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If you can, add information under the following headings (the underlined headings take you to the section below - do not add to the underlined headings - add to the section to which they take you).  Include a brief summary.

(Some links will naturally be included under more than one heading - put them in all appropriate places)

 

Educational handouts that we have/will distribute

 

 Corporate personhood history

 

 Anti-Corporate personhood actions/measures

 

Income & wealth inequality/taxation

 

Elections/Campaign Finance

 

Multinationals/Outsourcing/Trade policy

 

Organizations with goals related to ours

 

Training Resources

 

Books of Interest

 

Editorials, blogs, and articles

 

 Right Wing Propaganda

 

Documents and links not yet sorted

 

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Educational handouts that we have distributed 

 

1.     Corporate Bribery – from Alliance for Democracy

Corporate bribery description with claims of the effects of Citizens United on the 2010 election.  Distributed by David and commented on by Fergus.  Also on PBworks as a 2 page flier 8.5" x 14" (pdf)

 

2.     Our Hidden Corporate History – from Reclaim Democracy

This overview of the rise of corporate power in the U.S. Also available as a 2 page flier with our contact information (pdf)

 

3.     Inherent rules of corporate behavior – from Reclaim Democracy

Primer based on Jerry Mander’s ideas from In the Absence of the Sacred, this is also available as a 2 page flier with our contact information (pdf)

 

4.     Hidden History of Corporate Rule - from  Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County

A primer that starts with the corporate history of England's conquest of America, goes through to Citizens United v. FEC.  The word document that we distributed can be download here

 

5.      Why Abolish All Corporate Constitutional Rights - from  POCLAD  (Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy) 

Argument that goes through many of the amendments that have been used by corporations to claim illegitimate rights.   This is also available as a 2 page flier (pdf).  A separate document can be cut and pasted onto this to include our contact information.

 

6.      House Joint Memorial 9

A resolution introduced in the Oregon legislature by Phil Barnhart in the 2011 session that addresses the Citizens United decision.  Unfortunately, the resolution died in committee.

 

7.      March 30 town hall

 

8.      Paul Cienfuegos May 16 teach-in

 

9.      We the People introductory flyer

 

10.      City resolution flyer (word)

 

11.     Pamphlet prepared by Colin Farnsworth (pdf)  -  as a Word document

 

12.     Lesson plan for a high school class prepared by Colin Farnsworth (pdf)  -  as a Word document

 

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Corporate personhood history

 

1.     Our Hidden Corporate History – from Reclaim Democracy

This overview of the rise of corporate power in the U.S. also is available as a 2 page flier with our contact information (pdf), (a great handout that we have used).

 

2.     Inherent rules of corporate behavior – from Reclaim Democracy

Primer based on Jerry Mander’s ideas from In the Absence of the Sacred, this is also available as a 2 page flier with our contact information (pdf), (a great handout that we have used).

 

3.      How corporations became 'persons'  - from uuworld.org

"The amazing true story of a legal fiction that undermines American democracy". By Tom Stites  May/June 2003

 

4.     Timeline of Personhood Rights and Powers - by Jan Edwards (pdf)

 

5.     'Unequal Protection, Part I: Corporations Take Over'  - Thom Hartmann's story on TruthOut (from Stan Taylor)   

Focuses on corporate personhood's history and has a short video on how the court reporter inserted the headnote that created corporate personhood in the 1886 Santa Clara v Southern Pacific Railroad case.  We the People committees should read the article and watch the video. See also related link 2 to court reporter issue or link 3 to court reporter issue or link 4 to court reporter issue

 

6.     Abolish Corporate Personhood  by Molly Morgan (9/21/2001)

Talk presented at a community meeting in Santa Cruz, California.  Anyone is free to use this talk, or any portion of it, in their outreach to educate people about corporate personhood

 

7.     How corporate personhood arose through Supreme Court Decisions - by James and Tomilea Allison

 

8.     Our dream of democracy for the United States – video of talk by David Cobb

This talk is long (2 hours) but is worth the time.  It is a general civics and history lesson with emphasis on the authority to rule (the word "people" or "person" appears in the Constitution over 25 times, whereas the word "corporation" never appears).

 

9.     TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Citizenship and the Charter of Incorporation 

A 1993 article by Richard L. Grossman and Frank T. Adams.  "Yet the history of constitutional law is, as former Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter said, 'the history of the impact of the modern corporation upon the American scene'."  This was a pamphlet that Paul Cienfuegos suggested, and which I bought for our group at his event.

