Aaron Weisman/Contributing Writer
While the current Democratic and Republican primary races have been dominating the majority share of the news, I would have to argue that more important things are going on domestically. In light of all the attention that the general election demands, one could argue that local politics affect more of one’s everyday life.
Politicians on the local level regulate area businesses, housing and residential development as well as set budgets for services such as schools, police and firefighters.
With this much power and influence over our daily lives, one must consider the consequences of large-scale campaign contributions and the influence they have over the local politicians we elect here in Miami and throughout Florida.
Super PACs act as a vehicle for contributions like these and we have seen no shortage of this and other blatant disregard for the laws that keep the campaign financing process legitimate. People deserve a right to be informed of what companies are bankrolling which politicians.
The worst part is that all of this shady transferring of money has been extremely prevalent in Miami and the rest of Florida, with at least three instances occurring from March onward.
March 15th, Miami Beach voters decided not to allow the construction of a hotel to work in conjunction with the Miami Beach Convention Center. According to the Miami Herald, much of this was attributed to mailers and robocalls sent by a mysterious Super PAC.
Governmental Values Coalition, the name of the committee, which was chaired by Ed Abramovitz, the director of a real estate company based in New Jersey, had no registered agents, spent all its money before disclosing anything and has already filed for dissolution.
The PAC even wrote blatant lies such as the hotel being funded by taxpayer money when in reality it would have been privately developed. To this day, the origin of where the cash came from remains a mystery.
March 28th, the Miami Herald reported another case where the Miami-Dade commissioners decided to have a meeting and workshop in regards to legislation relating to increased PAC disclosures. The meeting was skipped by 11 of the 13 commissioners.
This is wholeheartedly disrespectful and an insult to the intelligence of the voters. Currently, local politicians are allowed to accept money from PACs without revealing any of the connected entities. Why should local politicians be allowed to be funded in secrecy?
It’s been well documented by the Miami Herald that businesses like Turnberry, who owns Aventura Mall and the Fontainebleau, pour capital into the Miami-Dade election cycle.
Are voters expected to assume that these donations are in no means a form of political patronage?
April 7th, Tallahassee Democrat reported that Florida congressional candidate, Neal Dunn, totally mishandled his relation to a Super PAC where he listed the same treasurer as in his campaign.
Super PACs are supposed to have no political connection to the candidate, at least in terms of staff. Yet both his PAC and his political committee share the same treasurer, legal representation and accounting firm.
While the chances are low that any actual action will be taken against him, his current campaign financial organization cannot operate in its current form, at least legally. Any business can donate unlimited sums of funds to a Super PAC and the fact that this illegitimate connection was allowed to go on for so long is mind-numbing.
These actions add to the distrust many individuals have concerning the world of politics. How can we expect to see a change in the way politicians conduct themselves when the problem is still occurring at the source?
By allowing corporations to donate unlimited amounts of money to politicians through Super PACs, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Corporations are currently influencing our politician’s decisions without most of our knowledge.
Miami is beginning to become a breeding ground for these shady types of political activity and I believe we should make that stop before it becomes a standard set for the rest of the country.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of FIU Student Media Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/17123250059/in/photolist-s688Fi-4reCw1-s684tk-snzzza-pYSVGy-snxbdk-m6VUdK-2cr7W2-bu6pKh-2zWHnv-aFDkRt-bf3Nge-bta55K-MuaD5-97jPtq-5u644x-6y5iw5-aFDet2-57MJSz-9C9vCS-8F5t1j-wTyove-4fSZu8-geqQex-bf3TAn-5o2WfU-bZwHv5-aFAw2z-3uCuiS-8xEuc-5WsjQv-5GFbYD-aFDiDB-8z3DAL-bmdkbV-68vjKV-gR1id8-2TPtsp-aFANVM-62dV4w-aFAhaM-brcZGM-4jKXnb-ayZVrf-nXYWqT-8bxBU1-7VePHh-8LCMVv-4do5v-7d1p5W
My Facebook Profile Pic is a photo of Institutional Government Fraud and Corruption in Florida. The County, FDOT, and FHWA Civil Rights Division is fraudulently representing ADA Wheelchair Clear Width Standards as the governing authority in the placement of light posts. This is FRAUD. This Financial Fraud increases your Billionaire Contractor Profits, but is directly responsible for many pedestrian and cyclist injuries and possibly deaths. Please stop this fraud and relocate the posts to the Utility Strip. And, shame on you for actually claiming the ADA gives you the authority to obstruct sidewalks. – vision impaired disabled veteran – The Pedestrians Lives Matter Campaign – http://pedestrianslivesmatter.org