Who Is Selling Us Short?

$2.7 million per day.

$3.7 million per Member of Congress.

That’s what the people must fight to win back our democracy.

The numbers come from Americans for Financial Reform, a nonpartisan and nonprofit coalition of more than 200 civil rights, consumer, labor, business, investor, faith-based, and civic and community groups, including Common Cause.

AFR’s compilation of campaign finance reports indicates that since the financial crisis of 2008, the financial services industry has increased it’s spending on contributions and lobbying from pre-crisis level; the industry set a new record in the 2016 election.

“The entire apparatus of government operates in an environment flooded with millions of dollars in Wall Street cash on a daily basis,” said Lisa Donner, AFR’s executive director. “If you want to understand why finance too often hurts consumers, investors and businesses far from Wall Street, take a look at these numbers.”

If what we see in the White House is what these donors are cheering on, the numbers are about far more than just financial regulations, they undermine every aspect of self-governance and representative democracy.

And let’s be clear — there are good corporate citizens and bad, those who are building communities, and those trying to deconstruct common sense rules intended to protect the people.

Who will stand for democracy?

Who is selling us short?