Post a commentI agree one hundred percent. This is a ridiculous notion. The corporation is made up of the people who work for it. Are we to assume that corporations are monoliths where everyone from the CEO to the custodian think and vote the same way? Who is "the corporation" to speak for all those it employs?
If corporations can be barred from contributing then unions should be barred as well. Unions force members to donate to political causes that they may actually disagree with. Corporations do not force employees to contribute a dime. It is all voluntary. Let's keep in mind that restricting contributions for anyone only lets those with the best lawyers to gain influence. If you want real campaign finance reform, elect representatives that believe in free markets and less govt intervention. As long as the government can't pick winners and losers, health care reform included, there will be lobbyists and special interests spending gobs of money trying to get the upper hand. Politicians are not so unhappy with this arrangement. It helps keep them in office.
Pe.poole,
your spot on. any american can look at the senate and house finance commitee members campaign filings, and see the massive amounts they have taken from insurance,banking,etc. Its ridicoulous how little regulation is involved in those industry's, when you can pay a high priced team of lobbyists and make the right donations boooooyyyy do the wheels sure get greased. Everybody wins. EZ game.
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andyeatsitall:
Corporations and unions should not be treated differently when it comes to campaign finance. Currently they both are allowed to contribute to PACs ("soft money") but not directly to candidates' campaigns. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case which could make it legal for corporation, and in some cases unions too, to contribute directly to candidates' campaigns. My Letter to the Editor said only individuals should be allowed to do so.
Some states have "paycheck protection" laws which require unions to get individual members consent to donate to PACs. Corporations do not have to ask their shareholders the same thing.
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