Conway Daily Sun
June 5, 1999
Interview by Alison Dent"Jackson Man Tries Third Party Run For President"
"Peters believes campaign finance reform will spawn rebirth of democracy"
Sick of voter apathy and driven by the desire to reform campaign finance laws, Jeff Peters is ready to run for president of the Unites States.
"I feel it is my destiny to encourage my fellow citizens to take back our country. I love our country," the 51-year-old Jackson resident said in a recent interview. "we need democracy of, by and for the people."
Peters wants to run as a candidate of the party he founded with his wife, Cici, We The People. He describes We the People as a citizen’s movement dedicated to a rebirth of democracy across America. The party, registered with every secretary of state*, has some members in each state. Rather than having to follow the individual electoral rules of each state, because each has a different way to get on the presidential ballot, Peters plans to run a write-in campaign.
His goal is to revolutionize politics through a new party, just as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln did.
Jefferson founded the Democratic Party in 1801 in reaction to the Federalists. Lincoln, who won with 39 percent of the vote, was the last president elected under a third party nomination, in Lincoln'’ case the new Republican Party. He also gave the example of Jesse "The Body" Ventura, a professional wrestler elected governor of Minnesota. Ventura won with 36 percent of the vote, with many of his supporters registering on Election Day.
"They took on an issue that no one else would," Peters said of how Jefferson, Lincoln and Ventura won their elections.
With that inspiration, Peters is addressing campaign finance reform, an issue he says neither Republicans nor Democrats have seriously contended with.
"The thrust is to take big money out of politics and put people back in control of the government," he said. "It’s our country and we want it back. Each one of us has a responsibility to take it back because right now, it is all special interest groups that own and operate our government."
Peters has worked to promote campaign finance reform in Washington and Concord. As a member of N.H. Alliance**, Peters sat on the subcommitee that drafted legislation he believes will pass next session and testified in support of the bill at a senate hearing.
Peters says campaign finance reform is the only way to "achieve rebirth of democracy in the country." He figures if each taxpayer spent less than $10 a year to publicly finance political campaigns, they would be clean of money from special interest groups and lobbyists.
"A thousand dollars a year from each taxpayer goes towards the wealthy for special interests that elect and re-elect current representatives, who in turn vote tax break loopholes for special interest groups."
In April, Peters went to Washington to rally support for campaign finance reform and passed out handbills to each senator, congressmen and employees of the White House and Supreme Court. During that trip, Peters talked to CBS News in an interview broadcast over 100 radio stations throughout the country.
On June 21, Peters will travel to Dallas to meet with one of his heroes, Granny D, an 89-year-old Dover resident who is walking across the country collecting petition signatures to send to Washington in support of campaign finance reform. Peters is going to drive the We The People bus alongside Granny D for a week.***
Other issues We The People is looking to tackle are catastrophic health insurance, education reform, environmental choice and the defense budget, but Peters first wants member to speak out on which issues are most important to them.
Motivating people and diminishing voter apathy is the path Peters is following.
"By standing up and being counted on issues like campaign finance reform, and voting again. We have to agree again that our vote counts and exercise that vote," he said.
In the last election, Peters said two-thirds of registered voters did not cast ballots. He figures if he can win over half of those people, he has a chance of winning.
The first political party founded by a man and a woman, Peters and his wife have been working for 5 years, registering the party in all 50 states and gaining support nationwide. They have mobility since a supporter purchased and donated an RV emblazoned with the We The People logo, home number (1-877-We-THE-PEOPLE), web site,
www.WeThePeople-WTP.org) and slogan ("Listening to Americans and Taking action").He referred to the donation as "a minor miracle."
So far, Peters and his wife have traveled to 24 states in the bus.
"People are tired of government corruption. They feel left out of the political process, that their vote doesn’t matter," he said.
A goal of the crusade is to run the first Internet-driven campaign. We The People web site was designed by local web designers Cindy and Gary Foote of Webber Communications in Conway, NH [Link to their site].
Peters said the Footes felt compelled to help the campaign because they also felt their votes did not count, so they offered to design, update and market the web site, which has a page for new members to sign up (it is free) and learn more about the organization.
We the People welcomes everyone to join, regardless of political affiliation. All members can vote on the issues, with a two-thirds majority required to pass. At some point, Peters wants people to be able to vote on the Internet and by phone.
Peters is a member of the Democratic Leadership council, was a delegate of the Dukakis Delegate National Committee in 1988, was twice elected representative to town meeting in Greenwich, Conn., and volunteered with Steve Conn in the early development of Common Cause, the citizen’s lobby founded by John Gardner.
A cum laude graduate of Harvard College with a degree in government, Peters went on to become president and CEO of U.S.-Mexican Development Corporation, U.S.- Business Development Company and U.S.- Chinese Development Company, which are real estate, finance and new business development companies.
The family moved to Jackson in the 1950’s. Peters and his wife have a daughter, Tisha, and three grandchildren.
Peters will not officially launch his campaign until next year.
"I think campaigns are too long," he said, explaining why he does not want to start the process now.
*We The People is registered in all 50 states as either a political party, a not-for-profit corporation, or a political awareness committee.
**NH Alliance is actually named the NH Citizen’s Alliance.
***Peters joined Granny D for 10 days in Texas driving the Granny D van. Later this year when she approaches Washington, DC and the weather is colder, Peters plans to take the We The People bus to drive with Granny D as a support vehicle.
Join We The PeopleP.O. Box 253
Jackson, NH 03846
petersWTP@aol.com
Site by Webbers Communications Design Studio.