 

10.  "Working Paper on Rights-based Activism and Organizing"   WorkingPaper_Rights-basedActivism.pdf

 

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Anti-corporate personhood actions/measures

 

1.     Ordinance to Deny Corporate Personhood : Oregon - from Fergus - PDF version

 

2.     April 11, 2011

• In Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin, voters passed two separate resolutions to support a United States Constitutional Amendment that would declare that only human beings are entitled to Constitutional rights.
• In Ft. Bragg, California, the City Council passed a resolution calling for an amendment to ban corporate personhood.
• In Minnesota, a bill has been introduced proposing an amendment to the state constitution that defines an individual as a natural person.  Vermont and Washington are also considering corporate personhood restrictions.
• The City Council in Richmond, California, unanimously passed a resolution calling for state and federal constitutional amendments to reject corporate personhood and corporations’ ability to spend freely in elections. 

 

3.     Spokane  Community Bill of Rights Initiative  

March 23, 20011   The amendments to the city’s charter would allow neighborhoods greater control over proposed development, strengthen protections for the Spokane River and aquifer, and protect workers constitutional rights. The Bill of Rights would also limit the legal powers of corporate interests when they try to interfere with the enforcement of these rights. The full language along with additional material on the Community Bill of Rights can be found at www.envisionspokane.org.

 

4.     TIPS ON PASSING A RESOLUTION THAT ABOLISHES CORPORATE PERSONHOOD

 

5.     Nine Laws Congress could pass today to Offset Citizens United Decision

 

6.     RICHMOND, CA: City Council Votes to Adopt Resolution Calling for Constitutional Amendment to End Corporate Personhood - Wed, 03/02/2011

   

7.     125 Communities Take On Corporate Personhood   Feb 7, 2011

 

8.     "Working Paper on Rights-based Activism and Organizing" WorkingPaper_Rights-basedActivism.pdf

 

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Income & wealth inequality/taxation

 

1.      Unnecessary Austerity, Unnecessary Shutdown - summary of report from the   Institute for Policy Studies

The full report can be viewed by clicking the report button above the summary.  I will also upload it to PBworks shortly. This is one of the best articles that I have seen that addresses the issue of taxes to fund America.

Key Tax Facts (differences in 50 years)

• 15,753: The number of households in 1961 with $1 million in taxable income (adjusted for inflation).  These millionaires paid 43.1% of income in taxes (in 1961)
• 361,000: The number of households in 2011 estimated to have $1 million in taxable income.  These millionaires will likely pay 23.1% of income in taxes (in 2011).  [Paying at the 1961 rate would generate $230 billion in revenue  - calculation by Charlie S]
• 47.4: % of profits corporations paid in taxes in 1961.  11.1% is expected taxation of corporate profits in 2011

 

2.     Thomas Pogge on the Past, Present and Future of Global Poverty

Director of the Global Justice Program at Yale University, with a PhD in philosophy from Harvard, discusses structural problems that have led to increases in income inequality, argues that poverty has almost nothing to do with an average lack of resources, and promotes a restructuring of pharmaceutical delivery to poor regions (the Health Impact Fund or HIF).  Along the way he talks about excessive corporate influence in the regulatory and political arenas.

 

3.       Spreading the wealth - (from Dan Weiner)

The gap between rich and poor in the U.S. is bigger than at any time since the 1920s. Is that really what most Americans want?

 

4.     Fast Track to Inequality

Bob Herbert's article about the book "Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer -- and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class." by Hacker & Pierson

 

5.     Why Are We Afraid to Tax the Super-Rich? - Article by Les Leopold on Alternet  

 

6.     It's the Inequality Stupid - Lots of good data relating to inequality (from Mother Jones)

       Top 1% have 34.6% of wealth, next 9% have 38.5% of wealth, bottom 90% have 26.9% of wealth 

 

7.     "Super-rich have seen their tax liability tumble"

The top 400 tax filers (in 2007) had an average income of $345 million and paid 17% in income taxes - compared to 26% in the very low tax year of 1992

 

8.     Trump's tax proposal

 In 1999, Donald Trump (yes, the Republican front runner!) proposed a net wealth tax on those with more than $10 million in net worth.  The tax was to be a modest 14.25%, and would have raised enough money ($5.7 trillion) to completely eliminate our whole national debt.  Would those with $500 million really be that badly hurt if instead they only had $430 million?  Let's hope that he still wants such a tax.   

