■ Letters, Page 2 ■ Arts, Pages 4-7

■ ■ Th ursday, January 26, 2012 Section III, Page ONE Editorial Real Estate, Pages 7-10 Money and Politics he U.S. Supreme Court has estab- and individuals could then donate as Tlished that, even though corpora- much as they want to the nonprofi t, tions are artifi cial creatures of which isn’t required to publicly disclose law, they have the same standing as per- funders,” wrote Barker and Wang. “Th e sons under our Constitution. But that nonprofi t could then donate as much determination was made long before as it wanted to the Super-PAC, which the 2010 Supreme Court decision that lists the nonprofi t’s donation but not the gave corporations, unions and wealthy original contributors.” individuals the right to spend unlimited And while the identity of donors funds to infl uence elections. can be hidden from the public, there is Corporations gained personhood no rule that says they can’t tell the poli- status in the United States through an ticians directly about their support, if 1886 Supreme Court decision on a case they choose to do so. called Santa Clara County v. Southern Supreme Court Justice Anthony Pacifi c. And it was a simple assertion Kennedy, who wrote the majority deci- by a single judge, entered into the sum- sion opening the door to such spending, mary record by the court reporter, and cited prompt disclosure as the means not a vote of the court of providing citizens that established the It’s time for Congress “with the information doctrine of corporate to show the collective needed to hold cor- personhood that now courage to require porations and elected has existed for more offi cials accountable than a century. So the public disclosure for their positions and assertion that the Rob- of every single political supporters. But in real- erts court, in its 5-4 donor in America and ity, that prompt disclo- Citizens United v. Fed- sure does not exist and eral Election Commis- the amount of his or her Congress has yet to sion decision of 2010, contribution. legislate a meaningful defi ned corporations disclosure system. In as persons is inaccurate. fact, no such legislation is even pending. Th e ruling, however, opened the Th e Sunlight Foundation has draft - door to a largely unregulated fl ow of ed a bill that, if enacted, would at least LAST LEAF ON A TREE ELLSWORTH AMERICAN PHOTO BY HUGH BOWDEN money — gigantic sums of money — make a start toward addressing the cor- into our election process from those rupting infl uence of unlimited political seeking to infl uence the outcomes to spending. It would: Th ink on the last leaf on the tree No chlorophyll to warm your veins. No happy sights or cheerful sounds their own advantage. According to • Ensure disclosure of donors who And how you’d feel if it were thee, No Summer winds or Summer rains. As life pursues its daily rounds. Th y friends departed, one by one, No good companions on that branch. Th ings ain’t what they’re cracked up to be the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofi t fund independent expenditures and Abandoned by the Winter sun. No horses neighing on the ranch. If you’re the last leaf on the tree. organization that works to make gov- electioneering communications made BY JAMES RUSSELL WIGGINS ernment transparent and accountable, by Super-PACs or other 501(c) organi- REPRINTED FROM A PREVIOUS ISSUE dark money played a major role in the zations. mid-term 2010 elections. Th e foun- • Require real-time, online disclo- dation found that $126 million of the sure of all reports with data in search- $454 million spent by outside groups able, sortable, machine-readable for- for such things as negative political ads mats and including unique IDs for all The Disappearing Atlantic Bridge came from groups with secret donors. fi lers. Here’s how it works, according to • Require disclaimers and identifi - By Marvin Ott cerning Greece appear to have moved beyond when the President recently visited Asia and ProPublica journalists Kim Barker and cation of top funders in an ad. Conversations these days with Europeans “whether” to “when and how.” Whether any talked about America’s growing economic Marian Wang. Th e Citizens United rul- • Require registered lobbyists to closely involved with the United States oft en other Eurozone nation will have to walk the and military presence in the Asia-Pacifi c re- ing paved the way for Super-PACS — report their spending on independent take on a notably pessimistic tone. Viewed plank in similar fashion remains to be seen. gion. Again, there are powerful underlying committees that can raise and spend expenditures and electioneering com- from Europe, the historic relationship with Portugal will receive a lot of intense scrutiny forces at work. Asia, not Europe, is an arena of the United States — the Atlantic bridge — is over the next few weeks. strong economic growth. Th e U.S. economic unlimited sums of money from indi- munications. in relative decline. Th at As we have noted be- recovery is increasingly tied to the growth of viduals, corporations, unions and other • Require all candidates and com- perception, and the fore, the European cri- China, India, Korea, Taiwan and Southeast groups to infl uence elections — as long mittees to fi le electronically with the angst that goes with it, Offshore sis is very complex but Asia. Th is last year, General Motors reclaimed as they don’t coordinate with any can- Federal Election Commission. is based on a reading of