Vermonters Say: Corporations Are Not People!

Vermont Voters Back Grassroots Campaign to Abolish Corporate Personhood

Tyler Westbrook — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:56:32 +0000

The Vermont campaign for a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling is making a big splash

Tyler Westbrook — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:10:33 +0000

Thanks to the great work of many activists and lawmakers, the Vermont campaign for a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling is making a big splash.

Events were held last week in Burlington, Montpelier, Norwich, Rutland and South Royalton to mark the second anniversary of the disastrous ruling. Numerous lawmakers, including state Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell, joined in a press conference about the state resolution calling for an amendment, while others joined in a rally. It looks as though there is momentum for a state resolution in the Senate as well.

These events were covered by the Associated Press and The American Prospect nationally, by VTDigger.org, the Times Argus, NCPR, The Burlington Free-Press, WAMC, Ch. 17 and other media outlets. Check out the one-minute video featuring many of the different anniversary actions.

Congratulations to the 26 towns that have hit their signature goals to get the resolution on the ballot!

The following towns are still working, so if you are nearby or have friends who want to help restore democracy to the people, this is the last chance to help them meet their goals!

Barre: Heather Pipino, bettypageturner@gmail.com, 595-1671

Bennington: Claude DeLucia
Braintree & Brookfield 1: Jeff Tolbert, prahna@gmail.com, 234-1117
Bristol: Carol Clauss, 802-453-5655
Colchester: Betty Molnar, molnarbetty3@gmail.com

Dover : Edie Mas
East Montpelier: Paul Erlbaum, garlicmountain@gmail.com
East Montpelier: Dave Grundy, ddgrundy@comcast.net, 476-4300
Essex/Essex Junction: Seamus Walsh, seamus.walsh@me.com, 802-922-6943

Fairfield: Michael Dodge, michaeldodge@surfglobal.net
Fletcher: Todd Pritsky, ntoddp@gmail.com, 802-238-3436
Hartford: Chris Hoffman, chris.c.hoffman@gmail.com
Hartland: Gail Holmes gailholmes@vermontel.net, 802-436-1246

Jericho: Bill Butler, naturemyth@aol.com, 899-2088
Middletown Springs: David Wright
Middletown Springs: Maureen McCormack, moe@vermontel.net
Pittsfield: George Simpson, geonorth2@myfairpoint.net
Plainfield: Amy Lester, lester1142@gmail.com, 802-272-3602

Putney: Jacquie & Steve Walker
Randolph: Jeff Tolbert, prahna@gmail.com,234-1117
Rochester: Jeff Gephart, jmgephart@gmail.com
Sharon: Ulrike von Moltke, uvmoltke@gmail.com

Springfield: Chuck Gregory, charlesgregory@me.com
Stamford: Joseph Tracy, brook7@sover.net
Walden & Woodbury: Anne Hanson, peacekingdom@vtlink.net, 586-8065
Waltham: Don Ross, dross@uvm.edu

Westford: Tina Scanlon, tinabscanlon@yahoo.com
Westminister West: Jacquie & Steve Walker
Willmington: Edie Mas
Windham : Malcolm Hood, mhood@gmail.com, 802-874-8120

Windsor: Bess KlassenLandis
Winooski: Robert Millar, robertbmillar@gmail.com
Woodstock: Bill Boardman, panthers007@comcast.net, 802-457-1782
Worcester: Dell Waterhouse, delle@sover.net, 229-4886

These towns have a resolution on the ballot/warning or have exceeded the 5% signature-collection goal: Bolton, Brattleboro, Burlington, Calais, Charlotte, Craftsbury, Fayston, Gainsville, Greensboro, Hinesburg, Marlboro, Marshfield, Monkton, Montgomery, Montpelier, Moretown, Norwich, Richmond, Ripton, Rutland city and town, Shrewsbury, Waitsfield, Warren, Williamstown and Williston.

Best,

Aquene Freechild,
Democracy Is For People campaign team, Public Citizen

In partnership with Vermonters Say Corporations Are Not People
202-588-7752 (office)
617-378-2579 (mobile)
DemocracyIsForPeople.org

CORPORATE PERSONHOOD, ELECTORAL TRANSPARENCY, and A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Tyler Westbrook — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:02:10 +0000

Let’s talk about it.

