Of, For and By the People

Bernie Sanders, Senator (I) of Vermont, shares this thought with us:

“We all remember Abraham Lincoln’s wonderful remarks at Gettysburg in which he describes America as a country ‘of the people, by the people and for the people.’ Well, with the Citizens United Supreme Court decision we are rapidly becoming a nation of the very rich, by the very rich and for the very rich. And that is a horrendous tragedy. This is not the America that men and women throughout our history fought and died to defend.”

I don’t mind rich people and their corporations and organizations being heard. I just don’t want them to buy my government and run it for their good and not the nation’s good. A corporation is not a person; it is made up of people – owners, managers, workers, suppliers, et.al. – individually they each have a voice in the running of our nation. Through the usual channels.

The practical implication of the Supreme Court’s ruling, however, is to allow wealthy organizations and companies bank roll what the owners and managers want heard by congress and state legislatures. Thus laws are promulgated and enacted because the legislators are bought and paid for. They enact what they are paid to enact. They get away with it because they are re-elected with the dollars paid by sponsors of the legislation.

How is this any different from the selling of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church up to and including the 1500’s? That watershed moment sparked the Reformation and beginning of Protestantism.

Where is the outcry from the public that will reform today’s public governance from ‘pay to play’ to true representation of the electorate? When will the modern day reformation begin?

I believe the Supreme Court was dead wrong in its decision. The practical effects far outweigh the ‘purity of legal thought’ they used to arrive at their decision.

What to do? Here are a few options to consider:

First, amend the US Constitution clearly stating that organizations are not citizens in the sense that people are. Disenfranchise organizations from the power to vote, contribute to election campaigns or any other activity that pits their interests against the interests of individual citizens.

Second, reform election finance laws to eliminate all contributions from private parties whether individual or organizational; instead provide federal dollars to fund all federal elections by formula: $1 million for each senate candidate standing for election; $250,000 for each candidate for a congressional House seat, and so on. For state elections, the same idea applies – each state pays for the house and senate seat elections in their state legislatures; and for each election conforming with state offices provided for in their individual constitutions.  Public interest ads for political purposes are not permitted. Public issue ads can only be disseminated over public airwaves if full sponsorship is made evident in each presentation – who and what paid for the message and contact information to respond to them on the issue.

Third, to make this more manageable, cut the US Senate to one senator per state and reduce the size of the US House to 2 representatives per state or territory. This option reduces the Congress to 150 to 165 people, still a too-large board of directors for the nation, but much more practical than one numbering 535 persons.

The credibility of our nation as well as its ability to be fair and just require these steps to be enacted; or ones that accomplish similar ends.

Of, for and by the people has always been a lofty ideal. Maybe eventually we can ensure its reality!

July 15, 2013