is rooted in two simple its position as the world’s largest vehicle man- didate or political party. Super-PACS It’s time for Congress to show the major trends on both sides of “the pond.” realities. First, much of Europe (particularly ufacturer. Much of that achievement was must disclose their donors, but that collective courage to require public dis- Everyone is familiar with the ongoing Eu- those in the southern tier) has been living based on its success in the China market. disclosure can be delayed until months closure of every single political donor in ropean economic/fi nancial crisis. As of this well beyond its means for many years. Now Every European defense offi cial took aft er an election. And by combining a America and the amount of his or her writing, it now appears likely that the once all the accumulated debt has become unsup- note when Secretary of Defense Panetta an- unthinkable will actually happen. Greece, a portable, or nearly so, and the IOUs have nounced that as U.S. defense budgets contract, Super-PAC with a nonprofi t 501(c), contribution. Th e Sunlight Foundation member of the Eurozone (countries that use come due. Second, the institutions of the new so will the American military presence in Eu- which can include labor unions, trade proposal is not an all-encompassing the Euro as their currency), will be forced to united Europe have proven to be conceptu- rope — in order to sustain an ongoing (and associations and other special inter- solution to the corrupting infl uence declare bankruptcy and return to the use of ally fl awed. A working assumption behind even growing) U.S. military presence in Asia. est groups, the identity of donors can of unlimited political spending, but it its former national currency — the drachma. the “European enterprise” is that Europe is For Europeans, the obvious question is what be completely shielded. “Corporations could be a critical fi rst step. Discussions within the European Union con- a real thing with an organic identity that will this means for NATO. Th at question becomes command the imagination and loyalties of particularly urgent in the face of declining its peoples. But Iceland and Italy or Lithu- (and already low) European defense budgets. ania and Portugal are very diff erent places. Bluntly put, the drawdown of U.S. forces will Many young people in these countries do feel not be off set by a greater European eff ort. It Israel’s Opportunity to Outfox Iran a European bond, but it is not strong enough is noteworthy that Britain has no operational to provide a genuine democratic foundation aircraft carrier and was able to mount an air By Peter Sly delay an Iranian weapon. It may be that nuclear settlement could help break this to European institutions. European govern- campaign over Libya only because it gained Th e Ellsworth American may be com- the smartest strategy for deterring Iran’s logjam. ments do not dare put their participation in access to an airfi eld on a small Italian island. mended for the attention its editorial page nuclear push would be for Israel to actively First, some background. At the moment, the EU and Eurozone up to a popular refer- Was the operation in Libya NATO’s last gasp? gives to the Middle East. In June 2011, pursue a nuclear-free zone. Israel is the only Mideast country with a endum. As a result, we have EU institutions, As European military capabilities decline, so Marvin Ott concluded his op-ed, “Th e From the U.S. perspective, it appears nuclear arsenal. Israel has opposed even centered in Brussels, that are unelected bu- will strategic ambitions. It seems likely that in Netanyahu Problem,” that negotiations be- discussing nuclear demilitarization until reaucracies. Th ose bureaucracies are invested the future, European security concerns will with the observation Commentary tween Israel and the there has been a settlement of Palestinian with real power over the lives of Europeans be limited to Europe itself and will involve that “a wiser Israeli Palestinian Authority issues and a regional peace agreement that and a great many people resent it when that such low intensity operations as controlling leader could seize the are on hold. At his Nov. would include all of Israel’s neighbors, such power impinges on them as it does with regu- smuggling and illegal migration from North fl ux in the Arab world to create new politi- 15, 2010, talk on the Mideast peace process as Syria and Iran. Israel maintains a “stud- larity. In sum, democracy is the established Africa. If, God forbid, a war starts with Iran, cal openings….” Several weeks ago a letter (http://vimeo.com/32185451), Sen. George ied ambiguity” about its nuclear arsenal political norm in Europe, but the EU lacks a the military burden will fall almost entirely from Hank Davis noted that one of these Mitchell noted that the impasse in Israel’s and has not signed the Nuclear Non-Pro- genuine democratic foundation. on the United States, with Israel cheering openings might be an Israeli pursuit of a negotiations with the Palestinian Author- liferation Treaty. In 1974, Iran and Egypt Meanwhile, something else is going on; us on. Th e only NATO ally in a position to nuclear-free zone throughout the Middle ity since Ehud Olmert’s September 2008 sponsored a UN resolution supporting cre- the folks on the American end of the bridge provide serious help will be the government East. Military leaders in Israel and the comprehensive proposal does not serve Is- ation of a nuclear-free zone in the Mideast. are increasingly and very overtly turning of Turkey. [Th at is the same democratically United States agree that an attack on Iran’s rael’s interest nor that of the Palestinians. A Th e United Nations endorsed this position their attention away from Europe toward elected government that Texas Governor nuclear facilities would only temporarily new Israeli willingness to discuss a regional Continued on Page 2 Asia. Th is was made explicit and authoritative Continued on Page 2 Give the Legislature Some Breathing Room

