Photo: Locals protest corporate influence on government
Following the forum, the group headed to the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse at 327 Church St. in downtown Rockford to join other groups across the country for a day of action to protest the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. (Photo provided)
Staff Report
Saturday, Jan. 19, Progressive Democrats of America-Northern Illinois and Occupy Rockford co-hosted a community forum on the Supreme Court’s Jan. 21, 2010, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision and the role of money in politics.
Jan. 21 was the third anniversary of the landmark Citizens United ruling in which the United States Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions.
The local forum was held at the Rockford Public Library East Branch and had close to two dozen in attendance. Attendees learned about the history of the decision and different ways to combat its effects. The group discussed efforts to amend the Constitution, such as Move To Amend. The amendment would declare that corporations are not people and money is not speech. The Anti-Corruption Act was also discussed. This legislation would seek to reverse the effects of Citizens United and establish a new clean elections system for Congress, without actually amending the Constitution.
More about Move to Amend and the Anti-Corruption Act can be found at MoveToAmend.org and AntiCorruptionAct.org, respectively.
Following the forum, the group headed to the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse at 327 Church St. in downtown Rockford to join other groups across the country for a day of action to protest the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.
From the Jan. 23-29, 2013, issue
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One Comment
Eliminating the influence of big money on elections should be a non-partisan pursuit.
Upset about the level of taxation, then get on board this initiative! It is big money advocating big spending though the purchase of legislation that has led to theballooning cost of government. It’s not so much how much we’re being taxed but on what our tax dollars are being spent.
A military contractor, for example, can now donate (via a super PAC) $10-million to help a politician with the promise that said politician will support the building of the new wiz-bang aircraft the manufacture has in mind, and when that politician wins a multi-billion dollar contract is awarded and we have further bloated the military budget.
The same can happen with any industry.
Now, of we take away the ability of big business and rich individuals from donating unlimited sums (basically, legalized bribes) we take away leverage that buys government contracts and thereby arrest the upward spending spiral.
This is an everybody initiative, or should be.