The views and opinions expressed in Political Place do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sun Day or its staff. The section is meant to offer readers a chance to express their thoughts on political issues.
Supreme Court, you’re fired!
The Supreme Court’s disastrous decision on Citizens United in 2010 and now McCutcheon v. FEC on April 2 will make the lives of the Koch brothers and Sheldon Edelson easier and more profitable, while the lives of the rest of society will be squelched … in the voting booth, in Congress, and in state houses all over the country! In the 2012 elections, Kochs gave $407 million and Edelson gave $98 million, and both will double down for the 2016 elections. The Kochs are now giving big money to school boards and county boards to influence members to get what they want.
The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court said that “corporations are people and money is speech.” Now corporations can give unlimited amounts of money to candidates and political parties and buy TV ads against the opposition. This isn’t just about welfare for the corporatists and wealth it’s about corruption, unfair leverage, and power over those not in their “elite” club. Unions give money to politicians, too, but their contributions pale in comparison!
Now the Supreme Court has given millionaires and billionaires in the McCutcheon v. FEC decision the ability to give $3.6 million to buy our politicians per election cycle in the name of “free speech.”
Does “free speech” mean that politics is about smearing the opposition?
Does “free speech” mean the very wealthy have an unfair advantage and influence at the expense of the rest of us?
Does “free speech” mean that big bucks can overpower good candidates who want to represent middle class citizens?
Where are the fundamental “free speech” rights of those without bank accounts in the millions?
The legacy of this Supreme Court will be that they have destroyed democracy, giving us a “free-market democracy … everything is for sale to the highest bidder!
Joni Lindgren
Edgewater resident
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Is this how you want to be represented?
Records show that the Congressional Representative of Illinois’ District 14 voted to approve the Federal Budget proposed by Wisconsin’s Congressman Ryan on April 8. This is a plan that, while increasing defense spending, makes steep cuts in Medicaid and food stamps, repeals Affordable Care Act, and makes Medicare into a “premium support” system for individually purchased insurance. Yet the budget does not close corporate tax loopholes. The objective is supposedly to balance the federal budget by 2024, an assumption the Congressman makes based on the cuts plus tax revenue increase predictions rejected by independent economists. Is that what you want our government to do? Your representative is “representing” that you do. Do you want a bigger military? Do want poor people to go hungry? Do you want less education for our young? Do you want medical costs for seniors to rise while people now getting insurance under ACA despite pre-existing conditions are denied coverage? Your man in Congress is saying that you do.
There is an opportunity to not be so represented. And that is to vote for Dennis Anderson, Democratic candidate for Congress for the 14th District in the 2014 election. He will fight for keeping those beneficial programs. He will fight for the 99 percent. Your vote will count.
David Williams
Huntley Seniors for Progressive Action
