With the onslaught of big money special interests in the US political process a new generation of organizations and companies are mobilizing to counterbalance that.
And a national network of angel investors has formed to facilitate those organizations, New Media Ventures.
Their goal is to fund companies and organizations – the next MoveOn.org or Huffington Post – that drive progressive change through a combination of innovations in new media and technology.
"Ultimately, New Media Ventures aims to help investors support projects that increase citizen engagement and participation, creating lasting social change," they say.
So far, about 60 angel investors are in the network, which has already invested in 10 early-stage companies with plans to fund another dozen this year.
As all angel investors do, they are also look for strong teams, solid revenue models, and the ability to grow rapidly.
The 10 initial investments are:
Upworthy – a social media platform that encourages members to pass meaningful information on virally. The founder is MoveOn’s former executive.
NationalField – software that helps political campaign groups with internal communications and that was spun out of a tool used by the Obama campaign in 2008
TurboVote – which helps people cast their vote from home
The Story of Stuff – which uses videos to share environmental messages
Daily Kos – a political analysis blog written from a progressive perspective
Strategic Districts – software that automates state and national redistricting plans
Friendfactor – a gay rights initiative
Sum of Us – an organization fighting the influence of corporations on government policy
ActBlue Civics – an online tool that supports grassroots fundraising efforts
UltraViolet – a women’s rights community
Here’s their website:
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Please help by distributing the following to as many email addresses as possible:
The following statement is an absolute truth:
“Capitalism is now an ideology pure and simple, with a propaganda boilerplate and patter all its own. It is used to camouflage the real truth, which is that Congress has sold out to corporate interests; that members of Congress are bought and sold in a behind-the-scenes market where votes and money are constantly traded; that America’s megabanks and corporations do not believe in competition but obsessively seek market-distorting tax favors, subsidies, federal rulings allowing “venture capitalists” to gobble up or destroy competitors and drive small businesses into extinction.” The first step that is urgently needed to correct this shameful situation is to initiate a massive grass roots movement by getting enough signatures on the petition by clicking on or copying and pasting into your browser – http://signon.org/sign/take-money-out-of-politics
Let us all get our heads out of the sand and recognize finally that we no longer have a Democracy (government of the people by the people and for the people). What we do actually have is Plutocracy (government of the people by the lobbyists for the rich and powerful corporations, banks and individuals).
So, the remedy is obvious. Take the money out of politics so that members of Congress will be responsible only to the people that voted for them. To accomplish this it will require a massive grass roots movement by the majority of our citizens that can be started when they have all signed the petition at – http://signon.org/sign/take-money-out-of-politics
If clicking on the link does not work copy and paste it into your browser.
I am writing with the sincere hope that you or someone on your staff will read this memo and will be willing and open to discussing with us our plans to “effect change” in politics and politicians in Washington or you would direct us to individuals or groups that would support this lobbying effort.
We are a non-partisan group; for rising cost, declining/static wages, unemployment, political and corporate greed and corruption do not discriminate between party lines. No matter what our individual political beliefs, we as “Average Americans” are all being hurt by the continually declining economy and by the way our politicians are handling (not handling) matters and we see no end in sight.
It is our intent to give the “Average American” a “say so” in the daily dealings on the Hill and a “say so” that has authority and one with consequences, if we are not listened to. Corporate America and the extreme wealthy, the so called 1%, have money, gifts, vacations, campaign funds, insider trading tips and other perks to give to our elected officials, to get what they want – we only have “Votes”, however, if we use that influence properly, we can succeed in obtaining the needs and wants of the “Average American”, the so called, 99%.
There are and have been various organizations attempting to effect change in Washington politics, however, it is our belief that they are not or have not been successful, other than on single issues, because there has or is not any long term consequences for the politicians if they decide not to support any giving issue presented to them by these groups. Just as it is during elections; candidates will say what they feel we want to hear to get elected, well knowing that there will not be any accountability for those statements once they are in Washington; if anything does goes wrong, it’s the other party’s fault. It is time and our intent to make them accountable for their actions and to be held to their word.
Even though the strategies that we shall implement are not new, they are ones that have been successful in Washington in the past and the manner in which we plan to package and present these strategies to our elected officials, shall force them to make a decision. They will either decide to continue accepting what Corporate American and the wealthy have been giving them for way too many years and take the chance that we do not have the power to do what we say we can do or believe that we do have the power to expose all their dealings and the power to ensure that they will not be re-elected if they do not start supporting the needs and wants of the majority, the “Average Americans”.
I firmly believe that we can “effect change” and I firmly believe that we have the formula for doing so and we shall apply that pressure, daily, on the Hill, representing our one and only client, the “Average America”, the ones that are paying a majority of the bills.
I also firmly believe that the public is ready to have a Lobbying Group fight for their wants, needs and rights on the Hill, just as the corporations and wealthy have their lobbyist fighting for what they want.
With an 84% plus dissatisfaction rating on how our Government is being run, I would say that, this Lobbying Group’s time has come.
Thank you for your time in reading this request and we look forward to meeting with you and your staff to discuss this movement in more detail. We would also like to ask if you have knowledge of investors that maybe interested in backing a lobbying effort that will fight for the rights of the “Average American” and the President they elected, please let us know.
Please, assist us in helping America and the “Average American” get back on track and become the World Leader we use to be.
God Bless America
Morgan Culliton
mculliton@yahoo.com
Thank you