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Debora Fudge
By CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Windsor this week joined a growing list of local and state governments urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to limit political spending by corporations.
On a 3-1 vote, the Town Council approved a resolution that aims to undo a U.S. Supreme Court decision that conferred “personhood” status to corporations on issues of free speech and campaign contributions.
“In my mind, corporations have too much influence,” Mayor Debora Fudge said Friday. “Corporations can have more say in what goes on in the United States than citizens can.”
Fudge, who voted in favor of the resolution, acknowledged that a constitutional amendment is a long shot, but “if you don’t take action you never get change.”
She was joined by councilmembers Sam Salmon and Cheryl Scholar in supporting a constitutional amendment.
Councilwoman Robin Goble voted against it, saying the council should stick to local issues.
“It wasn’t the content of the measure,” she said Friday. “I had a problem taking action with something on a national level.”
Councilman Steve Allen declined to vote.
The resolution approved by the council aims to counter the rollback of legal limits to corporate spending that resulted from the high court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission.
Candidates typically are governed by contribution limits. In the case of presidential candidates, they can accept no more than $2,500 from an individual or $5,000 from a political action committee.
No such limit applies to individuals. They can spend as much as they want — as long as they operate independently of the candidates.
In its landmark 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that labor unions and corporations also have a right to unlimited independent expenditures in federal elections.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 last month to urge Congress to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would reverse the Supreme Court decision.
The California Assembly, on a 42-22 vote, urged Congress to undo the court’s decision.
Opposing Republican lawmakers argued that corporations have a right to influence elections because they are subject to government regulations.
“What is a corporation? It’s an assembly of people,” said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks.
According to Move to Amend, a national coalition pushing for a constitutional amendment, 59 municipalities, including New York City and Los Angeles, and 28 states, have passed resolutions supporting an amendment. Another 11 state resolutions are in process, according to the organization.
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Nothing I’ve read said that Obama will be outspent by the Republicans even including Super PAC money.
But perhaps some crying about the measly $1billion Obama is forecast to spend on his campaign can provide a link showing otherwise.
” The Citizen’s United Decision (which represents Strike II for the activist conservative Republican Supreme Court, following right after the infamous Bush v. Gore mis-decision) ratified this deeply undemocratic and bottomlessly cynical oligarchic elite political strategy.”
And that is how the radical left will pillory the Supremes should they do their duty and throw out Obamacare.
Be prepared for a bloody and violent summer as the Occupy mob trades their bongo drums for bludgeons in righteous protest of the US Constitution.
Still bitter over Bush/Gore, their pent-up resentments will cost lives.
Not that that will bother the mob.
The ends(socialism)justify the means(butchery).
“In my mind, Unions have too much influence,”
Fixed it for ya Debora. The facts is Unions are doing much more harm in the state of California that any corporation.
And the reason California and almost every other State is in the financial difficulty that they are in is because of the cost of doing business with “Staples” or “Home Depot” and not because of the contracts and retirement benefits pushed on them by the unions?
Unions spend as much if not more on lobbying as do corporations and the Supreme Court recognized that. This is just another play by the left to try to get everything their way.
Thank you, Windsor, for taking a strong stand on the most pressing political crisis of our time: the capture of our political system by the Billionaire Titans of Wall Street and the American Corporatocy, who regard election results as a matter of applying sufficient resources in a political marketing campaign. The Citizen’s United Decision (which represents Strike II for the activist conservative Republican Supreme Court, following right after the infamous Bush v. Gore mis-decision) ratified this deeply undemocratic and bottomlessly cynical oligarchic elite political strategy.
Now unknown billions are being funneled through an untraceable torrent of corporate money, pledged directly (and legally!) from corporate coffers through blandly named corporate PAC’s laughably “uncoordinated” with the candidates. This is democracy as an auction.
Props to Mayor Debora Fudge for leading this campaign in Windsor. “In my mind, corporations have too much influence,” Mayor Debora Fudge said Friday. “Corporations can have more say in what goes on in the United States than citizens can.” Right on Deb!
Fudge and two of her comrades on the Windsor City Council want to stifle the First Amendment. Interestingly, they only want to stifle corporate free speech and not union free speech and political contributions.
This is an old dream of the left and it shows in the supporters of the repeal efforts. The California state legislature, the Sonoma BOS, LA and New York City.
The elected officials in these jurisdictions are the lackeys of the public sector unions who support, fund and put in office these same politicans.
The Supreme Court just balanced the board. They upheld the Constitution, something these misguided politicans seem incapable of doing.
This is a gag article right?
Someone missed the April 1st deadline?
This is like Lowes asking congress to limit Home Depot’s ability to expand.
A bunch of Union lackeys trying to use the power of the Government to get rid of the competition.
Fascist pigs!