 

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Elections/Campaign Finance

 

1.     WashClean.org

 

2.     Democracy in America Is a Useful Fiction

 

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Multinationals/Outsourcing/Trade policy

 

1.     Coalition for a Prosperous America - An organization working for reasonable trade policies

Ian Stewart (author of   Free Trade Doesn't Work  ) is the senior economist for this organization   

 Thom Hartmann's interview with Ian Stewart  - one of Hartmann's Conversations with Great Minds (excellent discussion) 

 

2.     Note that some prominent conservatives oppose (or have opposed) free trade   

Donald Trump is against Korea Free Trade agreement,   Patrick Buchanan was against most free trade,   Ross Perot was against NAFTA

 

3.     Democracy Now interview with Ha-joon Chang

Ha-joon Chang is a University of Cambridge Economist and author of  "The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism"

 

4.     "Working Paper on Rights-based Activism and Organizing" WorkingPaper_Rights-basedActivism.pdf

 

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Organizations with goals related to ours

 

1.      Local organizations

a.      We the People - Eugene – us!

b.      ESSN – Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network

c.      CALC – Community Alliance of Lane County

d.      Eugene PeaceWorks

e.      WAND – Women's Action for New Directions

f.       DPLC – Democratic Party of Lane County

g.      OSPIRG at LCC

 

2.      Anti-corporate personhood or corporate rule organizations

a.     Move to Amend

b.     Reclaim Democracy

c.     Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County

d.     POCLAD - Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy

e.     Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

f.      WILPF – Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

g.     Free Speech for the People

h.     Liberty Tree :  Foundation for the Democratic Revolution

i.      The Alliance for Democracy

j.      Common Cause

k.     Progressives United – founded by Russ Feingold

l.      Corporate Accountability International  - campaigns against corporate control of food and water 

m.    Bioneers  - The organization to which David Linzey and Mari Margil gave talks (posted under training) and to which Paul Cienfuegos directed us.

n.     New Rules Project - A project to "design rules as if community matters".  (community broadband, banking, and energy sources)

 

3.     Election reform organizations (that are not directly anti-corporate personhood in general)    

a.      Fair Elections Now - Public Financing of Campaigns 

b.      Public Citizen - working to get corporate money out of elections, perhaps public financing of campaigns

c.      National Popular Vote - end run around electoral college - states allocate electoral votes to popular vote winner 

 

4.     from David Cobb  Move to Amend url  for affiliation materials and other resources

 

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Training resources

 

1.     The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund : Democracy School

Democracy School videos that we should all look at.

 

2.     Talks from Paul Cienfuegos' 5/24 email to us

Thomas Linzey Bioneer talk – part 1

Thomas Linzey Bioneer talk – part 2

Thomas Linzey Bioneer talk – part 3

Thomas Linzey Bioneer talk – part 4

Mari Margil Bioneer talk – part 1

Mari Margil Bioneer talk – part 2

Mari Margil Bioneer talk – part 3

Thomas Linzey – maintaining control over resources – part 1

Thomas Linzey – maintaining control over resources – part 2

Thomas Linzey – maintaining control over resources – part 3

Thomas Linzey – challenging corporations

Interview of Thomas Linzey and Mari Margil at Bioneers (2009)

 

3.     Information about measure T - Humboldt County's attempt (overturned) to prohibit non-local corporations from contributing to local political campaigns

Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County model for systemic social change

Article from YES magazine about measure T

Measure T is enjoined by the Federal Court

 

4.     Move to Amend Monthly Webinar

These meetings on the 1st Tuesday of each month will be an opportunity to for folks to connect with Move to Amend for organizing tools and to network with other local organizers across the country

.

5.     Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Corporations v. Democracy Downloads entire 10-session Study Guide

 

6.     creatingdemocracy.org Training Library

 

7.      Working Paper on Rights-based Activism and Organizing (pdf) - Robert Beal's working paper

 

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Books of Interest

 

1.     Richard Wikinson & Kate Pickett,  The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger, (Bloomsbury Press, New York, 2009) 

This book by epidemiologists is a collection of data showing the negative effect of income/wealth inequality on many aspects of life in the 23 richest countries (of which the U.S. is the most unequal, and by some measures the wealthiest – at least in the top 5 in wealth by most measures).  Inequality affects not only the poor, but even the wealthy of the rich, unequal countries.  The book gives detailed data relating to the level of trust, mental illness, life expectancy, infant mortality, obesity, children's educational performance, teenage births, homicides, imprisonment, and social mobility. 

 

2.     Ha-Joon Chang,  23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism, (Bloomsbury Press, New York, 2010) 

Chang is an economist at the University of Cambridge.  Although a strong supporter of capitalism, Chang says (as Churchill quoted about democracy) that capitalism is the worst economic system except all the others.  Chang is very critical of free market capitalists.  Chang gives one of the best economic arguments that I have seen against free trade and for regulation of businesses, especially finance. 

