[GPSCC-chat] Fwd: Money and Democracy Update

[fred]

Worth posting on "sosfbay-discus."

fd

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Money and Democracy Update
Date: 	Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:25:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: 	Public Citizen <publiccitizen at mail.democracyinaction.org>
Reply-To: 	publiccitizen at mail.democracyinaction.org
To: 	fredd at freeshell.org



Public Citizen's 'Money and Democracy Update'
*an e-newsletter about the movement to curb corporate influence in 
politics and restore our democracy*

*Issue #36 • October 29, 2010*

/We hope you enjoy this issue of Public Citizen's e-newsletter about the 
intersection of money and politics. This is part of the campaign we 
developed following the disastrous Supreme Court decision in /Citizens 
United v. Federal Election Commission/, which allows corporations to 
spend unlimited amounts supporting or attacking political candidates. 
We'll update you regularly with select news stories and blog posts, 
legislative developments and ways to get involved./

*Stunning Statistics of the Week:*

    * *149*: Number of independent groups that have spent money to
      influence this year’s elections (according to Federal Election
      Commission (FEC) reports through Oct. 25)
    * *$176.1 million*: Amount those groups have spent on the midterms
    * *10*: Number of groups responsible for the bulk of that spending
    * *59.9 percent*
      <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=jyOvr9e4hzMDXMPIVsTMizghQdZYxnT3>:
      The percentage of that money that comes from undisclosed sources

*Public Citizen calls on electioneering groups to disclose corporate donors*
Public Citizen has sent a letter to all groups 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rMeA%2F%2BQ7DXk%2BNhfW%2Bsj6Blh5wqUr9anK> 
that are conducting electioneering communications or independent 
expenditures in the 2010 elections, urging them to disclose to the 
public the sources and amounts of corporate contributions they use for 
their campaign spending.

*Disclosed corporate funds are a fraction of what is hidden, heavily 
favor Republicans*
Tapping into what few disclosure records exist of campaign spending by 
outside groups in the 2010 elections, Public Citizen has identified 
about 200 corporate contributors to a mere 29 independent groups that 
have reported their funding sources to the Federal Election Commission. 
These disclosure records account for a very small fraction of the 
record-breaking campaign spending by outside groups this year, but they 
confirm a widely suspected trend: Corporate money is heavily favoring 
Republican candidates 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wyYEM32hDDahsR%2BHRCAWIAQlUg93oFNP> 
by 11-to-1.

*BP, other firms called out for trying to elect climate change deniers *
BP is on the offense. The company is one of more than half a dozen 
polluters 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vYbxW5%2BvtwYivM6u3wN81jghQdZYxnT3> 
named by Climate Action Network Europe as pouring money into campaigns 
for candidates who oppose climate change legislation. In a new report, 
CAN Europe says the support “is all the more galling because the same 
companies argue that additional emissions reductions in Europe cannot be 
pursued until the United States takes action.”

*Total estimated bill for midterms: $4 billion *
The latest guesstimate 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=a%2Boj5xZ4yJe2zKMF3cTkyDghQdZYxnT3> 
from the Center for Responsive Politics of how much everybody – 
candidates, political parties and outside groups – will spend on the 
midterms is $4 billion.

*Citing negative ads, New Hampshire Chamber cuts ties with U.S. Chamber*
Saying that it was offended by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s political 
attack ads, a New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce has cut its ties to the 
national group 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Cp6XNUkUh3NJJJ5v7lYb4zghQdZYxnT3>. 
The Greater Hudson Chamber of Commerce is not renewing its membership to 
the U.S. Chamber. The U.S. Chamber plans to spend $75 million to 
influence midterm races. The U.S. Chamber has spent more than $1.3 
million targeting Paul Hodes 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=FR7M8nkuWZVN0ti7z9ihAzghQdZYxnT3>, 
the Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate in the Granite State.

*Gold’s Gym franchises leave after owner donates to anti-gay 
conservative group*
Remember the Target controversy? Seems as though political donations 
have landed another company in hot water. Four Gold’s Gyms franchises in 
the San Francisco area are leaving the brand because Gold’s owner gave 
$2 million 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=I2DlaLdcaVzpypOrwhwvkDghQdZYxnT3> 
to American Crossroads, the conservative group created this year by 
Republican strategist Karl Rove. American Crossroads is helping anti-gay 
candidates; the San Francisco gyms get a lot of business from the LGBT 
community.

*TARP aided companies make big donations to PACs *
Companies that received money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program, 
some of which still owe the government money, have made large donations 
to political action committees (PACs), /The Washington Post/ reports 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Q1f8xPHN4oKGa9c11e%2BchDghQdZYxnT3>. 
General Motors gave $190,000 to campaigns in the past month, some of 
which went to support candidates who opposed TARP support for the company.

*Business execs say much corporate money being spent on elections*
Business executives are concerned about the pressure exerted on them to 
cough up money to support political campaigns, a new poll shows. What’s 
more, two-fifths of them say 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wciO1uFtjMeoxQjmhVtBwDghQdZYxnT3> 
the amount of corporate money being solicited for politics is too high.

*National parties open lines of credit only weeks before elections*
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has taken out a $10 million 
line of credit and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took 
out a $17 million line of credit less than two weeks 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gYT%2B6U7Q%2FZYujQw1XTO0hzghQdZYxnT3> 
before the midterm elections.

*Visit www.DontGetRolled.org 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1Zxtnl82CISr7%2FRUBmUF%2FTghQdZYxnT3>to 
learn more!*

To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways 
to help with Public Citizen's work, sign up 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Toc%2BSfmFfTipHrEJ2CFURzghQdZYxnT3>for 
the Public Citizen Action Network. To unsubscribe, go to 
http://action.citizen.org/unsubscribe.jsp 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0UC29aTLMx8EAbWUZmBGEDghQdZYxnT3>.

Contribute 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=6ruXpYKQVkX5CaiLvRALLTghQdZYxnT3>| 
© 2010 Public Citizen | Take Action 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2jpvpx8cVNYgdR3OLniF4jghQdZYxnT3>

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