Fwd: Oct. 24 Meeting for Beall & Cobb Nov. 19 Event
robmeans
WERE MAD & MOVING TO AMEND !
Build Democracy, End Corporate Rule
A Santa Clara County Ballot Initiative for November 2014
Dear Friend of Democracy,
It is time for big solutions to big problems or none of us get what we want.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 PM we will kick off the Santa Clara County ballot initiative campaign with California Senator Jim Beall and national MTA spokesperson David Cobb. But we need your help. We seek an endorsement from your organization and participation in our first coalition planning meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 pm. The meeting will be held at 2175 The Alameda, Suite 103, in San Jose, CA 95126. (On The Alameda between 880 and Santa Clara University; free parking in the back parking lot.)
It is time for us to work together to get the influence of big money out of our politics and governance, and to form an alliance to do so.
Move To Amend (MTA) is a national movement to pass a 28th Constitutional Amendment so that only human beings, not corporations, are endowed with constitutional rights and that money is not equivalent to free speech.
We all saw how massive corporate free speech spending last year thwarted the public will by defeating Prop 37, the GMO labeling measure. And we have seen how corporate claims of constitutional rights in federal court overturn, weaken, or evade laws designed to protect the environment, worker safety, public health, campaign finance and other benefits we share in common.
Our Santa Clara County affiliate of MTA has laid the groundwork to put a measure on the 2014 county-wide ballot. The wording of the petition supports a constitutional amendment and, when ratified, bans all contributions from corporations to county-wide political campaigns in Santa Clara County. After weeks of refining the language, we are ready to file papers on November 1 to begin a 2014 ballot campaign. By mid November we expect to receive the title and summary from the Registrar of Voters office. Then we have six months to gather 75,000 signatures.
We have established a PAC (FPPC# 1360075) and a bank account with over $11,000. We have a timeline and budget, six computers with phone banking capacity, a list of potential coalition partners to invite, and about 1000 volunteer hours pledged. We are contacting a list of 1000 key donors.
If you want a speaker to come to your organization to present the campaign and answer questions, please contact Eitan Fenson at ei...@scc-mta.org or 650-302-8760. By signing the attached endorsement form of the campaign or emailing a note to initi...@scc-mta.org, you will be considered a coalition partner in this important campaign. Can we count on your support? Please come to our first coalition meeting on Oct. 24.
With warm regards,
Richard Hobbs, Santa Clara County MTA Moderator, 408-460-2999 rich...@msn.com
Petition to Be Submitted to the Voters of Santa Clara County
To reduce corporate money in our elections and to reverse two U. S. Supreme Court doctrines that are debasing our democracy, the people of the County of Santa Clara ordain as follows:
Title: Build Democracy, End Corporate Rule
1. Contingency and Effective Date. When an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified which substantially complies with language that states that (1) only human beings, not corporations or other artificial entities, are entitled to Constitutional rights, and (2) money is not equivalent to speech, and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech, then sections 2 and 3 of this law shall take effect. Sections 4 and 5 of this law shall take effect and be included in the Santa Clara County Ordinance Code at the earliest date permitted by law.
2. Political Contributions by Artificial Entities. Only human beings may contribute to promote or defeat any countywide candidate or ballot measure. No artificial entity established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall pay, contribute, or offer to pay or contribute, anything of value to promote or defeat any countywide candidate or measure.
3. Penalty. Any officer, employee, agent or other representative of any artificial entity acting on behalf of such artificial entity who violates this act shall be punished upon conviction by a fine of not less than one hundred (100) times the monetary value of each contribution nor more than one thousand (1,000) times the value.
4. Democracy Day. Beginning in the year 2015, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors shall designate one day in the month of March as Democracy Day. On this day, the Board of Supervisors shall sponsor a Public Hearing in a public space within the County. The County shall publicize the Public Hearing on its website and through area media at least one (1) month in advance of the Hearing. The County shall also invite both U.S. Senators, all Congressional Representatives and all California State legislators representing the County at least three (3) months in advance of the Hearing urging them to attend and submit testimony. The Public Hearing will examine the impact of money as speech and corporate constitutional rights. At least one (1) Supervisor shall submit testimony at the public hearing. In addition, all citizens of the County will be permitted to submit oral and/or written testimony.
5. Notification Letter. Within one (1) week following the Public Hearing, the Clerk of the Board shall send a letter to the leaders of the California Assembly and Senate, all of Santa Clara County's congressional representatives, and both California U.S. Senators stating that the citizens of the County in November 2014 voted in support of a citizens initiative calling for a constitutional amendment declaring:
5.1 Only human beings, not corporations or other artificial entities, have constitutional rights,
5.2 Money is not equivalent to speech, and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting speech.
6. Sunset. The annual Public Hearings will cease if and when a constitutional amendment reflecting the principles set forth in section 5 is ratified.
7. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall not be affected.