Forum Post: A focus for the movement - Get Corporations Out of Politics without removing Personhood

What we really want is to remove the political influence of corporations.

So here's what we're up against. 1) The Supreme Court ruling that a corporation, business, club, church, city, community, etc... is an organization of The People and that it is those people's rights that are being represented by the organization, thus giving the organization faux personhood.

2) The repugnant Supreme Court Ruling that says Congress cannot limiting corporate political spending without limiting the People's right to free speech.

I personally think that an individual should be able to spend all of their money any way they want. If they want to run for president, they can spend all their money to do so (like Ross Perot). If a rich person wants to fund my campaign for President, they can do so.

HOWEVER!!!
ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FUND CAMPAIGNS. Organizations rarely represent their members' political beliefs when spending politically, and even more rarely give members the choice to opt out of political spending they don't agree with.

We need nothing less than a Constitutional Amendment to get past the Supreme Court Rulings. A constitutional amendment that forbids organized money from being spent for political means. The regulations enacting the law would impose fines and penalties up to and including dissolving the organization. The Supreme Court can't overturn a Constitutional Amendment.

Political campaign fund raising will still exist, and individuals can donate as much as they want, and who donated how much will be public record, but corporations would not be able to donate a penny.

The Progressive movement (very similar to the Occupy movement) was all about common people against the elite, the 99% against the 1%. The elite controlled the Senate through easily purchased Local State Representatives. As a result, the 17th Amendment was passed and the power to appoint US Senators was stripped from the State Legislatures and given to the voting People.

The Occupy movement can and should strive for that Constitutional Amendment. It's been done before and should be done again!

We have the numbers, time, resolve to get it done. Taking the corporations out of politics is what we want, isn't it?

Our Constitution does not provide for a Public/National Referendum so until Congress backs us, we're just blowing hot air.

Occupy has to propose the Amendment to as many Congressmen that will listen and start focusing on getting it passed. It's the only way to make lasting change. A Congressman has to stand up in Congress and propose legislation or all of this is for nothing. It's time Occupy Wall Street became Occupy D.C.