Borecky: Government Up For Sale

On January 21, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ruling that had previously prohibited corporations and unions from using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads to affect the outcome of an election.

By a 5-4 vote, the court overturned more than a century of law - including a bipartisan campaign finance law written by senators John McCain and Russ Feingold that had barred corporations from using their financial clout to directly interfere with elections by running advertisements for or against candidates in the crucial closing weeks.

Since all politics are local, what will that mean for us, here in Merrick?  It won't be long before our state election laws will be questioned and this Supreme Court decision may prevail.

If a corporation is given the same rights as a natural person, it is not unrealistic to assume that NextG could then give $150,000 to a candidate that will look the other way while they install cellular antennas on every telephone pole. It may mean that any elected official who fights for a public takeover of Aqua New York might find television ads against him/her.

We may find very few who are willing to take on the big corporate conglomerates.  Without government regulation of businesses, we will have corporate monopolies that will, not only take over all our mom and pops, but bleed us dry in the process.  There will be no laws or regulations to stop them because our elected officials will be afraid to oppose them.

The court's argument for this ruling is based on the First Amendment  - Freedom of Speech.  However, the ruling claims that a corporation has the same rights as a natural person.  We, the people of the United States, wrote the Constitution to protect the rights of people.  It was never intended to afford equal rights to a corporation.  Government regulations that protect our health, safety and environment will be thrown out the window as candidates will be "allowed" to accept millions of dollars from big corporate interests.

Will we lose our government of the people, by the people and for the people to a government brought to you today by Mobil/Exxon?  This may very well be the end of democracy as we know it. 

Corporations, by their very nature, must do whatever they could to produce profits for their shareholders. It is the nature of the beast.  But, it is then up to our elected officials to regulate corporations to protect the health and safety of its citizenry.  If the elected officials are openly bought and paid for by the corporations, then who will protect us? 

This ruling opens up an even scarier scenario.  As Greg Palast wrote in his January 23 article "Manchurian Candidates: Supreme Court allows China and others unlimited spending in US elections": "…millions -- or billions -- of dollars that could flood into our elections from ARAMCO, the Saudi Oil corporation's U.S. unit; or from the maker of "New Order" fashions, the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Or from Bin Laden Construction corporation. Or Bin Laden Destruction Corporation.

Within the next couple weeks, we will begin to see our senators and congressmen introduce legislation for campaign finance reform.  It will undoubtedly be bashed by the "corporate" media, which are supported by pharmaceutical and energy advertisers.  We must close our ears to any propaganda.  They will try to blame it on the Democrats. 

They will try to call it a "tax".  They will say that the Supreme Court decision is a victory for freedom of speech.  But keep an open mind. Follow the money. Remember who the victors are in this decision.  We must protect our democracy.  We cannot allow this Supreme Court decision to prevail.