Friday, January 22, 2010

Some Corporations Don't Want To Pay

Some of you may be familiar with the Supreme Court's recent ruling that overturned a sixty-three year old ban on corporate money in federal elections. I really don't think this will make much of a difference. Corporations wield immense power and influence over our elected members already. They've been adept at skirting all attempts to reign them in. The money is being spent anyway and it talks.

But I was pleased to see this article about 40 corporate executives sending a letter to Congress...

urging them to approve public financing for House and Senate campaigns. They say they are tired of getting fundraising calls from lawmakers — and fear it will only get worse after Thursday's Supreme Court ruling.

They support the Fair Elections Now Act...

that would allow congressional candidates to run for office using small donations and limited public financing, and not take any large contributions.

Years ago I stopped checking the box on my federal tax form for donating money to the presidential election fund because of the big donations being funneled--legally--into organizations, etc., supporting a candidate. With the court's ruling corporations can be more blatant about it. I'd gladly resume the practice of checking that box if elections were publicly funded.

Of course, that would have no effect on the poor excuse we have for a media.

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