‘Citizens United’ Badges

I’m writing to encourage you to vote yes on Prop. 59, which will be on the ballot in the November election.

In case you are not up to date on this issue, I’ll recap some of the events leading up to this proposition. In 2010, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of a bill named deceptively Citizens United. It was really a bill sponsored by large corporations to allow them to contribute unlimited amounts of money to politicians’ campaigns. This ruling opened the door for billions of dollars to be sent to politicians at all levels of government from corporations and wealthy individuals.

What resulted is a significant corruption of our political processes, especially in an age in which time on the media is very expensive. No longer are politicians always keen to serve those who elect them but rather those who pay for their elections. Indeed, it has come to the point where perhaps we should ask members of Congress and the Senate to wear jackets with badges sewed on them, much like race car drivers, indicating who funded them.

Ultimately, I look forward to a time when elections would not be so expensive, perhaps paid for publicly, giving a fair chance for exposure of a range of possible leaders. The public could then decide on the basis of the merit of their ideas rather than on the amount of funds at their disposal or their “managed impressions.”

In the meantime, the sooner we can undo the damage done by the awful Citizens United (read Corporations and Rich Persons United) the better.

Voting Yes on Prop. 59 is a step in the right direction.