Fight Washington Corruption and Rein in Corporate Abuse
Tuesday, August 10 - 5PM
In front of Elting Library - 93 Main St, New Paltz, NY
(Bring signs- some will be available. Bring musical instruments if you have them!)
Sign up here
Multinational corporations are dominating our politics, destroying the earth, decimating our economy and threatening democracy at an alarming rate. From the despicable actions of the profiteering insurance companies and Wall Street, to BP and Halliburton (whose latest crime is injecting dangerous chemicals deep into the earth where they leach into the watertable in fracking) - corporations are out of control. The middle class, the poor and the earth are being sacrificed at the altar of the big corporations' insatiable greed.
We need a massive groundswell of community support to rid our democracy of corporate corruption. We are asking elected representatives to sign the Other 98% "Fight Washington Corruption" pledge which has three planks.
1. Amend the constitution to overturn Citizens United v FEC that gives corporations the right to spend unlimited amounts from their vast treasuries to defeat or elect candidates of their choosing. This disastrous ruling overturns a century of law and will result in a tsunami of corporate cash that will swamp our political landscape and drown out the voices of the people. The president has called it "A strike on democracy itself."
2. Pass the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA) that would provide voluntary public matching funds so that non-wealthy citizens can also run for office and if elected be accountable to us the voters rather than to corporate special interests. There are currently 150 cosponsors of FENA, HR 1826.
3. Pass Lobbying reform! The current system with the revolving door between Congress and K St is unworkable and corrupt. Thousands of lobbyists swarm the Capitol's hallways everyday. We are telling Congress to listen to us- the Other 98% who do not have lobbyists!
We are asking Congressman Hinchey to sign onto this pledge. Please call his office to ask him to too - 845 331-4466. As the congressman already has taken a leadership role in overturning Citizens United and is a co-sponsor of FENA we expect and hope he will have no problem signing. But for elected officials who will not sign - citizens will make this known through meetings, media, emails and any other way they can. It is time for politicians to come clean- are you on the side of special interests or the people?
This rally is being organized by Linda Abbott and Barbara Upton of the Ulster County MoveOn Council. Please come August 10, sign the petition and be a part of the movement to restore democracy to the people!
This is SO important for regaining our democratic freedom. Please, let's all gather in front of the library and enjoy the united power of positive action.
ReplyDelete"The united power of positive action"- I like that!
ReplyDeleteI actually believed our Congress was working for us (at least most of the Democrats) until the Healthcare Bill debate. When the leaders of both houses supported a Public Option, which was not even that radical an idea, and they couldn't get it passed even though the democrats are in the majority,it was then I knew who was really running the show-big corporations like the health insurance industry. Our representatives were protecting their interests and not the people who elected them. What a scandal the insurance plan is. It basically makes the insurance industry richer by forcing more people to buy private insurance at outrageous costs. We still have no new energy bill even though global warming is happening and the world is facing disasterous consequences. Why? Because big oil and coal don't want new renewable sources of energy. Our wars continue so we can make sure that companies like Exxon and BP have a continuous supply of oil and other natural resources that can be taken from other lands. WE NEED CHANGE NOW before it is too late. We need to take back our democracy and make it work for the interests of the people who do not have special interests in Congress.
ReplyDeleteCome to the rally, sign the pledge and speak up.
Here here Linda! You are telling it as it is.
ReplyDeleteLet's have a big rally tonight to make a stand for democracy!