The Story of Citizens United v. FEC (2011)

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5kHACjrdEY&feature=channel_video_title>

Most people are more interested in what is going on in Hollywood, then what is going on in Washington or Wall Street.

Corporations are preserved by Lawyers and Lobbyists.

The Lawyers write the “rules” so that no one can understand them, and the Lobbyists buy the “Representatives” so the “rules” are not re-written.

All our elected “Officials” are over paid by the taxpayers.

CBS News reported tonight that the average Senator makes $174,000 per year, and get Life Time Health benefits, and there are over 200 millionaires walking the Halls of Government, and it looks like more are coming, maybe even a billionaire (or two).

What to do?

I offer the following:

1]    Start and maintain a List of Incumbents, so that “we” know who NOT to vote for in November.

• ‘Let’s Clean House’ – We can’t do worse than what is already in place.

2] Cut our Elected officials compensation and benefits (Health Care, Hair Cuts, Postage, Air Port Parking, etc.), so “they” are more like us.

• “The ‘Do-Nothing Congress’? Big Salary, Little Work, Free Trips“

3]    Demand Term Limits – Somehow, get the President to sign “it” into Law immediately.

• Why is the President limited to two terms and no one else?’
• “Six Years and Out: Citizen Imposed Congressional Term Limits“

4]    Removal of Lobbyists – Again, demand and get the president to sign an Emergency Law.

• “SHADOW CONGRESS: More Than 170 Former Lawmakers Ply The Corridors Of Power As Lobbyists“

5]    The Language of these Emergency Laws needs to be straight forward with NO exceptions.

• No elected official can server more than two terms. Period.
• No person, union, corporation, etc, can give more than $??? to a Party. Period.
  • How much money is spent to get one person elected, when that same amount could be invested in jobs, education, infrastructure, etc.
  • Maybe mandate a cap on election expenditures?
• All funds received by a candidate MUST be posted on a Central PUBLIC Website, and Audited on a regular basis by an independent entity.  Period.
• All elected officials must post their operating budgets/expenses on the same website.
  • How come Public Companies must publish their Expenses, but public officials do not?
  • Many if “they” balanced their own budgets, then they would have an idea how to balance the federal budget.
    • “Millions in Travel Costs Unreported” -

6]    Limit the amount of time a person can run for office.

• A similar idea to what is done in the UK.
• Most people I know are so sick of election “talk” by the time the elections arrive that they do not vote, or are so confused with the mudslinging, they blindly vote on the ballot.

7] Allow the Citizen of the US to cast votes of “No Confidence” in our Elected Officials.

• Clearly, there needs to be a shake-up within our government, and maybe, if “we the people” could vote “no confidence” then maybe, “they” will listen to US, the people.
• “The Failure of Financial Reform, Itemized“

8] No More Back Room Deals. Period.

• If a topic can’t be done or talked about in Public, then it can NOT be put in a Bill. Period.

9] No More “Pork” Amendments to Bills.

• Bills should be easy to ready and implement.
• If a Bill is about “A”, then ALL language in that Bill MUST be about “A”, not “X, Y, and Z”.
• Think of a the dead trees that are wasted on “Pork” Amendments

10] All citizens, especially the unemployed, start calling their representatives, and DEMAND Action!

• Flood the phone lines!
  • Congressional List of Phone Numbers
  • Senate List of Phone Numbers

11] Maybe plan a march on Washington to really get the attention of our “Officials”.

• But that can’t happen for another 10 days… They are on a “break”…
  • Anyone else reading this getting 10 days off for a single Holiday?
• Please Check your Signs for Spelling and Grammar!!

I have been ‘lurking’ on HP for the past several months, it is quite clear that most Americans are pissed at our “representatives”.

What really concerns me is that all this energy expended on e-complaining will not translate into any actions from now to November, and things will continue into slide deeper into the abyss.

- CC

As the volunteers were schmoozing my six year old daughter, I was asked what Party I was with, to which I said, “I’m unclaimed”, and proceed to look at the map of where to go.

I heard a women behind me say, ‘you need to think quick or you can’t vote’, to which I turned around and said that I am a registered Independent.

The group of volunteers then told me that during primaries in PA, only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote.

Yes, I had forgotten this little detail of politics, and yes it ticked me off the last time…

So because I have declared my independence of either party, I am segregated because… Why?

“Not good enough”?

“Not clean enough”?

“Not a follower”?

Folks, it was called the Declaration of Independence, that formed our government here is Philadelphia over 234 years ago!

As my daughter and I left, I did have some comments to the volunteers about how this “rule” is just part of the corruption of a two party system, and that both parties are failing the people, and things need to change.

So much for trying to illustrate to my daughter the importance of voting as a civic duty.

She and I did talk more about it back at the car…

Wonder which “Party” she is going to choose?

- CC

Allow Tax payers to claim Credit Card interest payments on Federal taxes

Several years ago, the ability to claim Credit Card interest on Federal Taxes was taken away from “us”, and we would like it back!