Legislative Evening at The Library

w/ representatives Bill Frank & George Till

Tues. Jan. 10, 6:30 @ Rawson Memorial Library, Jericho, VT

Corporate personhood is the shorthand reference to the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Citizens United vs Federal Electoral Commission.

This decision, issued two years ago, has opened the floodgates to a tidal wave of undisclosed campaign contributions by large donors and special interest groups.

Bill Butler, of Jericho, will introduce the subject and describe how Vermonters can play a leading role in the creation of a Constitutional Amendment that rescinds the Citizens United decision and affirms the right of individual citizens to an election and law making process that is free from the corrupting influence of special interest money.

Across Vermont, petitions are being circulated to bring this issue to a vote on Town Meeting Day. Voters will be asked if they want a Constitutional Amendment . Petitions for the individual towns of Bolton, Jericho, and Underhill will be available for signing and distribution. Other nearby towns will also have petitions available at the meeting.

Bill has requested that people interested in this topic should educate themselves as fully as possible about the subject. A suggested reading & listening list follows:

1. Begin by reading evaluations of the CU decision by people whose opinions you trust. The opinion itself is very long & convoluted, but definitely worth reading,

particularly the dissent by Justice Stevens.

2. Read the Constitution.

3. Listen to Vermont Edition (VPR, 11/28/2011).

On that program, MoveToAmend founder David Cobb, and Ben & Jerry discuss the need for an amendment and how to get it started.

4. Listen to On Point (NPR, 1,2,2012).

Tom Ashbrook interviews Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig, author of “Republic Lost, How Money Corrupts Congress.”

5. Check out the Vermont website about this effort- vermonterssaycorporationsarenotpeople.org

6. Read Sen. Sanders’ proposed Constitutional Amendment by going to his website.

The Burlington City Council voted 12-2 last night to include the resolution

Tyler Westbrook — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:29:02 +0000

The Burlington City Council voted 12-2 last night to include the resolution calling for an amendment to say corporations are not people and money is not speech on the ballot on March 6! Congratulations and thanks to Councilor Ed Adrian (Ward 1), the citizen activists and our partner organizations for their hard work on this!* Senator Ginny Lyons, who continues to lead on this issue, delivered some powerful remarks at the Burlington organizing meeting last week. View a short video of his remarks here.

Save the Date: Public Citizen, Move to Amend and allies are organizing a call for 7 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 4, to talk about the last push on petitions, answer questions, discuss reaching out to your state legislators and talk about Second Anniversary Day of Action activities the week of January 16-20. RSVP here. Call-in Number: (805) 360-1000, Code: 712358#

There are now 40+ towns collecting signatures calling for a constitutional amendment! Petitioners are encouraged to ask people to contact their legislators asking them to support Ginny Lyon’s Senate Resolution (J.R. 11) calling for the Vermont congressional delegation to support a constitutional amendment. See below for your town contact person, or volunteer to be a contact person yourself by replying to this email. This list and resources for petitioning are here.

Vermonters Say Corporations are NOT People – December 15th

Tyler Westbrook — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:54:02 +0000

Senator Ginny Lyons addresses Vermonters Say Corporations are not People

Join us for presentation of ballot to Essex Town Selectboard

Tyler Westbrook — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:08:53 +0000

Join us for presentation of ballot to Essex Town Selectboard

Please come and show your support for Essex Says Corporations Are Not People. We are first on the selectboard meeting agenda December 19 at 7:30 PM.

Town of Essex
81 Main Street
Essex Junction, Vt. 05452
802-878-1341

Open Letter to the Essex Town Selectboard – Sent December 10, 2011

To the Essex Board of Selectman:

On January 21, 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that gave corporations first amendment rights to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or defeat political candidates running for office.

Since the Court’s decision, 2010 spending by outside groups rose 437 percent to $294.2 million, about half went to political action committees that are not required to disclose their donors — It is predicted that spending on the 2012 election will reach $8 Billion.

The decision by the United States Supreme Court equates money with political speech and gives corporations rights constitutionally intended for natural persons.

I personally, as an independent citizen of Essex Town request the following Ballot Item to be included in and voted on the March 2012 Town Meeting:

In light of the United States Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision that equates money with political speech and gives corporations rights constitutionally intended for natural persons, shall Essex Town vote to urge the Vermont Congressional Delegation and the United States Congress to propose a United States Constitutional amendment for the States’ consideration which provides that money is not political speech, that corporations do not posses the rights of persons under the United States Constitution, that the General Assembly of the State of Vermont pass a similar resolution, and that the town send its resolution to Vermont State and Federal representatives within thirty days of the passage of this measure?

