| Photo by Tanja Tepavac on Unsplash
Part II of the “Pocketbook Politics” Series
Theoretically, it may be easy to establish a funding mechanism for “Pocketbook Politics” as a juridical person or lawful and registered entity. How? By organizing chapters of it as cooperatives (co-ops) in every state.
Present regulations require every co-op member to have at least one share. For instance, that share can be pegged at $15, the minimum that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) requires Democrats to give as an annual membership fee. That membership fee can be the first co-op share of each member. Every member can buy more shares, but all co-op members will have just one vote, irrespective of the number of shares a member subscribes to and pays for.
Then, chapters form a statewide and national federation of the 50 state federations. Each state and the national super federation must also be registered with the proper legal authority.
According to OpenSecrets.org, the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz slate generated campaign donations that totaled $1.652 billion (as rounded off) as of October 26, 2024. The Campaign Committee generated $1.003 billion as of October 10th. Outside groups raised $649 million as of October 26th.
What if the DNC invested $ 500 million from the $ 1.652 billion campaign contributions in the 50 state federations of the “Pocketbook Political Cooperatives” (PPCo-op)? Every state federation shall have an additional $ 10 million in equity every election cycle, right? The $10-million investment may be dwarfed by the capital input of the co-op members, many of whom are unpaid campaign volunteers. There are tens of millions of Democrat volunteers. For example, the Occupy Democrats Facebook Group has more than 10 million members (followers).
What if billionaires like the Gates, the Bloomberg Family, and other Democratic-leaning wealthy Americans used all or a portion of their annual political contribution to the Democratic Party to buy co-op shares instead?
“What if the DNC invested $ 500 million from the $ 1.652 billion campaign contributions in the 50 state federations of the “Pocketbook Political Cooperatives” (PPCo-op)? Every state federation shall have an additional $ 10 million in equity every election cycle, right? “
The PPCo-op may also engage in lawful apolitical businesses like a cooperative store or groceries, restaurants, and bars to generate more income. Every place of apolitical business can operate a podcast, a website, or an online TV station — depending on location. In less than five election cycles (or 10 years), the 50 state federations can compete — on modest scales — with retail giants like Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and even Amazon. It can have a chain of co-op fast-food, traditional restaurants, and bookstores with print-on-demand (POD) capabilities. The POD system can print leaflets and campaign brochures. All employees, management people, and customers will be co-op shareholders, and they will participate not only in electing the Board of Directors but also in distributing quarterly and annual dividends.
The PPCo-op organizations can also have their credit union, and their national federation can eventually buy out the controlling owners of hundreds of distressed rustic banks and rural hospitals. Then, the co-ops can “reinvent” healthcare and usher in a cooperative-owned health maintenance organization (HMO). For instance, the HMO that provides Medicare services to this columnist and his wife usually earns a net profit of $13 billion annually.
The state federations of PPCo-ops can also invite tribes of Native American Indians to build new co-op versions in their tribal reservations. These joint ventures shall compete with Sin City, Las Vegas (Nevada), and turn each entertainment-gambling resort into “Scene City” for school reunions, weddings, anniversaries, cultural fairs, food festivals, concerts, and community events.
It is suggested that Pocketbook Politics’s founders and charter members examine proposals that could lead to Florida becoming a “State of the Future.” Some 19 articles about the proposals for Florida, written from 2022 to 2024, can be tested grounds for the “PPCo-op” idea. The articles are reproduced in the Pocketbook Politics Facebook Group.