Quick Ideas -

• Eliminate Pay for the members of Congress that:
  • Have have over a Million dollars in assets
• No Pay raise for several years

More to come… Send in your ideas!

- CC

In Mike Adams’ post on naturalnews.com, “Direct Democracy – Why the American People must disband Congress“, he cites a politico.com post that states that there are 237 members of Congress that are millionaires.

Don’t know about you, but I am not even close to be a millionaire, and with the way things are going…

I’m not against folks making money, I like money just like everyone else, but when you have that amount, are you really in touch with those that make less?

Do they know the price of gas, socks or diapers off the top of their heads?

When was the last time “they” sweated to make a mortgage payment?

- CC

Professor Lawrence Lessig has setup a site to possibly do something about it.

Take a look and sign up! <http://action.change-congress.org>

- CC

Even in the United States Senate, that august body which each week produces enough hot air to transport 1,000 six-year-olds across America, Mr Biden – who sports hair plugs and a set of porcelain-enhanced gnashers that would blind a polar bear – is renowned for his wordiness. “Joe Biden: worrying rise of Barack Obama’s Mr Wrong:”

Got to love it!

- CC

At first, I could NOT believe what I was hearing, but being the investigative person that I am, I was able to track down Senator Al Franken (D-MN) original C-Span speech:

Now you would think, that anyone in their right mind would vote in favor of Jamie Jones against KBR (a subsidiary of Halliburton), but apparently 30 Republican Senators voted AGAINST the proposal, essentially protecting KBR/Halliburton, and saying YES to Rape!

Here is the list:

• Alexander (R-TN)
• Barrasso (R-WY)
• Bond (R-MO)
• Brownback (R-KS)
• Bunning (R-KY)
• Burr (R-NC)
• Chambliss (R-GA)
• Coburn (R-OK)
• Cochran (R-MS)
• Corker (R-TN)
• Cornyn (R-TX)
• Crapo (R-ID)
• DeMint (R-SC)
• Ensign (R-NV)
• Enzi (R-WY)
• Graham (R-SC)
• Gregg (R-NH)
• Inhofe (R-OK)
• Isakson (R-GA)
• Johanns (R-NE)
• Kyl (R-AZ)
• McCain (R-AZ)
• McConnell (R-KY)
• Risch (R-ID)
• Roberts (R-KS)
• Sessions (R-AL)
• Shelby (R-AL)
• Thune (R-SD)
• Vitter (R-LA)
• Wicker (R-MS)

If your “Representative” is on this list, you might want to contact them to let them know that Rape is not a good thing, and those that protect Rapist should be prosecuted!

- CC

But…

As I have already been reading, there are a number of folks that are already saying that he does not deserve it because he has not been in office long enough, which I have to agree with, but maybe the Nobel committee also included his early work in Chicago in helping to (re)build communities…

As you may or may not know, President Obama joins three other Presidents with this unique honor:

• President Theodore Roosevelt (R) in 1906
• President Woodrow Wilson (D) in 1919
• President Jimmy Carter (D) in 2002

And I will include Vice President Al Gore (D), who shared the prize in 2007.

What I find very interesting in this list, is that 80% of the Winners are Democrats, and the last three have been within my life time.

Personally, I think that Jimmy Carter has done far more good for the World since he left office. The man is amazing!

Anyhow, back to my thought…

With only one Republican winner on the list, what does that say about the Republican party?

Shall we review the past 45+ years?

• President Lyndon B. Johnson [D] (1963-1969)
  • Vietnam War
• President Richard Nixon [R] (1969-1974)
  • Vietnam War
• President Gerald Ford [R] (1974-1977)
  • Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I)
• President Jimmy Carter [D] (1977-1981)
  • Camp David Accords
  • Torrijos–Carter Treaties
  • Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II)
• President Ronald Reagan [R] (1981-1989)
  • Called the Soviet Union as an “evil empire”
  • Reagan Doctrine
  • Responsible for the “Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)” aka – “Star Wars”
  • Did hold “talks” with Mikhail Gorbachev (Nobel Prize winner in 1990) to end the “Cold War”;
• President George H. W. Bush [R] (1989-1993)
  • Persian Gulf War I
• President William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton [D] (1993-2001)
  • Impeachment Trial over the Lewinsky scandal
• President George W. Bush [R] (2001-2009)
  • War on Terrorism
    • War in Afghanistan
    • Invasion of Iraq
      • Persian Gulf War II        

During this time, the Republican Party has started or continued more Wars then the Democrats, which seems to continue into their Political agenda on such things as Health Care Reform.

This is not saying the Democrats are any better, but in the immortal words of Rodney King during the 1992 LA Riots “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”.

Hopefully, President Obama will use this newly won honor to bring civility to the political bickering in Washington…

- CC

Additional References:

• All Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
• List of Presidents of the United States