Democracy for Sale: LWV to Host Panel Thurs March 19

The League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset invites everyone concerned about the influence of money in politics to a panel discussion, “Democracy for Sale: Money in Politics,” on Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at the Port Washington Public Library.

The evening features four political watchdogs who will share their perspectives on the state of money in politics today with suggestions for emerging issues and paths for reform. A question and answer period will follow.

Concern about the influence of the wealthy and “dark money” on politics increased in 2010 after the US Supreme Court issued its landmark “Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commis­sion” ruling that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by for-profit and non-profit corporations, labor unions and other organizations. The federal ban against these organizations contributing directly to political parties or political candidate campaigns remained intact.

The four panelists are:

Liz Kennedy is counsel at the public policy organization Demos, which is dedicated to reducing political and economic inequality. She works on voting rights, money in politics and corporate accountability. Liz develops policies and writes for many platforms. In addition to having her articles published in books and numerous respected publications, the media frequently quotes her and interviews her on television. She previously worked for the Brennan Center for Justice and before that litigated on behalf of labor unions while working for a law firm.

Susan Lerner was also originally a litigation lawyer but is now Executive Director for Common Cause/New York, which has issued widely cited reports examining political spending relating to varied NYS issues. Susan writes and speaks extensively on campaign finance, redistricting, ethics, transparency and other good-government issues. She spearheaded Common Cause’s redistricting efforts and helped get a Top-Donor Disclosure Law passed by the NY City Council. Susan was previously Executive Director of the California Clean Money Campaign and led the Californians for Fair and Independent Judges coalition.

Bill Mahoney is a reporter who contributes to the Albany bureau of the NYS publication Capital. His specialty is research and analysis of campaign finance and lobbying filings, legislation and other public data sources. He was previously a research coordinator for the NY Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).

Rosanna Perotti is chair of the Political Science Department at Hofstra University, where she frequently teaches courses on American politics, political parties and the voter. She helped plan and publish the proceedings of several presidential conferences at Hofstra, has authored numerous journal articles, and has helped plan programs for the NYS, the Northeast and the American Political Science Associations.

All are invited to join us for a stimulating evening. For additional information, contact League of Women Voters Program Chair Allison White at alliwhite@gmail.com or (516) 944-7794.

The League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization – open to both men and women – which encourages citizens to participate in government and to influence policy through education and advocacy. lwvofportwashington-manhasset.org.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: LWV Money in Politics Panelists: Bill Mahoney – Capital NY Reporter/Analyst; Liz Kennedy – Demos Counsel; Susan Lerner – Common Cause Exec. Director; osanna Perotti – Hofstra U. Political Science Dept. Chair

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