The Real IRS Scandal
Only about 12 percent of S&P 500 companies voluntarily disclose at least some of the so-called "dark money" contributions they make to 501c(4)s. There's no excuse for congressional Republicans or Democrats failing to plug this loophole by requiring full disclosure by all corporations and individuals of all their political spending.
Robert Reich

What's Going On?

Our Duluth Area Move To Amend has made a survey that we are providing to area groups, and individuals, in our effort to help everyone focus their attention on the problem of Citizens United. Please contact me if you would like to have one of those surveys for your group. We are trying our best to work together with as many issue focused groups as possible. The 2010 Supreme Court decision entitled "Citizens United" reinforced attempts by some Mega-corporations to take over our economy, and our democracy. Those corporations are focused on the single purpose of "profits", to the detriment of "people". Below is a list of interest areas that are being dramatically affected by corporations being able to use their money as people use their "Freedom of Speech' and by corporations being legally defined as a person. These interest areas include:
Corporate Personhood
Student Debt
Health Care Acess
Democracy
Wal-mart
Corporate Media
ALEC
TPP
The Military/Industrial Complex
People wanting background checks for individual wanting to purchase their guns online and at gun shows.
Tar Sands
Monsanto
Fracking
Austerity
Public Banks
Goldman Sachs
Popular Resistence

Let me know if you would like me to go into more detail about any one of the topics above or on any other topic that is not listed. Also, let me know if you would like to know where, besides Move To Amend, you could go to get more information on any of these concerns.https://movetoamend.org/

THE DEMOCRACY CONVENTION - FINAL REPORT

Madison, Wisconsin

This will be my last report from our Madison, Wisconsin Democracy Convention.
Overall, it was a very invigorating experience. It was great to connect some Facebook friends to people I have come to know. Most every workshop was targeted and the people presenting knew what they were aiming for. It was good to know that we have dozens of alliances, dozens of collaborative efforts taking place. I do have one suggestion for everyone attending. I think we should quite being so damned realistic! I think this is a true for me, for other participants, but in particular, yes even you David Cobb, of those in leadership positions. We don't need you to be realistic. It wouldn't have helped for NASA and President John F. Kennedy, when they contemplated going to the moon. It wouldn't have helped for our soldiers as then attacked the beaches of Normady, nor for David against Goliath, and it wouldn't have helped for Herb Brooks, and our 1980 Winter Olympic hockey team of amateurs, against the professional Russian hockey players, and it won't help for Move To Amend against the Mega-corporations of the world. We need you to be, we expect you to be, unrealistic!
As Alice Hoffman said: "Once you know something, you can not unknow it. It's a burden that can not be given away." People who know something, and fail to act, are just as much an activist as those who carry signs and openly protest….perhaps even more effectively! We are at the point where we are in our country because we, others, have been too realistic, too willing to sit on the sidelines. If we get too realistic, we run the chance of being marginalized by the very mega-corporations we are trying to influence. We run the risk of being seen as some radical group, just as Mega-corporations were willing to marginalize the Take Down Wall Street group in many cases.
We still have our voices. We still have the ballot boxes. We have to, selectively, throw out those who are not willing to cooperate. Move To Amend is for the sake of clean air, clean water, good, uncontaminated, whole food, and accessible health care and a more peaceable world. It sounds like a conservative, simple, demand. Move To Amend is for the sake of our children and grand children. We the people, not "We the Mega-corporations", can make it happen.

THE DEMOCRACY CONVENTION - DAY 5

The following is a synopsis of the "Using WILPF Corporate Personhood Timeline and Study Guide as an Education Tool".  Marybeth Gardham led the discussion on building connections to various faith communities and using WILPF national coalitions to form a powerful collaboration that will accelerate progress towards a meaningful, and effective amendment.  The best way to check out what WILPF is all about is by going to their website at: 

http://www.wilpfinternational.org/

They encourage you to:  "Don't be a bystander!"

They epitomized Alice Hoffman's quote: "Once you know something, you can not unknow it.  It is a burden that can never be given away."

People who know something, but fail to act, are just as much of an activist as those who are carrying protest signs……those who fail to act are, perhaps, even more effective, in their inaction, than those of us who consider ourselves activists.  Their inactivity, the inactivity of those who know better, has led us to where we are today.

Fellow WILPF member, activist, and WILPF founder, Jan Edwards, wrote the following words to be sung to the Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land".  It works well to play Woody Guthrie in the background while you sing out:

The Personhood Song 

by Jan Edwards 

(Sung to the tune of “This Land is Your Land”) 

Chorus: 

I am a person, you are a person, 

With flesh and blood and with mind and conscience. 

The corporation is not a person. 

That word belongs to you and me. 

They rape and plunder the world’s resources, 

Destroying forests and killing wildlife. 

The corporation must turn a profit, 

Trampling over you and me. 

They dump big money into elections, 

Buying our Congress and legislatures. 

The corporation a legal fiction, 

Now has more rights than you and me. 

The Robber Barons bought off the judges 

To give them rights in the Constitution. 

Who said the courts had the right to do that? 

That job belongs to you and me. 

The First Amendment protects our freedom 

Of free expression and of religion. 

The corporations have gone and stole it. 

Those rights belong to you and me. 

The Fourth Amendment requires warrants 

For search and seizure; but corporations 

Evade the health codes and regulations 

And environmental laws. 

Whenever Wal-Mart destroys a Main Street 

And all the people rise up in protest, 

The corporate cries of “Discrimination!” 

Override democracy. 

If “We the People” are truly sovereign 

And rule the country through our elections, 

Then we must take back from corporations 

Rights that were meant for you and me.

I am a person, you are a person, 

With flesh and blood and with mind and conscience. 

The corporation is not a person. 

That word belongs to you and me.

That word belongs to you and me. 

This workshop/seminar ended with the singing of the above song.

DAY 2 - Friday Afternoon

Which side are you on?  How can we be successful at helping people realize that they are taking a position, taking a stand, being an activist, whether they become very active or if they chose to do nothing at all. Once we know something, we cannot unknow it.  We all have a responsibility once we become aware of a problem, an issue.  We are only innocent, if ignorant.  Here is a list that I made based on the response of  experts in education, politics, finance, the military,  and industry to the question:  “How can we be successful at helping people decide which side they are on?”

1.      We must look back.  We must build our vision, based on what we have learned and where we have been, to learn where we want to go.  Education is the key to learning where we stand.

2.      We should help people understand that they cannot believe the rhetoric from Mega-corporations, that Mega-corporations are, too often, only motivated by why gives them the most profits.

3.      We must help individuals connect the dots.  Our society must have a plan so that our citizens have a plan for our people, our environment, our peace, and our planet.

4.      We must help people understand that, often times, good things for people can also save money.  Healthy people, focusing on wellness, using emergency rooms appropriately, can save billions of dollars.

5.      We the people must act but, if we do not act, we must understand that we are acting just the same.  We are all taking sides on the important issues.

6.      We must help keep the voting process honest and open so that people feel the power they have at the ballot box.

7.      We must unite, align, with like-minded individuals and groups.  Education is our key.  People must understand that they have the power to change things that they don’t like.  Solidarity can move mountains.

8.      We must help our young people feel supported.  Older people must help younger people understand that it was not the people who broke the current situation.  Mega-corporations have been successfully changing our election process, our legal system, and our laws to benefit themselves to the detriment of the people.

9.      We must understand that our government no longer has the people’s best interest at heart.  It has been contaminated, and over taken, by the Mega-corporate element of the world.

10.   We have to understand that we don’t have a money problem, we have a priority problem.

11.   We must use local government to stand up to bigger, Mega-corporations, and bigger government.

THE DEMOCRACY CONVENTION - DAY 4

The following was a highlight from onE of yesterday's workshops/symposiums, entitled "Engaging State Legislatures in Move To Amend", delivered by Lee Ketelson, Kaja Rebane, and Mark Halvorson. They did a wonderful job of helping attendees understand how to best tackle working with your state legislators. It includes tips from former Representative Bill Hilty. Here is a top ten list of what to, from that seminar (This list is, stricktly, my interpretation of what transpired) :

THE TOP TEN THINGS MOVE TO AMEND MEMBERS SHOULD DO TO BEST ENGAGE THEIR STATE LEGISLATURE!

1. Carefully choose who your chief author is.

2. Develop a solid relationship with the majority, minority leadership, and all committee chairs.

3. Know your opposition so you are prepared to address the points that may, or may not arise.

4. Know what your bottom line is. Especially those who are not supportive of your position will surely, explore that line.

5. Know your organizational strengths, and weaknesses, as that will help you develop your bottom line and help you know what you can, or cannot, threaten/cajole to those legislators you are working with.

6. Be strategic about picking your partnerships as not to step on the toes of fellow oranizors and fellow members.

7. Don’t take our supporters for granted. "Thank you's", and repeated "thank you's", of your legislators, and fellow members will pay dividends in the end.

8. List your access to your legislators so that it can be shared with fellow members.

9. Know that legislators almost always make up their minds before the committee hearings and committee votes. Spending time, effort, and money, aligning people to address committee meetings may be better spent before those hearings and meetings.

10. In person contact is best. Remember that the time and effort you take in addressing our legislator, the more impact you will have. Robin and Laird Monahan (Robin Monahan attend this session) gained tremendous capital due to the time and effort the put into their efforts. Personal letters are better than emails but every contact can be the contact that made the difference.

The spirit of Bill Hilty was called upon several times during this session. Bill's favorite quote was read, and discussed: "Once you know something, you can not unknow it. It is a burden that can never be given away." That is a quote from Alice Hoffman that emphasizes that people who know something, and fail to act, sit on their hands, are just as much of an activist, through their inactivity, as those who carry signs in protest…perhaps they are even more effective!

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?     CITIZENS UNITED    WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

This is the best introduction of what the Citizens United discussion is all about. Move To Amend is a multi-partisan response to Citizens United. Republican John McCain believes that " Citizens United is the worst decision by our Supreme Court, ever." President Obama believes that "Citizens United is the worst Supreme Court decision in decades.

http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-citizens-united-v-fec/zens-united-v-fec/