July 14, 2014
It has recently come to my attention that the SEC is proposing elimination of requirements that corporations disclose to the public the recipients of their political spending. I am opposed to eliminating such requirements and would ask that instead the SEC should strengthen such requirements. It is my belief that secrecy in business dealings may very well be appropriate if protection of a business' proprietary information upon which their business is founded is the reason for such secrecy. However, the intrusion of corporate business into the political sphere is at the root of many ills within our society precisely because they are immune to scrutiny concerning their political motivations and activity. A democracy should maintain at its core an open access to information that will allow its citizenry to make well-informed decisions over issues which affect their lives.
Please continue to require and if possible strengthen public access/accountability for corporate political activities, monetary support, and lobbying efforts.
Thank you for considering my comment.
Dale Hill
Parkdale, OR