Only People Can Vote—Only People Should Finance Campaigns

[marmar]

from Blog for America's Future:




Only People Can Vote—Only People Should Finance Campaigns
By Greg Colvin

January 20, 2011 - 12:43am ET


Introducing the Citizens Election Amendment….
Version 1.0

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Citizens United case exactly one year ago tomorrow, saying that the Constitution gives corporations the freedom to spend without limit to influence American elections, people have been asking “how can we amend the Constitution to put this right?”

In this country, each person has one vote, no matter whether you are rich or poor. And it is illegal to buy or sell a person’s vote. So why do we allow electoral influence to be bought and sold? Why has politics in America become a commodity in an economic marketplace, where the richest corporations, business associations, unions, and individuals can buy enormous leverage on the outcome of our elections?

It is not enough to declare that corporations are not legally persons, or to give Congress and the states the power to regulate the political contributions and expenditures of corporations and labor unions. Those are only partial remedies.

Past attempts to regulate campaign finance in America have been like the “squishy balloon”—squeeze it in one place, it pops out another. Limit what goes to candidates, it goes to parties. Clamp down on party fundraising, it goes to independent 527s. Disclose donors to 527s, the unlimited, anonymous money goes to 501(c)(4)’s. All the while, wealthy individuals still spend huge amounts to seek their own elections and force their opponents to try to match them. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011010320/only-people-can-vote-only-people-should-finance-campaigns

[Tippy]

1. K&R.....

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I just do not see very many politicians actually voting for this. They get Waaaaaaay too much $$

corporations...

Sadly, this is a statement of fact....not a question....
"politics in America (has) become a commodity in an economic marketplace, where the richest corporations, business associations, unions, and individuals can buy enormous leverage on the outcome of our elections"