Want a private meeting with Ted Cruz? Write a check.

[kpete]

Top Republicans have taken notice: Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Florida Gov. Rick Scott have paid him personal visits this year, he noted proudly.

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“You have to realize, when you start contributing to all these guys, they give you access to meet them and talk about your issues,” said Sabin, who has given away more than $177,000. “They know that I’m a big supporter.”

Sabin and other wealthy political contributors have more access than ever to candidates since the ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. More than 300 donors have seized the opportunity, writing checks at such a furious pace that they have exceeded the old limit of $123,200 for this election cycle, according to campaign finance data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research organization.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wealthy-political-donors-seize-on-new-latitude-to-give-to-unlimited-candidates/2014/09/01/d94aeefa-2f8c-11e4-bb9b-997ae96fad33_story.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/02/1326500/-Want-a-private-meeting-with-Ted-Cruz-Write-a-nbsp-check

[daredtowork]

1. Zero Access for People on Welfare

I wrote a very lonely post last week about how none of my "political representatives" even bothered to respond to my issue via email, even though my housing is at stake: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025445998

By the way I'd like to say in the mean time Kriss Worthington has been the first and only politician in my area to wave in my direction by signing petition. He's not even my representative on the city council! But he has been the only one to even acknowledge my existence so far. I now feel really good about voting for Kriss when I was in his district as a student, lol.

As for the other politicians in California - they have completely shut their doors to people on welfare. Governor Jerry Brown doesn't have a toll free number, and his online email form errors out a lot - especially when you try to send your message from a library computer. Assistants rarely return a call even when you check you want a call back. Senators Feinstein and Boxer only reply with canned propaganda that barely relate to your inquiry. Representative Lee has dismantled her email so you can't copy her on letters to other politicians. All the emails to Assembly members bounce. The rest simply don't bother to apply, including the office that is specifically tasked to work on that particular policy/problem. Including the ASSISTANT that has been tasked to work on that policy/problem. They are busy and important and you are poor and not bribing them with campaign donations.

Some politicians claim that all the filtering is a defense against spam and information overload: they want to focus their time in quality ways to help their constituents more effectively. But they end up deflecting everyone on welfare because this is a whole layer of people that those very politicians chose not to give direct cash resources. They need to be able to use a toll free number or free email at the library because they do not have a printer or money to pay for print outs, envelopes, stamps, stationary and definitely not registered mail. By the way, do these politicians seriously want to read a HAND WRITTEN letter, or will they assume that's a sign their constituent is mentally ill? By the way there is no subsidy for the phone bill, either - only a DISCOUNT - so they can't afford a LONG DISTANCE CALL TO SACRAMENTO!!!!! WTH GOVERNOR BROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or is this yet another assumption everyone has cellphones, and of course all those "drug users and thieves" on welfare do even though they don't get any "official" cash through welfare itself.

This is disgusting. Why even bother to call them political "representatives" anymore. I don't see anyone "representing" my interests here. No one is working on the policy matters that directly affect me. No one is getting back to my inquiries. I'm completely cut off from the political process. But I see here I wouldn't be if I cut a big fat check.