Hello Matt,   
      
   On Sat 2012-May-12 10:18, Matt Munson (1:218/109) wrote to All:   
      
      
      
   MM> With the Citizens United decision, it has opened the floodgates for   
   MM> corporate political donations. Since corporations want their   
   MM> outsized influence, the American people deserve to know how our   
   MM> political candidates and causes are being sponsored. We should know   
   MM> who our political candidates are being beholden to or what they   
   MM> stand for. Unfortunately there is another roadblock to transparency.   
      
   Right, but remember first and foremost these creatures   
   resemble cockroaches.  Ever seen how cockroaches react when   
   you turn on the light when you live in an infested place?   
      
   Citizens united was a bad decision on many levels.  Even the Berger court   
   would have said no to that imho but we all know that the cicumvention of the   
   checks and balances of the   
   constitution has been a major priority of both political   
   parties now for a long time.  NO matter how careful the   
   founding fathers were to build in those checks and balances, it took a little   
   over 200 years for the big political   
   machines to figure out how to dump them in the trash.   
      
   MM> Donors of a 501(c)4 should have their donations automatically   
   MM> disclosed, just as how it took 4 years to find out that Romney hid   
   MM> his donation for the Proposition 8 donations. Even though it was   
   MM> questionable about leaking the information, the information should   
   MM> be legalized in the future. If a group influences public policy,   
   MM> secrecy is not an option.   
      
   OF course it shouldn't be, as you say, sunlight is the best   
   disinfectant, but remember that these sahdy operators have   
   already purchased our government.  Secrecy is only for the   
   powerful corporations.   
      
   As for Citizens united, it was bad law.  YOu cannot jail a   
   corporation.  YOu cannot deprive it of liberty.  Yes, you   
   can disband it, and "deprive it of liberty" they would say,   
   but the individuals that make up the corporate entity still   
   go free.  They still enjoy their liberty, their freedoms.   
   Corporations are not persons, artificial or otherwise.  When they can be   
   jailed, when they can feel pain in the usual way that you or I, or a dog or a   
   horse feels pain then they can   
   legitimately be considered people.   
      
   MM> Even the Supreme Court stated that signatures for ballot measures   
   MM> are not confidential. Doe v. Reed states that disclosure of   
   MM> signatures on a ballot measure does not violate the first amendment.   
      
   They shouldn't be, they need to be verified, which can't be   
   done if they're confidential.   
      
   MM> If a political candidate wants to restrict your civil rights or ship   
   MM> your job to China, India or Mexico you should be aware of the   
   MM> implications of supporting that candidate for office.   
      
   iNdeed you should, but remember it's already been bought and sold.  The   
   Citizens united decision has, by itself undone   
   over 200 years of checks and balances in our Federal   
   government.   
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)