February 15, 2003

Dear Mr. Simon,
Thank you for your recent fundraising letter. I will support Common Cause when it supports two of the most fundamental human rights necessary for a democracy to survive: political free speech and personal ownership of arms. It's clear from Common Cause's particular opposition to the constitutionally and judicially recognized political free speech of groups such as the National Rifle Association that it supports neither right.

Your current model of "Campaign Finance Reform" seeks to silence the political speech of all grassroots member advocacy groups while drastically elevating the visibility and voices of incumbents and the nearly monolithic mass media. That strikes me as highly undemocratic and intrinsically unfair.

It's also plainly obvious from your letter that Common Cause is aligned with the electoral interests of the Democratic Party. Partisan political advocacy is certainly within your rights, but I sincerely doubt that it makes for an effective platform for addressing what should be universal issues such as support for fair, honest and open elections.

In summary while you pay lip service to democracy, it's obviously clear to an objective observer that your policies are effectively undemocratic.

When you see fit to actually support democracy, individual rights, and personal and collective freedom, then I may be more interested in supporting your organization.

Sincerely,

Jeff Chan