Citizens United to End Political Bribery (Working Group)

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Overview

Citizens United to End Political Bribery (CUEPB) is a Working Group pursuing the goal of getting corporate money out of politics.  We focus on realistic actions in Massachusetts, but also extend our efforts to nationwide politics.  This wiki page serves to collect information and discuss ideas before bringing proposals to Occupy Boston General Assembly.  Everything here should be considered a draft, unless conspicuously labeled otherwise.  To participate, come to one of our scheduled meetings or comment on the discussion tab for a page.  You can also edit a page, but we'd like to know who's involved, so please introduce yourself.

  • Contact us at citizensunited@occupyboston.org
  • Sign up to join our email list by clicking here. 
  • Visit our website for a list of groups, events, and actions.
  • View the schedule of our Rally-Summit that was held on the anniversary of Citizens United.  Live streamed videos of some sessions are available.

Meetings:

Jan 23 Discussion Meeting/Call

5:30 pm at E5 - 33 Harrison Ave, Boston MA (218-844-3377, access code 735433#)

Below is a proposed agenda that Andy wrote.  Please modify it.  Note, it will be impossible to get through this entire agenda.  Some of it will have to be carried over to a future meeting.  Fortunately, we can relax at least a little bit this week and don't have to get through everything :)  

a. Congratulate ourselves on being awesome!  The event was a huge success.  Go around and tell success stories or good things we heard from others.

b. Brief announcements (each one is to be 5 minutes or less)

  • Mention the CU Task Force for passing a Boston Resolution. 
  • Do we have email addresses for Ellen Fine, Harmony Wu, and Jess Shuman?
    • We should send out a thank you email to all speakers and breakout leaders and I'm missing those 3 emails.  Also, I thought we might tell them about next steps including plans for Feb 28 (?) and the CU Boston Resolution Task Force.  We should also ask if they're ok with livestreams
  • Anyone want to dial in to the Public Citizen "report back" conference call on Wednesday at 8pm?
  • National day of action for Presidents Day (Theresa)

Rank priority of remaining items.

Talk about what went well and what to improve (or make sure to do) for next time

  • Be prepared on the day of event bringing markers, paper, tape, swiss army knife, ...
  • Have big signs ready pointing out where meeting is
  • Figure out what the heck to do about political candidates
  • Have an OB table next to all the other tablers.
  • Add a dryer next to the donation washer (Washer=General Fund, Dryer=CU WG)
  • Make sure to have a disclaimer for the event that we do not necessarily support what speakers say.

Discuss next actions around Feb. 28 hearing for S772. 

  • In particular, who will take point on this and how to organize with Sunday Occupy Action meeting

Agree on the main messages we'd like to convey at tomorrow's GA for a report back

  • Ask people to share pictures and photos
  • Ask for feedback on event

Language for the amendment

Discuss options for keeping track of new members (Google group may not be ideal)

  • Assign someone to do this.  Andy has the lists, but would prefer to delegate if possible.

What is our WG's stance on political candidates (Andy proposes tabling this till we get some guidance from GA)

Brainstorm our next activities (if time is available).

  • Feb 28!  (See above)
  • One idea is a 6-part-education-series every two months throughout the year
    • ​Lecture/debate/panel, breakout groups, and end with outline of what we're planning next.   We already have established contacts at MIT, Harvard, and Suffolk.  There's potential at Northeastern.  Community Church was also suggested (other ideas?).  While rotating is more work, it gives us access to a wider audience.
  • 6-part coalition building meeting
    • ​On the months when we don't have a series, we could (maybe) try and arrange a coalition exploration meeting, inviting 1-2 members of each group we've engaged.
  • Other Ideas?
  • Write Grant Proposal to United Republic.
    • ​If we do get any direct CU donations or grants, I think we should insist (or at least strongly recommend) that 10% (or some other number) of anything we receive go to the Occupy Boston General Fund.  Just like academic research grants always have some portion go to the University, we should have some portion go to the General Fund to support meeting spaces (GAs, E5, etc.) and also to support all the other WGs that support us.  \

Division of Labor - each task below can involve multiple people, but we should start having people volunteer to do specific things so that the person/people who are taking point on an event know they don't have to keep track of everything and so everyone knows who to contact with questions.  Note, multiple people should sign up for at least some of these things, especially under Organization.

  • EVENT JOBS
    • ​Media (coordinate live streamer, press releases)
    • Recruiting (OB info tent table, buttons, and keep track of sign in sheets)
    • Food
    • Event coordinator (MC event, make sure things are ok with room and know how to work AV equipment)
    • Recording - Minute taker and time keeper
    • ...
  • ORGANIZATION
    • ​Recruiting (maintaining member list(s)) 
    • Event planning
    • Coalition building
    • Maintaining website
    • Donations / Grant Writing 
    • ...

Minutes from Previous Meetings

Background Information:

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Opinion

  • The minority dissenting opinion quoted at this link gives arguments against the Supreme Court's majority opinion. After a summary, the opinion continues (not quoted here,) describing in detail the laws and rulings related to corporate personhood.
  • Under U.S. law, a corporation is a "corporate veil," protecting individuals inside a company from being prosecuted for the actions of the business. In 1886 the U.S. Supreme Court decided that corporations are entitled to many rights accorded to citizens, in its decision of Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Rail Road Co.
  • In 1907 Congress passed the Tillman Act, prohibiting corporations from donating money directly to national political campaigns. This still holds, but in January 2010 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 (in Citizens United v. FEC) that corporations can spend unlimited amounts on political advertisements as long as they don't directly coordinate that spending with an actual candidate.
  • The Citizens United v. FEC decision invalidated protections that had existed in Massachusetts General Law, according to a March, 2010 ruling of the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Many bills are now being introduced in Massachusetts and at the federal level to counteract the wide effects of last year's Supreme Court decision by restricting corporate money from influencing politics.

Campaign Finance Legislation (passed and pending)

  • Click here for a list of legislation

Additional Resources




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