Could crowd funded investigative journalism become a reality? This never-before attempted campaign is an effort to fund Utah Stories most ambitious investigative project to date: how campaign contributions are affecting our political leaders’ schedules, laws, meetings.
We believe strongly in holding our political leaders accountable right now because we are literally losing our communities. We are watching all of the local culture, farms, charm and beauty of owner-operated businesses go by the wayside, and corporate america is moving in–especially in the fastest growing areas of Utah.
This trend is making more residents subservient to corporate interests. Not only are political leaders working for corporate america but a majority of residents only hold corporate jobs and never come to realize that they have the ability to become “wealth creators”. Communities overrun by corporate chains have a lack of local economic vitality. Fewer residents start businesses, create wealth, jobs and community that communities with far more locally owned businesses have.
Thomas Jefferson’s vision for the U.S. was a country of residents who possessed skills and trades; who could use these trades to develop crafts and home industry which could make them more self reliant–and not put into the role of serfdom–as was found in England and most of Europe. He believed it was the trades and home industry of the citizens would maintain the nation’s independence and unique american liberties. This free market is what made america the wealthiest nation on earth.
Of course this ability of citizens to create wealth depended on a free market, and it depended on political leaders who were not giving out favors or essentially working for huge special interests.
Our contention is that our market is not free and we are losing our freedom and independence as we allow our political leaders to give increasing amounts in welfare to corporate interests. I don’t believe this is a right-leaning conservative issue or a left-leaning liberal issue, it’s an issue of american independence, and the future that we want to build.
Please help us today by helping us fund our Kickstarter investigation into campaign finance. With this funding we will clearly demonstrate how campaign finance is affecting the decisions and laws our leaders are writing on our behalf. We will examine and scrutinize four of our political leaders (their schedules, their meetings, the bills they are promoting, and the money they are receiving, and clearly be able to point out where corporate cronyism is happening. We will then hold each political leader accountable to the results of our investigation, making them answer to you. You have the power, you are a taxpayer, a voter, a resident, a business owner– once a for all they will finally need to answer to you.