By Claudia Wright
The Supreme Court Ruling designating corporations as people makes the buying of American elections inevitable. Today, we have representatives that are “owned” by the healthcare lobby or the oil lobby or the banking and finance lobby or, indeed, by several different lobbies. Now, after this latest ruling, corporations both domestic and foreign will be allowed to spend as much as they want on campaigns; and will do so with virtually no restrictions.
I believe that it is time for citizens to take back their election process. To that end, the enactment of public financing for all elections has become necessary. We need to make sure that the public pays for the elections and that only the public pays. We need to have campaign spending limits for individuals, time limits on the campaigns themselves, equal access to all media. We need to introduce laws that will force our candidates to compete with ideas rather than dollars.
Until elections are publically financed, our representation will continue to be dictated by the highest bidder. Democracy is not a spectator sport; we as citizens are called, as perhaps never before, to become fully involved in our right to representation. We must pass a constitutional amendment that strips corporations of their claim to “personal constitutional rights”. (www.movetoamend.org)
This is the issue to run on. It is an important result of the continuing concentration of wealth and the political power it gives to the few who will consolidate and institutionalize that power to no good result. This (the issue of who rules this country) is one that crosses political boundaries. It is now finally surfacing in the media and even comment on the right is beginning to make (partial) sense in this direction. I think it’s what’s on the minds of those who are aware right now. It is the most basic issue. If you get the nomination you could do way worse than focus entirely on this and go for broke.
I am sorry a corporation is not a person with the rights of a living breathing person. Corporations should not be allowed to contribute to campaigns only the living breathing people. Being a former union president, I don’t feel unions should be able to contribute either. Companies and special interest groups can be able to inform their employees or members of the origination through normal internal channels, this does not include TV ads, Radio Ads and such.