What We’re Reading This Week – 2/21/14

Today we are kicking off a new weekly series, called What We’re Reading. Each Friday, we’ll share with you the news, opinion pieces, and research that we’re reading here at Common Cause.

Change The Rules On Secret Money Editorial Board – New York Times

As the IRS ponders new regulations to bring dark money 501(c)4s masquerading as social welfare organizations out into the open, the Times outlines how our campaign finance system got so messed up, from Citizens United to today, and how we can fix it without threatening anyone’s free speech.

Five Epic Fails in the FCC’s New Net Neutrality Plan Candace Clement – Free Press

Free Press breaks down the FCC’s latest statement on net neutrality, which left many in the reform community wanting action to back up Commissioner Wheeler’s words.  As Clement put it, “if you need any more indication of how flawed [the FCC’s] approach is, note that AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have already endorsed it.”

The rich don’t need extra votes to hold tremendous influence in D.C. Matt Bruenig – The Week

Millionaire venture capitalist Tom Perkins was rightly criticized when he argued that wealthy Americans deserve a bigger say in our democracy than everyone else. But are his dreams of government solely for the wealthy already a reality?

One-Percent Jokes and Plutocrats in Drag: What I Saw When I Crashed a Wall Street Secret Society Kevin Roose – New York Magazine

One journalist snuck into a private party for the top 1% of the top 1%, and found out what tell each other when they think nobody’s listening. This unvarnished view of the disconnect between the ultra-wealthy and the rest of us shouldn’t be missed.

Check out former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps on‘Democracy Now! as he speaks out against Comcast’s plan to buy Time Warner Cable, the latest in a series of monopolistic mergers that limit consumer choice and narrow the national discourse.

And if you missed it last week, read Michael’s reflections on how our media and telecommunications policy got so bad, told from his unique perspective as a dissenting voice for reform.