The Fight to End Corporate Personhood Comes to NYC
January 4, 2012
The Big Apple Has Joined the Fight
3:00PM ET UPDATE: The City Council has passed the resolution, making NYC the second major city in the United States to pass a resolution against Citizens United and corporate personhood. We applaud the City Council on this action. Here’s the press release from the Progressive Caucus, who led the charge on the resolution along with Speaker Christine Quinn.
(Ed. note: This is just the beginning! Let’s #getmoneyout!)
When the city of Los Angeles became the first metropolis to defy the Citizens’ United decision and declare that corporations are not people, it sent shock waves throughout America.
Maybe, just maybe, a case for repealing what is seen by many as one of the great infringements on our democracy could be had. With the announcement that New York City Council, today, will be deciding on its own resolution opposing Citizens’ United, there is a palpable sense that this could be the year that “We the People” regain control of a system that has started to spin violently out of control.
City Council will vote on the resolution today. It is sponsored by Progressive Caucus Members Brad Lander, Melissa Mark-Viverito and Stephen Levin with the co-sponsorship of the entirety of the Progressive Caucus and the support of Speaker Christine Quinn.
At the heart of their vote is the contention that corporations, and their money, do not deserve the same First Amendment protections that citizens do. The protection of unregulated campaign donations as freedom of speech represents a very real subversion of our democratic ideals as a nation, and allows elected officials to play to the highest bidder.
The resolution calls for a return to pre-2010 regulations about campaign finance spending, but many of us hope this could be the beginning of a real revolution that sees the total removal of money from politics in the interest of reforming our system.
As our generation presides over what seems to be the decline of America’s vitality and ability to pull itself out of this economic slump, it has become increasingly clear that politics-for-money has become one of the most sinister problems we face as a nation.
The vote takes place today. Here’s hoping that this is not the last we see of cities asserting themselves in the fight against corporate personhood.
See the press release about the resolution here.
Awesome News!!!!!
All you have to do to reverse Citizens is to hold to the full logic.
As the "veil" is torn assunder – thus;
If Corporations are citizens – then Citizens can be Corporations.
Prosecute the Corporations for wrongdoing (hence the people that are part of the wrong doings)
Also, shock the legal system to its knees by having people represent their Corporations instead of attorneys
End of Citizens….
"Citizens can be Corporations"…hmmm, maybe I like that. I could then deduct all of my living expenses as the cost of doing business and pay no taxes just like the Big Boys.
Does this mean that Super Pac's like the ones that Rove and the Koch Bros. run, wont be able to air their ads in LA or NYC? how does this actually affect policy?
NYC Council?
You want some REALLY GOOD NEWS? Try Montana Supreme Court. Dalia Lithwick wrote a superb article about their decision to ignore Citizens United decision.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2012/01/montana_supreme_court_citizens_united_can_montana_get_away_with_defying_the_supreme_court_.html
Here’s what one of the dissenting justices had to say about corporate personhood. It is priceless!
Just in case that wasn’t crystal clear, the judge goes all in:
Booom!!
Corporations enjoy certain limited liability under state statutes. That is, the personal assets of board members, officers and stockholders are generally protected from the reach of lawsuits alleging corporate wrongdoing. Just revoke this limitation for corporate "people" and see how corporations react to being "people"
I think we should all band together and withhold payment of our loans, mortgages and credit cards until Citizen's United is reversed. I know the banks are not responsible for it but let them figure it out together with their buddies in Congress. The economy is fragile enough but no revenues for the banks could send it over the edge. I think they'd panic and we could hold them at our mercy. Boy would that be enjoyable. I wonder how long they would take…the part I love about this plan (yes I've been scheming it for months) is that no one would know who is or is not paying their loan. Those with jobs could continue to go to work and earn their pay – who would know? There would have to be probably something like a million people who would agree to do this. Everyone would have to pledge they would go through with it if it came to that.
Is there video of this NYCIty decision somewhere? love to see if it so! thanks, L
much ado about nothing. US debt to net hit 1 today. In other words, we officially owe what we're worth, and that is climbing. just stockpile milsurp rifles and milsurp ammo. it's cheap, and in an apocalyptic scenario which OWS seeks, power will be wielded from the long guns.