and New York would be the 17th state to respect the will of its citizens, and declare that it is time for the people to reclaim their government.

Here’s who has yet to sign. We urge them to do so, and hope citizens will urge them, too.

Frederick Akshar II: 607-773-8771; akshar@nysenate.gov

George Amedore Jr.: 455-2350; amedore@nysenate.gov

John Bonacic: 845-344-3311; bonacic@nysenate.gov

Thomas Croci: 631-360-3356; croci@nysenate.gov

John DeFrancisco: 315-428-7632; jdefranc@nysenate.gov

Ruben Diaz: 718-991-3161; diaz@nysenate.gov

Hugh Farley: 455-2181; farley@nysenate.gov

John Flanagan: 631-361-2154; flanagan@nysenate.gov

Rich Funke: 585-223-1800; funke@nysenate.gov

Patrick Gallivan: 716-656-8544; gallivan@nysenate.gov

Martin Golden: 718-238-6044; golden@nysenate.gov

Joseph Griffo: 315-793-9072; griffo@nysenate.gov

Andrew Lanza: 718-984-4073; lanza@nysenate.gov

William Larkin Jr.: 845-567-1270; larkin@nysenate.gov

Kenneth LaValle: 631-473-1461; lavalle@nysenate.gov

Elizabeth Little: 743-0968; little@nysenate.gov

Carl Marcellino: 516-922-1811; marcelli@nysenate.gov

Kathleen Marchione: 371-2751; marchione@nysenate.gov

Jack Martins: 516-746-5924; martins@nysenate.gov

Terrence Murphy: 914-962-2624; murphy@nysenate.gov

Michael Nozzolio: 315-568-9816; nozzolio@nysenate.gov

Thomas O’Mara: 607-735-9671; omara@nysenate.gov

Robert Ortt: 716-434-0680; ortt@nysenate.gov

Michael Ranzenhofer: 716-631-8695; ranz@nysenate.gov

Patty Ritchie: 315-782-3418; ritchie@nysenate.gov

Joseph Robach: 585-225-3650; robach@nysenate.gov

Sue Serino: 845-229-0106; serino@nysenate.gov

James Seward: 607-432-5524; seward@nysenate.gov

Michael Venditto: 516-882-0630; venditto@nysenate.gov

Catharine Young: 716-372-4901; cyoung@nysenate.gov

Most of those names belong to right-wing Republicans, although one, Ruben Diaz, is a right-wing Democrat (from the Bronx). Two Long Island Republicans are on board-- Phil Boyle (Suffolk County) and Kemp Hannon (Nassau County). But otherwise the 29 other New York Republican senators refused to sign on. Why? I can't say I know, but perhaps these 3 charts from OpenSecrets.org of some of the biggest industries that bribe Members of Congress (last year only). Look closely at who got the most bribes: