Corporations are NOT Citizens
As a society we support Hope Foundation, Planned Parenthood, the Farm Workers of Apopka, 2nd Harvest Food Bank, Coalition for the Homeless, and a separate food drive for the Hope Foundation, also members of our own congregation through Pastoral Concerns. These charity organizations are coming under attack by a coalition of selfish groups.
You have probably noticed, as I have, the country shifting from a democracy to a plutocracy as narrowly focused wealthy groups control more and more of the country’s direction. Banks and insurance companies are supported with taxpayer funds but many average people suffer from homelessness, lack of food, and limited medical coverage.
As you may know, the Supreme Court made a ruling that gives Corporations many of the rights of citizens. This ruling allows Corporations unlimited influence on the electoral system through unfettered campaign spending to distort the process and to get specific people into office that will serve them.
Further, behind closed doors corporations act through lobbyists to write legislation that is favorable to themselves, such as the banking reform act and the recent 2010 healthcare reform. Another example is how air quality standards are falling as corporations demand that the public pays more of their operational costs thru tax subsidies and reduced air pollution controls. Real flesh & blood citizens pay for this through taxes, lung cancers, & global warming. Much of the cost of this is laid at the feet of us, our children & their children after them.
To help slow this direction Social Concerns is supporting a non partisan effort to get an amendment to the Constitution to overrule the Supreme Court ruling that gave Corporations many of the same rights as citizens. There is a petition on the back table that you can sign to show your support for this amendment. You can take copies to share with your friends and acquaintances.
We will be taking additional steps in the coming months to support this change.
