My name is Dakota Waltz, and I am a sophomore at Simpson double majoring in political science and history.

Recently, I heard about Iowa Pays The Price, a local grassroots organization highlighting the amount and influence of money in politics. It is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that believes outside, secret money is hurting both political parties and drowning out the voices of the average voter.

After reading about their organization and goals, I knew I needed to get involved with Iowa Pays The Price in any way I could. Ending big money in politics has been a fight that I’ve wanted to be a part of for as long as I’ve been involved in politics. The chance to minimize the role of big money in elections and allow Iowan’s voices to be heard was too hard for me to pass up.

I’ve been helping Iowa Pays The Price for over a month by signing up supporters, speaking to local groups and engaging Presidential candidates on this issue that is going to get worse before it gets better.

Recently, I attended a roundtable discussion where former Congressman Jim Leach, a Republican from Iowa City, called Citizens United and Dred Scott, the two worst Supreme Court decisions in the history of the Court. I’m learning that money in politics is an issue that transcends party lines. We have attended Republican rallies, Democratic rallies and non-political, community events, and we’ve signed up supporters at all of them.

In a recent Des Moines Register poll, 91 percent of Republican caucus goers and 94 percent of Democratic caucus goers were either “mad as hell” or “unsatisfied” with the amount of money in politics.

Those numbers are astounding and speak volumes to the fact that Iowa voters are tired of the lack of transparency and the amount of undisclosed money spent to influence elections and elected officials.

This is an issue that I am passionate about, and I hope you will join our fight today by visiting www.iowapaystheprice.org.

Alternatively, if you’d like to have a more personal discussion, Iowa Pays the Price will have a table in Kent on September 23rd from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.