Citizens United to End Political Bribery: Difference between revisions

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#REDIRECT [[Citizens_United_to_End_Political_Bribery_(Working_Group)]]
== 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 [mailto:citizensunited@occupyboston.org citizensunited@occupyboston.org]
*Sign up to join our email list by clicking [https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/citizensunited here]. 
*Visit our [http://www.campaignfinancereform.us/ website] for a list of [http://www.campaignfinancereform.us/groups/national groups], [http://www.campaignfinancereform.us/calendar-of-events events], and actions.
*[http://www.campaignfinancereform.us/take-action/rally-summit 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:<br/> ==
 
=== Minutes from Previous Meetings ===
 
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_2012_0123_RallySummit_PostMortem_NextSteps 2012, Jan 23 Rally and Summit Post Mortem and Next Steps]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_2012_0116_ConferenceCall 2012, Jan 16 Rally and Summit Organizational Conference Call]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_2012_0111_Meeting 2012, Jan 11 Rally and Summit Organizational Meeting]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_Dec._22_CUEPB_Meeting 2011, Dec 22 CUEPB]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_Nov._30_BAAC_Meeting 2011, Nov 30 BAAC]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_Nov._22_CUEPB_Meeting 2011, Nov 22 CUEPB]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_Nov._16_CUEPB_Meeting 2011, Nov 16 CUEPB]
*[http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Notes_from_Nov._12_Open_Discussion:_SJR29 2011, Nov 12 Open Discussion of Udall Amendment]
 
== Background Information: ==
 
=== Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Opinion ===
 
Full Text and Dissenting Opinion: [http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/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, pending,proposed) ===
 
*Click [http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Campaign_Finance_Legislation here]&nbsp;for a list of legislation
 
NOTE:  See also, dissenting opinion, and the references below to prior cases setting the stage for CU.
 
=== Other Groups Working on This ===
 
I'd like to have a picture of all of this different groups who are working on reversing Citizens Unitied.  This may not belong here, but, it does belong somewhere.
 
*[http://www.amend2012.org/site/c.8qKOJXMvFaLUG/b.7953607/k.C4B7/Videos.htm?auid=10190780 Common Cause's amend2012] with Robert Reich
*MoveToAmend - they were at summit
*[http://www.rebuildthedream.com/ Rebuild the Dream]
 
=== Additional Resources ===
 
*[http://www.cfinst.org/data.aspx The Campaign Finance Institute]
*[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67460.html How to End Corruption] (according to Jack Abramoff)
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik1AK56FtVc Lawrence Lessig talk], Author of Republic, Lost. Basically the same talk he gave at the summit.
*[http://www.truth-out.org/problem-citizens-united-not-corporate-personhood/1326497162 Truth Out's article disputing that it's not about personhood]
*[http://www.truth-out.org/constitutional-amendment-not-needed-congress-already-has-remedy/1326484813 Truth Out's article claiming that Congress can already fix the problem]
*[http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0424_0001_ZS.html Buckley v Valeo (1976) decision] equated spending money with protected speech and overturned federal limits
 
*[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/cases/clcc.html?court=US&vol=435&invol=765 First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti(1978)] where CU v FEC recognizes that "the First Amendment applies to corporations", and "reaffirmed the First Amendment principle that the Government lacks the power to restrict political speech based on the speaker’s corporate identity."
*[http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/08-205.ZS.html Original CU v FEC ruling]
*[http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf Dissenting Opinion on CU v FEC]
*[[Notes from the Citizens United Summit, Jan 21st 2012]]
 
<br/><br/>
 
[[Category:Working groups]]

Revision as of 19:57, 9 March 2012

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:

Minutes from Previous Meetings

Background Information:

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Opinion

Full Text and Dissenting Opinion: [1]

  • 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, pending,proposed)

  • Click here for a list of legislation

NOTE: See also, dissenting opinion, and the references below to prior cases setting the stage for CU.

Other Groups Working on This

I'd like to have a picture of all of this different groups who are working on reversing Citizens Unitied. This may not belong here, but, it does belong somewhere.

Additional Resources