[GPSCC-chat] Prop 49, the Overturn Citizens United Measure, supported by the Santa Clara Greens

[Spencer Graves]

Hello, All:


       By unanimous vote of the County Council, the Green Party of Santa 
Clara County endorses Prop 49, the Overturn Citizens United measure to 
appear on this November's ballot in California.


        We did this believing that the corrosive effect of big money on 
politics in the US is a major obstacle to progress on virtually all 
major issues facing humanity today.  If Prop 49 fails, it could be a 
major set back for all future efforts to fix any of these problems.  If 
it succeeds -- especially if it gets overwhelming support -- it could 
catalyze similar efforts in other states and movement in the US Congress 
on a constitutional amendment "to allow the full regulation or 
limitation of campaign contributions and spending ..., and to make clear 
that the rights protected by the United States Constitution are the 
rights of natural persons only."[*]  You may recall that initiatives to 
require labeling genetically modified foods (Genetically Modified 
Organisms, GMOs) were defeated in California and elsewhere after having 
overwhelming support in early polls, because big money interests 
invested in successful public relations campaigns against them.


       We therefore hope you will take every opportunity you find to 
inform yourselves and all your contacts about this measure and 
facilitate its overwhelming adoption.  This could include mentioning it 
in meetings on other issues like health care and the environment.


       Thanks.
       Spencer Graves


[*] Prop 49 implements SB 1272, which contains draft language for the 
initiative.  See 
"http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1272". 
You probably know that Harvard Law Prof. Lawrence Lessig (2011, 
Republic, Lost) insists that campaign finance is the "gateway problem" 
facing the US today, in that progress on other critical issues is 
largely blocked until we fix this issue.  Overturning Citizens United 
can help with this problem but won't solve it.  I believe a bigger 
problem is funding investigative journalism, as noted in my recent blog 
on "Restrict secrecy more than data collection" at 
sanjosepeace.wordpress.com 
(http://sanjosepeace.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/restrict-secrecy-more-than-data-collection/). 



-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Technology Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.structuremonitoring.com