[GPSCC-chat] Other Voices article for the Milpitas Post

[Rob Means]

Other Voices article for the Milpitas Post

Corporations are NOT people. Money is NOT speech. So says the popular
movement working for a Constitutional Amendment that rescinds the 5-4
Supreme Court ruling in the 2010 Citizens United case.

These concepts – that corporations have inherent Constitution rights and
that money is a form of speech – are completely made up by the Court.
Created from nothing but their own lawyerly thinking. No such doctrine
has ever been passed by state or federal legislatures nor signed by any
governor or president. To the contrary, throughout our country's history
legislatures have passed laws limiting corporate involvement in
politics. As Americans, we enjoyed a hundred years of legal
jurisprudence in most states forbidding corporate expenditures.
Corporations could be dissolved and their executives imprisoned for
spending money in any way to influence an election. Things have really
changed, and Supreme Court decisions caused that change.

Here is how our Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski puts it:

“The 5-4 decision in the case of the Federal Elections Commission vs.
Citizens United held that corporations have a First Amendment right to
spend unlimited amounts to influence election outcomes. It effectively
invited corporations to spend wildly on campaigns. Big Business has
accepted the invitation.

The Citizens United decision essentially unraveled 100 years of legal
precedent limiting corporate influence in elections. It reversed prior
Supreme Court decisions, repealed key portions of the 2002 Bipartisan
Campaign Reform Act, and weakened various state laws limiting corporate
campaign expenditures.

The ruling stated that there is virtually no distinction between the
First Amendment rights of people and of corporations, and that
independent campaign expenditures by corporations do not contribute to
corruption or the appearance of corruption.

The majority on the court got it wrong.” (For more background on the
case, watch the 9-minute video “The Story of Citizens United v. FEC” at
http://snipurl.com/21kvcaf )

So, Assemblyman Wieckowski is pushing back by introducing a resolution
(AJR 22) calling upon Congress to send a constitutional amendment to the
states for ratification that would overturn the Citizens United ruling.
If passed, California will be the second state to do so, and will join a
growing nationwide list of legislatures, organizations and cities. An
estimated 50 similar resolutions have been passed in cities that range
from small like Duluth, MN,Missoula, MT, Boulder, CO, South Miami, FL,
and Richmond, CA to huge ones like Los Angeles (on Dec. 6) and New York
(Jan. 4). 

Although individual city councils, and even State legislatures, have no
direct say in what will become of proposed constitutional amendment to
counter the Citizens United, such resolutions are markers of public
support and are critical to building the movement. The campaign in Los
Angeles, for example, drew endorsements from a long list of
organizations including Common Cause, Physicians for Social
Responsibility, The Environmental Caucus of the CA Democratic Party,
MoveOn LA, Democracy for America, Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom, and California Clean Money Campaign. (For a complete list
of all resolutions passed to date see:
http://movetoamend.org/resolutions-map )

If those two made-up doctrines are overturned by a Constitutional
Amendment, we have an entirely new playing field that allows us to
continue the democratic experiment that is the United States.

However, it won't happen without a nationwide movement of people
committed to their country. Those of us who have prospered in this
country, or have taken an oath to uphold the U. S. Constitution, or
simply believe that government of, by and for the people is better than
corporate rule, are obligated to join the movement. And Friday, January
20 at noon offers a wonderful opportunity. Here is how MoveToAmend.org
puts it:

“Inspired by our friends at Occupy Wall Street, and Dr. Cornel West,
Move To Amend is planning bold action to mark the second anniversary of
the infamous Citizens United v. FEC decision!

Occupy the Courts will be a one day occupation of Federal courthouses
across the country,including the U.S. Supreme Courtin Washington, D.C.,
on Friday January 20, 2012.

Americans across the country are on the march, and they ... carry signs
that say, “Corporations are NOT people! Money is NOT Speech!” And they
are chanting those truths at the top of their lungs! The time has come
to make these truths evident to the courts.” 

It is time to take back our democracy. Corporations are NOT people.
Money is NOT speech.

Join me in St. James park, across the street from the Old Courthouse,
161 N. 1st Street, San Jose, noon – 1:30pm, as we declare our
independence from corporate power!

Learn more at http://movetoamend.org/occupythecourts/


-- 
Rob Means,1421 Yellowstone Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035-6913
408-262-0420h, 408-262-8975w, rob.means at electric-bikes.com



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