Our Founding Fathers--of whom Sarah Palin is so fond--would be pretty surprised by yesterday's Supreme Court decision unfettering corporations (and unions) from restrictions on their political activities.
In our democracy, people vote. Corporations do not vote; indeed, they are creatures of the state. Under our constitution, corporations do have some rights, but they are not the same as those of citizens. There is no reason whatsoever why Congress cannot limit the political "rights" of corporations and unions.
Perhaps between depressing Scott Brown victory in Massachusetts and this abomination of a Supreme Court decision, folks on the left will wake up and get more active. Tea parties be damned!
(Our Constitution also doesn't provide that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass legislation.)
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Yes, but people have the right peacably to assemble to advance a political agenda. You will find that in the First Amendment. Of the Constitution.
And corporations do it voluntarily, unlike unions, given the special privilege of forcing people to support their activities.
If we want the voices of the citizens of each district to again be heard by elected officials, we must take the following steps:
1. Restrict contributions to come only from citizens whose PRIMARY residence is within the district. This simple, yet dramatic revision, would amplify the voices of the citizens who reside in the respective districts, and restore the representative relationship between our elected officials and the citizens who reside in their areas of representation.
2. Eliminate PAC contributions.
3. Eliminate corporate contributions. Corporations are profit-making entities whose by-laws mandate that they expend money only with the expectation of a return on that investment. Corporations, in spite of their public relations propaganda exist only to make money and are not, “corporate citizens.” Only People are citizens.
4. Cap the amount of contributions to the federal limit for an individual contribution.
Write to your Delegate and Senator and tell them that campaign finance reform will dramatically reduce corruption and will enhance the ability of the individual citizen to be heard. If they do not support reform, then work for a candidate in the next election who pledges to enact campaign finance reforms as enumerated above.
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