March 30, 2014
SEC
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 investors' money in secret.
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.
We, the people of the United States, are responsible for whom we elect as President, Governor, US and State Senators and Representatives, County and local officials. We expect all these elected politicians and statesmen and women to be responsible to us, the people of the United States.
We should not have to choose between candidates whose campaigns were paid for by major corporations and Political Action Committees whose donors are kept anonymous.
The last two elections have proven disastrous for the majority of the people, the health and welfare of the people, and the environment.
We should not have to elect candidates who have already pledged their
support to major corporations and PACs. We have seen personal,
financial and environmental disasters because our elected officials are beholden to whomever or whatever donated the most money to their campaigns.
What once was a 'government of the people, by the people and for the people' has become a government of corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations' that is bringing us closer and closer to the destruction of our natural world. (With apologies to A. Lincoln)
Thank you for considering my comment.
Sincerely,
Sarah Brown