I look forward to discussing this on December 19th.

Seamus Walsh
78 Beech Street
Essex Junction, VT 05452
802-922-6943

Event: Vermonters Say Corporations Are Not People! Thursday, December 15

Tyler Westbrook — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:30:33 +0000

Learn how you can get the issue on the ballot in your community. We want every Vermont town to vote on this at Town Meeting. If you want your voice heard and balance restored in Congress please join your friends and neighbors (real people) for inspiration, information and refreshments. For more information contact Marianne mjw@burlingtontelecom.net

7:00pm until 8:30pm

Main Street Landing

One Main Street, Burlington, VT

Upcoming “Vermonters Say Corporations Are Not People” Events and Contacts for Town Petitioning and Outreach

Tyler Westbrook — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:37:32 +0000

Town Meeting Petition Outreach

Please find attached a list of who is serving as a contact person for petitioning in towns – if you are working on petitioning and are willing to serve as a point person please let us know! In some towns, we could really use two contact people. A modifiable draft petition template is attached. For more info on running your petition drive visit: http://vermonterssaycorporationsarenotpeople.org/

Starting TMRW! Organizing Meetings for Citizens United Anniversary Action & Petitioning:

Burlington Area: Learn how you can get the issue on the ballot in your community. We want every Vermont town to vote on this at Town Meeting. If you want your voice heard and balance restored in Congress, please join your friends and neighbors (real people) for inspiration, information and refreshments. For more info contact Marianne mjw@burlingtontelecom.net.

Date & Time: Thursday, December 15, 2011, 7:00pm – 8:30 pm

Where: Union Station – Main Street Landing | One Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Facebook Event here – Get Directions

Manchester, VT – Organizing Party for Occupy the Anniversary

Host: Steven Berry
Location: 55 Dillingham Rd, Green Mountain National Forest, Manchester Center, VT 05255
Date & time: December 21, 2011, 4:30 pm
RSVP to: steven.berry@globalmeetinghouse.org

Marlboro, VT – Organizing Party

Host: Ede Thomas

Location: 1563 Ames Hill Rd., Marlboro

Date & time: Thurs. Dec. 15^th, 7pm

RSVP to: ede@myfairpoint.net, 802-257-7623

Directions: Coming from I-91 take exit 2, go West (right)about 1 1/2 miles to Greenleaf Street.
Left on Greenleaf, 1^st right on Abbott Rd. At the end of Abbott Rd. straight ahead is Ames Hill Road.
Travel 3 mi. up, past Barrows Rd and past Upper Houghton Rd. (It will seem like a long hill the 1st time.) The very next house on the left is mine.  It's set back in a field. There is a large sign that says Hillcrest,  JBC Thomas, 1563.

Public Citizen, WILPF, VPIRG, Move to Amend, the Peace and Justice Center, Common Cause, Occupy Vermont and others are working together to support town meeting petition drives, a state resolution led by Senator Ginny Lyons, and events around the 2^nd Anniversary of the Citizens United ruling in Vermont.

Aquene Freechild

Senior Organizer, Democracy is for People

Public Citizen

202-588-7752 (direct)

617-378-2579 (mobile)

www.democracyisforpeople.org

Twitter – Facebook

Contact list here

Event: Vermonters Say Corporations Are Not People!

Tyler Westbrook — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:06:49 +0000

Fellow Vermonters, Join us in this Historic Effort to amend the Constitution

Corporations Are Not People!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Time: 7:00pm until 8:30 pm

Union Station – Main Street Landing | One Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Facebook Event here

Get Directions

BALLOT ITEM FOR MARCH TOWN MEETING

Tyler Westbrook — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:32:57 +0000

BALLOT ITEM FOR MARCH TOWN MEETING

In light of the United States Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that equates money with speech and gives corporations rights constitutionally intended for natural persons, shall the city/town/gore of___________________________________ (municipality name) vote on ___________________(town meeting date) to urge the Vermont Congressional Delegation and the U.S. Congress to propose a U.S. Constitutional amendment for the States’ consideration which provides that money is not speech, and that corporations are not persons under the U.S. Constitution, that the General Assembly of the State of Vermont pass a similar resolution, and that the town send its resolution to Vermont State and Federal representatives within thirty days of passage of this measure?

Click here for printable version