Campaign Finance (link) Money in politics?  “Campaign finance is a big concern among Maryland residents,” said Del. Jessica Feldmark (D-Howard), the bill’s sponsor in the House. “As big money continues to dominate political fundraising, public skepticism and cynicism about our democracy grow.” Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D)(Story) said she supports turning over the county  law, (explore)

"Lobbyist" tend to be a dirty word in community derided for even suggesting that lobbyists represent "real Americans." Rather, the position of the special interest group, or as a representative of special—not "public"—interests, or businesses, development applicants having much organized advocacy as a farce of “community outreach”, is designed to advance their interests and ideas, not the “public interest”.  Lobbyist, Vested interest issue, Interest group, Special interest, Special interests, Pressure group, Lobby, Lobby group, Single-interest group,  Single-issue group, Environmentalisms.

Traditional election coverage — the horse race — hasn’t been serving communities well; it relies too much on what candidates want voters to know, instead of what you, the voters, want addressed.

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Traditional election coverage — not grounded in what voters want candidates to discuss as they compete for votes. Not what the candidates want to talk about.

The system of political coverage isn’t working well; often it relies too much on statistics, the pundits, and pollsters. On being first, or on assumptions of what we or the candidates think is important — but isn’t. Media does not report and write stories that are more community responsive, more representative, and fair.

Arabella defines itself as a philanthropy consulting firm, but Republican House members see something more sinister. Each year, Arabella helps guide more than $5 billion in gifts and impact investments so that donors — including foreign billionaires like Hansjörg Wyss — can funnel money through some of the firm’s clients, like the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund, in hard-to-trace ways that... (link) steering the wealth of Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire, into the world of American politics and policy.

County Council Strips Communities of Their Voice on Development Matters (link). Council Bill (CB)-15-2024 was enacted on July 16th to make updates to the new Zoning Ordinance, and the Council voted 6-4 to strip out critical protections for communities. Voting FOR were Council Chair Ivey, Vice Chair Harrison, Fisher, Olson and Watson.

Voting AGAINST were Blegay, Burroughs, Dernoga, and Oriadha. As a result, there will be less community input in development affecting them, more sprawl development that adds to our infrastructure deficit, increased traffic, loss of rural land, more strains on public safety staffing, and more. Again, the Council voted contrary to the policies it adopted in the Climate Action Plan and Plan Prince George's 2035.

Reduced power of special interest.

An organization's individuals whose membership unite to support a specific common concerns and interests of their agenda and most likely based on foundation funding.  These organized group of individuals: –who share common goals or objectives –who attempt to influence policymakers in all three branches of government, and at all levels.

This financing scheme allows these pop-up groups to disguise themselves as local, grassroots advocacy organizations, but in reality their money all traces back to one dark-money behemoth. The Sixteen Thirty Fund alone routed over $60 million to political committees backing Democrats and President Biden. 

Arabella, which former Clinton administration official Eric Kessler founded in 2005, manages a network of five nonprofit groups: the New Venture Fund, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the Hopewell Fund, the Windward Fund and the North Fund. Each of these groups focuses on different policy issues, but they all operate under the Arabella umbrella. 

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With its base of billionaire donors including Bill and Melinda Gates, Pierre Omidyar and Hansjörg Wyss, the Arabella network doles out money to hundreds of stand-alone organizations across the country, as well as the liberal pop-up groups they establish and control. (link) Follow the money trail right here in Maryland, in Prince George's County.