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Forum Post: Constitutional Amendment removing Political Contirbutions by Corp.

Posted 12 years ago on Sept. 20, 2011, 3:49 p.m. EST by BukiTakumi (0)
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http://youtu.be/9g05xirN6ns

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10 Comments


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[-] 1 points by casualEcon (9) 12 years ago

Opensecrets link showing most political spending is via unions or Dem leaning organizations http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

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[-] 1 points by henryf5400 (8) 12 years ago

US Chamber of Commerce spends on lobbying well over ten times what any union has donated and far more than than all unions put together. In just one year, 2008, they spent $91 Million. In 2010, they spent even more, $132 Million. Next highest in lobbying in 2008 was Exxon at $29M and in 2010 PG&E at $45M.
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s The contributions amounts at your link are for the entire period of 1989 to 2012 (twenty years) so do the math to see how much less those union contributions are for a given year compared with US Chamber of Commerce.

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[-] 1 points by henryf5400 (8) 12 years ago

Another chart for you so you can see the really big money that influences government -- this is just for year 2010: http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?showYear=2010&indexType=c

Note that Labor Sector lobbying is a small fraction of how much the Financial, Health or Energy Sector has spent. You have to understand that influence and control by corporations flows greatly through the lobbying channels, and dwarfs the influence from direct contributions (your link). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying_in_the_United_States

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[-] 1 points by RedRoyce1 (6) 12 years ago

We The People of The United States of Americans, You're Country NEEDS You to Act. Time the Country comes back to the people.Let our Voices Shake the Foundation of Congress, No more Lobbiest, No more Corporate Republicans and Democrats, No more Corporations Wrighting our Countrys Laws, No more Corruption and No more Wealthy TAX Breaks(Loopholes)Americans Citizens, People. It's Time to Vote Out All Elected Officials who do Harm against a Fellow American by Law. If Animals can be Protected by Laws, so should the American People! Vote them OUT! Be Respectful of others and Our Cause will be a Victory! V

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[-] 1 points by RedRoyce1 (6) 12 years ago

Economic Bill of Rights

Posted 4 hours ago by JayBee

A solid message once buried, now floating back to the top. A long forgotten solution to a problem that has been growing ever since. The development of an ECONOMIC BILL OF RIGHTS is necessary, plausible, and a good cause for revolution.

"The Economic Bill of Rights”

Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.

Source: The Public Papers & Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt (Samuel Rosenman, ed.), Vol XIII (NY: Harper, 1950), 40-42

12 How. 152: “Necessitous men,” says the Lord Chancellor, in Vernon v Bethell, 2 Eden 113 (1762), “are not, truly speaking, free men; but, to answer a present emergency, will submit to any terms that the crafty may impose on them.”

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[-] 1 points by henryf5400 (8) 12 years ago

Please state your source for the claim that "most political contributions come from unions." And while you're at it, please examine this list of the top spenders on government lobbying. http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s

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[-] 1 points by casualEcon (9) 12 years ago

You're only looking at lobbying. Look at all political spending. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

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[-] 1 points by henryf5400 (8) 12 years ago

That's my point US Chamber of Commerce $770M since 1998, dwarfs all the union donations by far.

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[-] 1 points by casualEcon (9) 12 years ago

I see your point about the dollar amounts. Curious that the US Chamber of Commerce shows up so prominently on the lobbying but not the political donation list. Why wouldn't they be on both? They seem not to care who gets elected (political donations) but focus on influencing the politician once they're in office (lobbying.)

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[-] 1 points by casualEcon (9) 12 years ago

Since most political contributions come from unions can we block them too?

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