 

3.     Thom Hartmann,  Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country, (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2010) 

The latest of many good books by Hartmann.  This is a hopeful book, with good arguments against free trade and corporate personhood.

 

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Editorials, blogs, and articles

 

From We the People – Eugene and friends

 

1.     Corporations Are NOT Persons: Why I’m Liberal #3

Seda Collier (who found us at Saturday Market petitioning) blog – 2/9/10

 

2.     Federal budget cutting ignores fattest part - the military

Susan Cundiff (of WAND and DPLC) Register Guard op-ed – 2/24/11

 

3.     Corporate rule and taxes

Charlie Swanson letter to the Register Guard – 4/4/11 (actually later)

 

4.     Use solar, wind, not biomass

Dave Piccioni letter to the Register Guard – 5/7/11

 

5.     Tax break specialists at work

Robert Beal letter to the Register Guard – 5/18/11

 

From national sources

 

1.     Financial Meltdown: The Greatest Transfer of Wealth in History

Ellen Brown Global Research article - 10/17/08

 

2.     America Is NOT Broke

Michael Moore Truthout article  - 3/7/11

 

3.     America’s real national deficit is a moral one

William Pfaff Register Guard op-ed  - 4/14/11 

 

4.      Democrats Sue to Force U.S. Election Agency to Reveal Political Donations 

Eric Lichtblau New York Times editorial – 4/21/11

 

5.     The Global Economy's Corporate Crime Wave

Jeffrey Sachs Register Guard op-ed  - 5/5/11

 

6.     The IMF's Switch in Time

Joseph Stiglitz Register Guard op-ed  - 5/6/11

 

7.     Secret Donors Multiply in U.S. Election Spending

J. Crewdson, A. Fitzgerald, J. Salant and C. Babcock Bloomberg News article –  5/19/11 

 

8.     The Great Switch by the Super Rich: How Wealthy Americans Started Paying So Little in Taxes

Robert Reich alternet.org article - 5/20/11 

 

9.     10 Steps to Defeat the Corptocracy

Bruce Levine alternet.org article - 5/20/11 

 

10.     The Real IMF Assault

Nomi Prins Truthdig.com article – 5/20/11 

 

11.     "The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You”

Eli Pariser, former executive director of MoveOn.org, argues that search engine's personalization of web searches adds to our political polarization.

 

12.     Bill Moyers gives the Howard Zinn lecture at Boston University, "Welcome to the Plutocracy" on 10/29/10. 

This was broadcast on Alternative Radio on Tuesday, 5/31/11.  Here is the lecture in print.  An audio version can be heard here.  And a video version is here. – the video has more in it, including video of Howard Zinn and Q & A.  Bill Moyers admits his bias: "Plutocracy and democracy don’t mix".  Near the end of the speech Moyers addresses Citizens United and the potential for a broad based coalition to fight the plutocracy.

 

13.     "Against Sustainablility" (pdf)  -  as a Word document

Ben Hill (LCC math department) argues that the way we use the word sustainability lead to intellectual mischief, essentially thinking we are doing good for the natural world when, at best, we are helping humans in the medium term.  This is useful reading for all that wish to address sustainability

 

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Right Wing Propaganda

 

1.      ALEC Exposed  - Information about ALEC, the right-wing legislative writing body

 

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Documents and links not yet sorted

 

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from Robert - Top 4 Victories Handed to Corporate America by the Supreme Court -- So Far

 

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From Ruth Miller -

 

State Pay to Play Laws

 

Pay to Play Blog

 

As You Sow -- encouraging Corporate Responsibility

 

 

Commonly asked questions regarding the Oregon State Legislature, legislative process, and other government agencies

 

US Uncut: Making Corporations Pay (Video)

 

Show Me the Money

Oct 14, 2010 This election season, enterprising journalists, especially at the New York Times, have been digging into the shell game of contributions and spending, including activities by theAmerican Future Fund, Crossroads GPS, and Americans for Job Security. The most important piece the Times has run, by Mike McIntire, demonstrated in vivid detail just how hard it is to follow the money without disclosure rules strongly enforced by the government.* As McIntire explains, after his extensive investigation into the backers of the "Coalition to Protect Seniors" led him to P.O. boxes and unanswered e-mails, it looked as if the health care industry might be behind an ad the group ran attacking the president's health care plan. But in all likelihood, we'll never know for sure. That's how porous our disclosure rules have become.

