An important progressive movement, MOVE TO AMEND is gaining momentum.
It is a grass roots initiative to promote an amendment of the U. S. Constitution to negate the immoral ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court of January 21, 2010,
“Citizens United v The Election Commission of the U. S. Instead of making a ruling on a simple case, the Court by a 5 to 4 decision made a wide reaching law."
It declared that corporations and unions are people with First Amendment rights of free speech. That includes the right to contribute funds to help or deter candidates for public office and to influence the passage of referenda and state constitutional amendments. Money can be donated through PACs without transparency. The Citizen United ruling is destroying our democratic system of government. Corporations have unlimited funds and unions have much less money and political influence. This ruling is allowing corporations to weaken union even more.
MOVE TO AMEND has been in existence for more than a year, and is now becoming robust. On November 9, 2011 there were 200 House Parties across the U. S. MOVE TO AMEND leaders and Senator Bernard Sanders gave a 30-minute presentation by closed circuit TV to all the gatherings. There were brainstorming session at each gathering, planning the future of the movement and planning for promotional celebrations on the second anniversary of the ruling on January 21, 2011. Our group, in Columbus Ohio, conceived of a pledge by candidates and office holders to support a Constitutional Amendment. The Pledge to be used as is the Grover Norquist Pledge of no new revenue for the federal government is being used by the ultra conservatives.
I predict the following:
· Increasing wide spread support for an Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
· A group of Senators is willing write and to sponsor an Amendment.
· The Amendment will need a 2/3rd vote by the Senate and House of Representatives
· Then the Amendment will need ratification by 36 states. This is a long arduous process which may never be completed. But it will cause invaluable public relations effects for the progressive cause.
Sincerely,
Al Gabel
“Citizens United v The Election Commission of the U. S. Instead of making a ruling on a simple case, the Court by a 5 to 4 decision made a wide reaching law."
It declared that corporations and unions are people with First Amendment rights of free speech. That includes the right to contribute funds to help or deter candidates for public office and to influence the passage of referenda and state constitutional amendments. Money can be donated through PACs without transparency. The Citizen United ruling is destroying our democratic system of government. Corporations have unlimited funds and unions have much less money and political influence. This ruling is allowing corporations to weaken union even more.
MOVE TO AMEND has been in existence for more than a year, and is now becoming robust. On November 9, 2011 there were 200 House Parties across the U. S. MOVE TO AMEND leaders and Senator Bernard Sanders gave a 30-minute presentation by closed circuit TV to all the gatherings. There were brainstorming session at each gathering, planning the future of the movement and planning for promotional celebrations on the second anniversary of the ruling on January 21, 2011. Our group, in Columbus Ohio, conceived of a pledge by candidates and office holders to support a Constitutional Amendment. The Pledge to be used as is the Grover Norquist Pledge of no new revenue for the federal government is being used by the ultra conservatives.
I predict the following:
· Increasing wide spread support for an Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
· A group of Senators is willing write and to sponsor an Amendment.
· The Amendment will need a 2/3rd vote by the Senate and House of Representatives
· Then the Amendment will need ratification by 36 states. This is a long arduous process which may never be completed. But it will cause invaluable public relations effects for the progressive cause.
Sincerely,
Al Gabel