February 1, 2013
Dear Members of the Securities and Exchange Commission:
Hello,
My name is Barbara Allgaier.
I am writing to express my profound hope that you proceed with the critical work of requiring disclosure of corporations' political contributions.
I was extremely heartened -- excited, even -- when I first heard that you are in fact planning to effect a rule that will help accomplish this. Thank you for your efforts.
I was, as I think most citizens in the U.S. are, dismayed and in disbelief that such a ruling could possibly have been made by the Supreme Court.
I am a Democrat, usually on the progressive end of the Democratic spectrum (except for the anomoly of my fury about illegal immigration), but I realize, and accept -- though I'm horrified about it -- that the Citizens United case is now a settled issue, and will be for a long time.
What I can't accept -- and can't even begin to understand -- is how or why the decision allowed for secrecy about who is giving money to whom! WHY was secrecy -- non-disclosure -- ever allowed? I see no reason for it, except to allow donations that are improper, or that corporations think there will be a backlash against them for doing something, maybe nefarious is too strong a word, but WRONG.
Or that they have ulterior motives that they don't want revealed.
I believe that any political donations I would make are in the public record. Or at any rate, I can't even begin to imagine any reason why I or anybody else would object to that.
I usually avoid trite aphorisms, but find myself thinking of the one that's something like: If one isn't doing anything wrong, what does one have to hide?
Please open up the records of political funding!!! There are so many things that are hampering our beliefs in freedom, openness and equality, and this is one of them.
(Another egregious one that I simply can't stand, is the power of lobbyists -- not only those for conservative causes, but leftwing progressive ones, too.)
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Barbara Allgaier