 

 

Super PACs are a new kind of political action committee created in July 2010 following the outcome of federal court case concerning campaign finance issues and known as SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission.  Technically knowns as independent expenditure-only committees, Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. Super PACs must, however, report their donors to the Federal Election Commission on a monthly or quarterly basis -- the Super PAC's choice -- as a traditional PAC would.

 

 

Justices Review Arizona Law on Campaign Financing

 

The five justices in the majority in Citizens United, last year’s campaign finance blockbuster, appeared poised on Monday to strike down an Arizona law that provides matching funds to candidates who accept public financing

 

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Blumberg, Phillip I. "The Corporate Personality in American Law: A Summary Review." The American Journal of Comparative Law: Supplement. U.S. Law in an Era of Democratization (American Society of Camparative Law) 38 (1990): 49-69.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commision. 08-205 (U.S. Supreme Court, SCOTUSblog January 21, 2010).

"Constitutional Rights of the Corporate Person." The Yale Law Journal (The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc.) 91, no. 8 (July 1982): 1641-1658.

Irons, Peter. A People's History of the Supreme Court. New York: The Penguin Group, 1999.

Mark, Gregory A. "The Personification of the Business Corporation in American Law." The University of Chicago Law Review (University of Chicago Law Review) 54, no. 4 (Autumn 1987): 1441-1483.

Nace, Ted. Gangs of America: The Ride of Corporate Power and the Disabling of America. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2003.

Ribstein, Larry E. "The Constitutional Conception of the Corporation." Supreme Court Economic Review (The University of Chicago Press) 4 (1995): 95-140.

 

 

 

Corporate Personhood Quotes (right click and open in new window)

http://ourpla.net/cgi/pikie?CorporatePersonhood

 

Progressives United

 

Corporate Accountability International

 

 

 

POCLAD Political Art

 

Talk - David Cobb & Riki Ott - Organizing Community to Abolish Corporate Personhood

 

Countering Arguments Against Corporate Constitutional Rights

 

Jeffery Toobin and Stephen Colbert on Citizens United

 

Corporations Resource Guide

 

Introduction to Corporate Personhood

 

Initiatives Challenging Corporate "Rights"

 

Digging Deeper: Literature on Corporate Personhood Issues

 

Fair Tax Reforms

 

Move to Amend Local Action Toolkit

 

Debating Citizens United the Nation January 31, 2011

 

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Debating 'Citizens United'

By Floyd Abrams and Burt Neuborne
First Published by The Nation January 13, 2011 

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/articles/2011/neuborne_abrams_debate_cu_fec.php

 

 

 

 

News and Commentary on CU v FEC 

and the Movement to Overrule the Court

March-April 2010

 

Judging for Dollars -- The New Republic, April 3, 2010

What the Founding Fathers Really Thought About Corporations --Harvard Business Review, April 1, 2010

Reform Is Needed To Stop Us From Going Down The Rabbit Hole Of Corporate Spending -- The Wonk Room blog, April 1, 2010

Citizens United Challenges the Strident Side of Supreme Court Ruling-- The Washington Post, April 1, 2010

In the Wake of CU, States Consider Alternatives to Judicial Elections  -- USA Today, March 31, 2010

They Still Don't Get It -- Constitutional Accountability Center/Text & History, March 19, 2010

West Virginia Moves on Corporate Campaign Finance Disclosure -- Brennan Center for Justice, March 19, 2010

Greenhouse Discusses Supreme Court -- The Flat Hat, March 19, 2010

Comments Filed on Antitrust a Window on Ag Business -- Daily Yonder, March 18, 2010

My Bad!: The Supreme Court's Assault on Judicial Elections -- Concurring Opinions, March 17, 2010

Study Shows Money Flooding into Campaigns for State Judgehips -- ABC News, March 17, 2010

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Sets Sights on Democrats Ahead of Midterm Elections -- The Washington Post, March 16, 2010

Citizens United and Congressional Earmarks -- Constitutional Accountability Center/Text & History, March 15, 2010

States can limit corporate and union spending on elections -- The Washington Post, March 13, 2010

California Legislature Introduces Resolution Calling for Constitutional Amendment -- Free Speech for People, March 3, 2010

Iowa Senate Didn't Go Far Enough with Rules on Speech for Corporations -- Ames Tribune, March 2, 2010

 

Justice Rising is AfD's quarterly newsletter, a thematic guide for everyone dedicated to ending corporate rule and establishing true democracy. Scroll down for past newsletters.

 

http://www.thealliancefordemocracy.org/newsletters.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

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