November 6, 2013
SEC Comment file 4-637
Dear Comment file 4-637,
I am deeply concerned about the influence of corporate money on our electoral process.
In particular, I am appalled that, because of the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, publicly traded corporations can spend investor's money on political activity in secret. In effect, this makes the individual citizen's vote nearly meaningless, since money into politial campaigns determines 'air time'
buy possibility, and those with the most money and heaviest marketing for their POV almost always win. So, this makes our 'democracy' a joke and essentially a lie. And yet, that same marketing is used to encourage people to sign up for the military and give their lives to do the bidding of corporations so that they retain access to the natural resources they extract and use to make their enormous and protected profits. This system is nothing less than parasitic on real people (corporations aren't - regardless of another ridiculous supreme court
'decision') and the strength and sustainability of our union. The supreme court justices who support this are neither - not supreme people, nor do they seem to have any grasp of what is just for the citizens of this country.
I am writing to urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue a rule requiring publicly traded corporations to publicly disclose all their political spending.
Both shareholders and the public must be fully informed as to how much the corporation spends on politics and which candidates are being promoted or attacked. Disclosures should be posted promptly on the SEC's web site.
Thank you for considering my comment.
Sincerely,
Trula Thompson