March 24, 2012
I am deeply concerned about the influence of MONEY and corporate money on our electoral process. It seems that $$$ is the MAIN factor in winning an election?? How much $$$ you spend to brainwash the voters!!! is this what democracy has come to?
I would stop all advertizing completly, but if this system is staying, things must change, and there must be fairness and accountability.
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.
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, as a first step in going towards sanity.
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, or on the ad.
I am appalled at the idea that TV ads are what makes the elections, and the waste of $$$ on it. I am aware that it makes jobs for the folks in advertizing... People are so gullible, why exploit THAT part of them when trying to be a democracy?? Is it only a GAME, and the means are all out anything goes, without regard for the outcome?
I come from a country where there are 3 weeks of allowed political ads, right before the elections, once a day and every party gets an allotment of time for their ad. (pro rated by their exisiting members in parlament, new parties get time too.) It is quite entertaining and everyone in the country watches them! It runs for maybe 1/2 an hour. Even that costs but it is supposed to inform voters of the parties and their platforms. The idea that corperations are equal to an individual person is absurd, and everything should be done to over rule that law.
debra glickman
seattle, WA