WILLIAMSTOWN – A former Williamstown businessman and selectman now living in Tucson, Ariz., has filed a lawsuit charging that senators and representatives who take out-of-state, or out-of-district, contributions are in conflict of interest.
Saying his lawsuit wants to restore power to “We The People,†Chester P. Soling said Tuesday that he aims to plug a loophole in the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance law that lets non-constituents gain influence by donating to candidates in many districts and states.
Soling sued Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and other Arizona politicians and candidates in federal court in Tucson on June 21. The suit maintains that officials who accept contributions from contributors outside their state or district violate their duty to represent only those who elect them and are thus in conflict of interest.
“Elected officials should not take money from people or entities that they don’t represent – entities that have self-serving agendas that often diverge widely from that of the voters,†Soling said. “I’m doing what I can as an American citizen to help get our country back on track.â€
According to Soling, the Constitution specifies that the election of members of Congress “is an action of the individual states.â€
“That is obvious, for each state makes its own election laws and conducts its own elections,†he wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. “So my question is, why can anyone in another election district or state have a direct say in who the electorate of the district elects. Money is power. You can’t run for office without an adequate source of funds. So when a wealthy person in another state or district donates money to someone running elsewhere, they are not doing that because they like the candidate’s looks. They want to see that person elected to office.â€
In effect, he said, this practice gives the person an extra say, or even an extra vote, while the voters in the district go unheeded, especially after the congressman gets elected. The congressman opens his office to the high roller, not to the ordinary voters, Soling charged.
“In this way, we are saying loud and clear, Mr./Mrs. Congressman, represent those who elect you, not those who support you!†Soling wrote. “They are directly violating their oath of office, and that is to be a surrogate and represent those who vote for you. In other words, my cause is to bring back the power to We The People, not we the money. And, hey, I get nothing out of this but satisfaction.â€
In a story in The New York Times last month, Soling said the Founding Fathers would be “despondent†over the role of money in politics, which is not in keeping with the spirit of a republic.
Soling has launched the Web site www.CongressAbuse.com that contains information about the lawsuit and to contribute to the cause.
“I urge all Americans who care about the future of our country to go to our site and contribute what they can so that we can take this case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary,†he said.
Soling’s lawyer, Leon Silver of the law firm Keller Rohrback P.L.C., was quoted in The New York Times story as saying Soling wants an injunction to level the playing field and to return the government to the people as the framers of the Constitution intended.
Soling maintains that congressional hearings after the 1998 elections found that senators and congressmen often act from obligation to those who donate the most money to their campaigns. His action would also restrict rich candidates from running for Congress on their own funds, setting the same limit of $2,000 that other contributors face.
Soling, a former real estate and Wall Street business executive who owned a seat on the American Exchange and who built The Orchards in Williamstown, has long been active in public betterment. In addition to serving as a selectman in Williamstown, he was a board member of the League of Women Voters and on the Board of Trustees of Syracuse University, of which he is an alumnus.
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Air Quality Alert Issued for Berkshire County
Staff reports
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The state's on an air quality alert through midnight Thursday because of the smoke from wildfires in Canada.
Berkshire residents woke up to smoky, hazy skies and a red glowing sun on Wednesday morning, but with less oppressive heat.
The Department of Environmental Protection issued an air quality alert for elevated levels of fine particles (PM2.5). This refers to microscopic airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter — about 30 times smaller than a human hair. These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the size of these particles can cause serious health problems because they can get deep into your lungs and even into bloodstreams. Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest risk to health.
The air quality statewide is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. These include people with heart or lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to air pollution.
MassDEP advises people in sensitive groups to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.
EPA's air quality index rates levels from "good" at 0-50 and "very unhealthy" from 201 to 300. Residents of Williamstown can track the AQI through PurpleAir, which displays results from monitors in five sections of town.
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