By Jill Goldthwait forces of Snowe. Ms. Dill might not be able angry mob that’s crippling America.” And a colossal budget hole in the DHHS, legis- have to distance themselves from their par- Down here in the 2nd Congressional to conquer the Olympian Olympia either, she lashes out at Sen. Snowe for opposing a lative choices are few. Th ey can adopt his ty’s top dog. Closing the schools is a nuclear District, we have a pretty straight-ahead but she would surely make it a lively race. surcharge on taxpayers earning more than budget, come up with big DHHS savings of option and no one in the Legislature will al- race. Incumbent Democrat Mike Michaud Ms. Dill, a lawyer, was serving her third $1 million. Th ough the odds of her defeat- their own, or reach into the rest of the Gen- low it to happen. Not the Republicans, who is being challenged by Republican Senate term as a state representative when her lo- ing Sen. Snowe are long, a loss by Ms. Dill eral Fund to cover the DHHS hole. might like to stand with their man, nor the President Kevin Raye. Simple, eh? cal state Senate seat opened up. She won would not be for lack of eff ort. Th e Governor reasons that the only oth- Democrats, who might like to see him have Not so in Maine’s U.S. Senate race. Four the special election for Senate District 7 by If that is not enough winter merriment er spending line big enough to off er alterna- to live with the consequences of a school Democrats have lined up for the June pri- a better than 2-1 margin, but in a statewide for all you armchair political pundits, the tive savings would be the education budget, closure. mary, and the winner will take on Sen. race she has the curiously Maine-y dis- hence the lightning bolt about an early start Th e Governor does not yet trust the fact Olympia Snowe next fall. Th e Democrats advantage of living in Cape Elizabeth, an to summer for Maine school kids. A pity that the Legislature really wants to solve this are all listed in the Maine directory of po- upper income community whose name is State of that 8-year-olds cannot vote. Th ey would problem. Legislative process can be mad- litical anonymity, “Who Dat?” symbolic of privilege in a state that values be all over this proposal. Th eir parents not dening, especially to a former businessman, Th e roster includes state Rep. Jon Hinck, the average guy. Maine so much. but this Legislature has proved that it can state Sen. Cynthia Dill, former Secretary of She is fearless, feisty to a fault and ir- As far as the budgeting basics go, the deliver a product. State and state Rep. Matt Dunlap, and Ben repressible. Sen. Dill founded Friends of Governor is quite correct. However, as is his Really, the Legislature wants to get this Pollard, a Blue Hill native with a construc- the Maine Woods, a group advocating the custom, he has plunged into the deep end done. Appropriators do understand that tion business in Portland who, according study and creation of a Maine Woods Na- Democratic congressional primary is not without an infl atable fl oatie. Th e Constitu- the gap widens as the days pass, and they to the Pollard Builders website, has been a tional Park. Th ough a poll last October the only game in town. In yet another eff ort tion does not give the Governor authority are doing their level best to move this piggy local news reporter, an environmentalist, a found that 60 percent of Mainers favored a to whip the Legislature into action on his to close schools, though it does allow him to through the boa constrictor. Th ey know sailor and a swimmer with a penchant for feasibility study for such a park, Sen. Snowe supplemental budget for the Department curtail expenditures in a fi scal emergency, that their ultimate proposal has to with- singing while he works. was not one of them. of Health and Human Services, Governor and curtailing the education budget could stand the poking and prodding of the rank Mr. Hinck and Mr. Pollard will have Cynthia Dill is prepared to take on all Paul LePage has suggested that if there is no have the same eff ect. and fi le when it goes to the fl oor for a vote. a hard time distinguishing themselves in comers. Governor LePage is on her hit list budget by the end of January, he might just If the Governor is only using school clo- Th is budget is in the hands of an expe- this fi eld. Mr. Dunlap has the experiential for promoting a budget that is “not paid have to close Maine schools on May 1. sure as a pry bar to get the Legislature mov- rienced and well-intentioned committee. wherewithal to mount a campaign, but is for.” She calls folk hero and conservative Th at got people’s attention. Th e Gover- ing, he will not endear himself to the Leg- Give them some breathing room and they unlikely to ignite a revolution against the crusader Mary Adams the “local face of the nor is a black-and-white kind of guy. With islature’s Republicans, who will once again will get the job done.