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Nobody seems to be overtly
celebrating the 2nd
anniversary of
Citizens United
“font-family: Verdana;”>. This is the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed corporations are people. Yes, you and Goldman Sachs have equal footing in the eyes of the High Court when it comes to making campaign contributions to candidates.
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Shortly after
the decision, a
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=”EN”>n ABC-Washington Post poll showed that 80 percent of those surveyed opposed the ruling, 65 percent were strongly opposed. It was a realization that the weak attempts at campaign finance reform just got considerably weaker.
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The
xml:lang=”EN”>landmark decision claims that the First Amendment prohibits government from placing limits on independent spending for political purposes by corporations and unions. The Court threw unions into the mix to muddy the waters, as they know that while unions have more than your average organization, their dollars can’t compare to the corporate gangsters.
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At two years
old, this toddler law should be crawling but it came out of the
gates in a full and dangerous gallop. After all, there was a
presidential election coming up and money was to be made, people to
be paid.
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The Super PACs
are now in full stride in the GOP presidential races. The PACs are
the offshoot of the new law that allows unlimited amounts of money
to be given by individuals and corporations with very little
accounting and very few rules.
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The millions
are flowing in. During the Iowa causes, Newt
“It-is-illegal-for-my-campaign-to-coordinate-with-a-PAC” Gingrich”
received $5 million from his billionaire friend Sheldon Adelson.
Mitt “It-is-illegal-for-my-campaign-to-coordinate-with-a-PAC”
Romney received
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN” xml:lang= “EN”>$4 million from his buddies at Restore Our Future, a new PAC staffed by former Romney advisers. This is just an examples of the how much the high rollers can donate to a campaign through the back door of a PAC.
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xml:lang=”EN”>Missouri “font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN” xml:lang= “EN”>billionaire Rex Sinquefield is throwing millions into collecting signatures to put the St. Louis Police Officers Association’s perverted version of local control on the November ballot. Don’t be tricked into signing the petition even if you support local control. This ballot initiative is designed to circumvent the tenacious grassroots efforts of groups like the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression to bring about accountability and transparency of the police department.
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xml:lang=”EN”>It’s not all about the money although it’s mountains of dollars being bandied about for smear candidates in TV and print ads. It’s also about intimidation – old-style bullying.
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xml:lang=”EN”>Recently the boards of directors of religious institutions in Missouri received a taunting unsigned letter from Anthony & Middlebrook law firm in Grapevine, TX. Among other issues, in bold font, it reminded them that a church or religious organization that engages in activities that attempt to influence legislation (i.e. , lobbying) may lose their tax-exempt status.”
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xml:lang=”EN”>This bully tactic is in response to the ballot initiative challenging the astronomical interest rates associated with payday and car title loans. Currently, the law allows payday loan companies to charge up to 1950 percent interest rates. Missourians for Responsible Lending (MRL) is a statewide effort to cap the rate at 36 percent. Since the industry has made billions off the backs of poor folks, they have sent the warships in to torpedo our efforts. MRL is a legitimate group who is collecting signatures for a ballot initiative on this issue.
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xml:lang=”EN”>The Right’s double-barreled strategy of high-powered bullying and money can be stopped. For the 99 Percenters, it means being more organized and more determined than the 1 Percenters and their cronies. The Occupy movement and other groups continues to shine a spotlight on the bank$ters whose omnipresence in our government and our lives is like some kind of putrid mist that is choking the life out of us and our communities.
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xml:lang=”EN”>Working people are standing up to the blows we’re being dealt by legislatures, corporations and courts. Yes, this is what class war looks like.
