Forum Post: Constitutional Amendment to Limit Corporate Contributions
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 13, 2011, 12:43 p.m. EST by Craig07
(0)
from Tampa, FL
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Last year the Supreme Court decided that McCain-Feingold limiting corporate political contributions is unconstitutional citing the First Amendment right to free speech. Along with 4 of the 9 justices, I do not believe that a corporation is entitled to the same rights as an individual human being.
One of the most fundamental of government functions is to protect individual rights and freedoms. Paramount among these is the right to democratically elect our leaders. Wealthy interests currently have much more influence than individuals. We need to level the playing field.
Someone in the Occupy movement must know a bright constitutional expert who can draft a constitutional amendment to limit corporate contributions. I hope that this would create government more responsive to our real needs. I believe the time is right for moderates, conservative, and liberals to unite behind such an amendment.
This could propel Occupy Wallstreet beyond a social influence movement into creating real and positive change. I understand that it would be difficult and a lot of work to get congressional approval and state legislature approval but if it could ever happen, now is the time.
Why not a Constitutional Amendment?
http://www.nycga.net/groups/political-and-electoral-reform/docs/amendment-28-to-the-constitution-of-the-united-states-of-america
The 1st thing the following idea would to is cut out the LOBBYIST middlemen, and RE-DIRECT the constant campaign CASH FLOW towards persuading the public: White House website sponsored petition re public vote on the competing versions of a Congressional bill, before they get watered down: http://wh.gov/bhC
PUBLIC VOTE on the COMPETING FINAL DEMOCRATIC vs FINAL REPUBLICAN vs INDEPENDENT VERSIONS of a CONGRESSIONAL BILL. For example, both the Republican and Democratic parties claim to have tax code and healthcare reform plans. It is time to show these plans to the public in writing. Here the media polls and media talk shows would have something real to talk about before submitting the competing versions to the final decision-making responsibility of We the People.
We the Signers demand a PUBLIC VOTE OPTION be incorporated as a new legislative continuing JOINT RESOLUTION. Binding on Congress itself to pass along the public majority winning version of a bill to the President. The legislative precedent being no legal difference between a joint resolution and a bill.
Petitions receiving 25,000 votes in 30 days, are referred to evaluation followed by OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT. Website RULES are sponsored petitions CANNOT be SEARCHED until receiving 150 VOTES. http://occupywallst.org/forum/public-vote-option-on-competing-democratic-vs-repu/
For decades now the corporations and special interests have had our "representatives" bought and paid for. We need to get the money out of our politics. Until we end the current system of legalized bribery (campaign donations) and paid lobbying our politicians will continue to be the lap dogs of the corporations and special interests. What we need first and foremost is real, loop-hole free CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM!!!! If the corruption is not dealt with first, the chance of any other meaningful reforms becoming a reality is almost zero - the special interests will just use their money to buy votes and put forward bills that create loop-holes or otherwise twist the law in their favor. If we want our children to live in a country where there vote matters, we need to get the money out of our politics, otherwise they will increasingly become the 21st century version of the "landless peasant." Spread the word - CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM needs to be THE main goal of the protests.
There is already a petition on this. Please consider signing:
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/restore-democracy-ending-corporate-personhood/KQYzl8S5
I am all for limiting Corporate contributions as long as union contributions are limited too, and no left leaning organization is allowed to contribute as well. Only individuals can contribute. Will that work? Just fair warning, the rich will totally overwhelm the poor if this becomes law. Be careful what you wish for.
Let's get rid of campaign donations entirely. Right now the rich people get to have more "speech" than everyone else. I really like the idea of publicly funded campaigns - the campaigns right now are like a 3 year circus and they market people to us like they are the latest brand of detergent. There is a movement to create a national trust fund for campaigns, with air time provided on an equal basis. We may actually end up with candidates that actually want to serve the country instead of lining their own pocketbooks.
http://www.nycga.net/groups/political-and-electoral-reform/docs/amendment-28-to-the-constitution-of-the-united-states-of-america
I'm all for this - I about fell off my chair when I first heard about the "citizen's United" ruling on the news. We need to end corporate person-hood.
Corporations were never given person-hood by any Court. Read the ruling. Your right to hear the Corporation's political speech is what was protected. Now isn't that a crock of shit?
Pass that URL around and also there is a call for a National Boycott and General strike for Good Friday and a boycott of Christmas.
So, how many candidates will such public campaign financing support? As many as that wants to run? What would prevent all the homeless from signing up if free Govt money is guaranteed?
You are right (although at this rate, a homeless person might do a better job in representing the common man). There would need to be a system in place (similar to primaries) that vets the candidates a head of time. I'm not smart enough to know exactly what the best method would be. That said, I imagine a group of 30 average Americans could lock themselves in a room for 3 days and hammer out a balanced, common sense plan that takes the money out of politics while still providing opportunity to all who want to run.