In an article in The Denver Post yesterday, Aldo Svaldi laid out some interesting information about the reasons why our newspapers are slowly consolidating into a few large hands.

The second part of this story is the impact this kind of change has on democracy. As our newspapers, radio stations and TV stations have gone from many to few, so have the perspectives that are critical in a democracy.

Since 1995, the number of companies owning TV stations has gone down 40%. Since the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Clear Channel has been able to go from the previous 40 radio station limit to owning over 1,200 stations nationwide.

The result has been infotainment, less local news and much of the same pre-packaged content being consumed all over the country.

Although there are real economic reasons for these vast changes, diversity in media ownership has to be a priority.

Ownership limits have to be restored and communities need to find innovative ways to create and maintain local media.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass Senate Joint Resolution 28, a bill that will neutralize the FCC's efforts to relax media ownership laws in favor of Big Media.  This is an enormous win for citizens across the country and a strong signal that lawmakers are listening to us.  Our phone calls, emails and letters are making a difference and we have Common Cause members across the country to thank.  Next up: the U.S. House of Representatives.

Allowing the media industry to be owned by fewer individuals is bad for democracy.  Our Senators stood up for us and spoke loud and clear yesterday.  

Go team!!

As we begin to see more companies announcing lay-offs and our economy tripping toward an unknown future, our community media becomes even more important.

During rough times, whether Mother Nature is being extra testy or the local Citigroup lets go of 9,000 neighbors, newspapers, TV and radio must be real resources for people to talk about their problems and discuss the solutions.

As it sits right now, your local newspaper is more than likely owned by a corporation that owns many others across the country. The effects of this kind of change are lower news budgets, which in turn means more stories bought from the AP and little local coverage. The local coverage that is available is very light. Journalists no longer have much time for investigation, so increasingly stories come straight from press releases.

In effect, we are in the dark about what is really going on.

The capacity for community dialogue is low. Let's move forward and fight for more. Tell the FCC that you don't want any more media consolidation. Tell your Congressmen that we will no longer put up with media in the corporate interest instead of the public interest.

Free Speech TV, KBDI TV, KGNU Radio, and Denver Open Media are hosting a lecture with award-winning journalist, Amy Goodman. Amy's program, Democracy Now!, airs on over 350 stations across the nation, providing access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.

*WHEN*: Sunday, April 20, 7:00 PM

*WHERE*: East High School Auditorium,

1600 City Park Esplanade, Denver

*COST*: $10 for FSTV members, $15 for non-members and at the door *Also Available* are a limited number of $100 VIP tickets which include preferred seating, a reception with Amy at 6 PM before the lecture, and a copy of her new book, Standing up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times.

Tickets will be Will-Call only, and can be picked up any time after 6 PM on the day of the event

Call 303-296-1212 during business hours or visit KBDI.org to reserve your tickets today!

This Sunday, March 30, Jim Hightower is coming to Ft. Collins, CO!

Jim Hightower, a Texan born and bred, is a fiery and funny popular public speaker. Frequently appearing on television and radio programs, Jim brings a hard-hitting populist viewpoint and the credo: "You can fight the gods and still have fun." 

Join us at noon at the New Belgium Brewery for good food, good beer, and great conversation.

At the event you'll hear Jim speak and have the opportunity to get a signed copy of his new book, Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go with the Flow! Register now for the event.

Please RSVP if you are planning to attend so we can get an accurate head count for lunch.

To sign up, call the office at (303) 292-2163 or email Colorado@commoncause.org. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door.  If you want to purchase a copy of the book in advance, $45.

Hope to see you there!

Colorado's Secretary of State, Mike Coffman, announced yesterday that most of the voting machines used in the state have been decertified. In a highly anticipated decision, the Secretary said that the machines are unreliable and unsecure and therefore cannot be used for the 2008 elections. At Common Cause, we fight to ensure that our votes are counted accurately and with integrity. If that means decertifying our electronic voting machines because they are unreliable, then the decision was a necessary one. However, we also believe that we cannot take away options for voters. Encouraging participation in our elections should be a top priority for our election administrators.

The issue of requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote is rearing it's ugly head in Colorado once again. Each year in the legislature, a bill of this sort comes up at least once. And each year, we at Common Cause work hard to defeat the bill because we believe in removing barriers to our voting process, not adding them. But this year, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Bob Balink is taking a different approach. Balink belives that if the legislature won't pass a bill requiring proof of citizenship, a lawsuit would force the issue. Those who believe that we should require proof of citizenship claim it's not that difficult to obtain the proof, and you would only have to do it once. An editorial in this week's Denver Post says: To say that proving citizenship is not onerous is wrong. It is expensive and time-cosuming, not to mention infringing on our basic voting rights. The citizenship requirement is aimed at illegal immigrants and discouraging them from voting. But, there is little to no evidence of voter fraud in Colorado. This is a solution in search of a problem. The possibility of having to bring even more identification to the polls is going to discourage people from voting. In a democracy where voting is a fundamental right, we should be passing laws that make it easier to vote, not harder.

Last November, Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 41, the Common Cause- backed law that bans lobbyists from giving gifts to legislators, and places a $50 limit on gifts that can be received by public employees in connection with their public office.  Before the election and since its passage, the lobbyists and other powerful interests opposing the law have pulled out all their guns to fight it.  Not surprisingly, the lobbyists don't like to admit how much they used free gifts, trips and meal to build relationships at the Capitol.  Instead, they've focused on advancing wild interpretations of the law, such as the myth that Amendment 41 would stop children of state employees from accepting college scholarships.

The fight has moved from the ballot box to the legislature to the courts.  Opponents have challenged Amendment 41, arguing that it threatens their constitutional rights.  A district court enjoined the gift ban portion of the law last May (meaning it is not in effect until the court rules).  We don't agree with that ruling, and believe that the law will ultimately be upheld, as many other gift bans have been throughout the country.  The Constitution doesn't guarantee a right of lobbyists to buy free lunches.

Last Thursday, the Colorado Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case.  A ruling will likely be rendered by the end of the year.  

The law was intended to stop people from violating the public trust for private gain. A child of a public employee that accepts a scholarship based on academic merit is hardly violating the public trust.  

I think news columnist Jim Spencer said it best:  

While it could be a while, cross your fingers and hope that the Colorado Supreme Court rules the right way, the way the voters want.  Amendment 41 passed with over 62% of the vote.  To me, that means one thing:  "We want ethics reform, and we want it now."