Open Letter to Buddy Roemer from Rocky Anderson

Dear Governor Roemer:

You have led an inspiring campaign over the last 17 months, for which the American people should be grateful. During our recent joint appearance at UCLA, it was obvious to me that you and I share a common urgent concern about the state of our nation’s democracy. I applaud you for your tenacity in raising awareness about the transformation of our government into a plutocracy. Instead of a government of, by, and for the people, ours is now a government of, by, and for the corporations and individuals with concentrated wealth who buy and pay for those in Congress and the White House, whose sole loyalty should be, but obviously is not, to the public interest.

While you and I have some different political perspectives, we agree it is essential to remove the corrupting influence of money from our government. It is a source of national disgrace and tragedy that the duopoly of the Republican and Democratic parties has succeeded in depriving American voters of real choices in our elections by making it virtually impossible for anyone who is not a multimillionaire to get on state ballots. Likewise, both dominant parties have excluded vital, alternative viewpoints and candidates from the debates. The candidates being excluded are those who seek to restore democracy and the rule of law to our nation.

Thank you for leading by example and running a campaign of integrity. I hope we can work together in the coming years on our common cause of fundamental campaign finance reform and restoring a truly representative government as contemplated by the Founders.

With gratitude,

Rocky Anderson