From Debbie Fairbanks
Secretary, Green County United To Amend Monticello
To the editor:
Eighty percent of Americans from all points on the political spectrum have the common sense to know that large political donations overpower the voices of ordinary citizens with their elected officials. It can't be argued that since the Citizens United vs. F.E.C Supreme Court decision, political spending has skyrocketed. You have to wonder where all that money goes. It sure doesn't go to improve our infrastructure or support public education.
Upton Sinclair wrote, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." What do the people pushing to block a vote on this issue hope to achieve? What "human" rights do corporations need under the Constitution? Pharmaceutical companies have claimed the human right of freedom of speech to tell physicians "off-label" (not approved) uses for their drugs, a violation of FDA rules. Exxon Mobil claimed not only freedom of speech, but also the rights of equal protection and freedom from unusual search and seizure to hide their own research showing that climate change is, in fact, exacerbated by the use of fossil fuels.
This Nov. 8, communities across Green County will hold advisory referendums to let our state and federal representatives know that it's time to amend the U.S. Constitution to specify that corporations and other artificial entities are not people and that money is not speech. Look for flyers and community service ads with information on upcoming informational meetings, or go to gcuta.org to sign up for email updates.
Secretary, Green County United To Amend Monticello
To the editor:
Eighty percent of Americans from all points on the political spectrum have the common sense to know that large political donations overpower the voices of ordinary citizens with their elected officials. It can't be argued that since the Citizens United vs. F.E.C Supreme Court decision, political spending has skyrocketed. You have to wonder where all that money goes. It sure doesn't go to improve our infrastructure or support public education.
Upton Sinclair wrote, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." What do the people pushing to block a vote on this issue hope to achieve? What "human" rights do corporations need under the Constitution? Pharmaceutical companies have claimed the human right of freedom of speech to tell physicians "off-label" (not approved) uses for their drugs, a violation of FDA rules. Exxon Mobil claimed not only freedom of speech, but also the rights of equal protection and freedom from unusual search and seizure to hide their own research showing that climate change is, in fact, exacerbated by the use of fossil fuels.
This Nov. 8, communities across Green County will hold advisory referendums to let our state and federal representatives know that it's time to amend the U.S. Constitution to specify that corporations and other artificial entities are not people and that money is not speech. Look for flyers and community service ads with information on upcoming informational meetings, or go to gcuta.org to sign up for email updates.
