on campaign financing
American democracy is under siege! The recent Supreme Court decision on campaign financing has put our government up for sale to the highest bidder. Wasn’t it bad enough that the Supreme Court said it was okay for the government to take an individual’s private property and home and hand it over to a corporation? Now we have the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse campaign finance rules which have been in place for over 100 years. Under the guise of “free speech,” corporations can now spend as much as they want to influence voters in federal elections. But if the corporations are throwing millions into the race to elect a candidate, they are in effect buying the allegiance of that candidate. How can the voice of Joe Citizen be equal to that of a multi-national corporation with unlimited financial resources?
Many corporations that operate in the U.S. are controlled by non-residents living in countries like Saudi Arabia and China. Their interests may not coincide with our interests, and may even conflict with the best interests of the U.S. and its citizens. Countless U.S. soldiers have died in wars to protect our way of life. How do you think they would feel about selling our government to a corporation?
With politicians in their pockets, corporations can demand all kinds of deregulations on business, and repeal laws that now prevent price gouging, abuse of safety regulations for workers, violations of product safety for consumers, monopolies and price-fixing, and contamination of our air and water. Corporations are going to be running the country the way they like it, and if you don’t like it, too bad. You didn’t think this court decision would affect your life? Think again. It’s only the beginning.
Congress can put a stop to this insanity, but we have to act now. Call your senator or congressman now. Senator Barbara Boxer can be reached at 213-894-5000 or in Washington D.C. at 202-224-3553. Dianne Feinstein’s numbers are 310-914-7300 in L.A. and 202-224-3841 in Washington. Representative Henry Waxman is at 310-652-3095 or 202-225-3976.
Cindy Emminger