Throw out your voter card

There is growing momentum across the country to put a resolution on the November ballot to repeal Citizens United. In 2009, the Supreme Court said that corporations are people and now with personhood, money is speech. Therefore, corporations are now able to give unlimited, unaccountable, unregulated contributions to candidates and political parties. That decision in 2009 opened the floodgates for PACs and Super PACs.

Under the rules of Super PACs, any “entity” can give money to our political process. We know that besides the corporations and the wealthy in the U.S., even foreign governments and foreign corporations are giving contributions to our political candidates as well as to political parties.

Here are three questions to consider:

How will we be able to trust the political process in our elections when the voice is all about the money? Will we ever be able to see fair elections again?

How will good candidates be able to afford to run for an elected position when the wealthy and corporations are paying big money to their candidates to influence them with what they want?

Where will be the voice for the middle/lower class in elections when our elections are influenced by corporations, the wealthy, Super PACs and foreign governments, foreign corporations or some other entities?

It is becoming painfully clear that we no longer have a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Rather, the system of government under which we labor today is a government of elites, by the bureaucrats and for the corporations. Since money is speech … thanks to the Supreme Court … you might as well throw out your voter card. The United States of America has been bought by the highest bidders.

Joni Lindgren

Elgin