Free Speech for People, Not Corporations!
RALLY to Take Back Democracy!
Monday, Feb. 22nd, 2010 6 - 7 PM at Lawyer's Mall, Annapolis
(The square in front of the State House & Governor's Mansion; 100 State Circle, Annapolis 21401)
Marylanders are responding to the shocking new Supreme Court ruling that corporations, for the first time, can spend unlimited funds to influence any local, state or federal political campaign, a ruling the state Senate president called "offensive" and "devastating to democracy."
Incredibly, the ruling establishes that corporations are like "people," protected by the constitution to spend unlimited sums to sway political campaigns as if this were "free speech."
Democracy should be about actual votes by actual citizens.
Now, any legislator who stands up to corporations like Exxon, United Health Care, Goldman Sachs, or Philip Morris can expect a challenger in the next election financed with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.
Maryland legislators responded with critical bills this year. The public campaign funding bill by State Sen. Pinsky and State Del. Cardin will begin to level the playing field.
Bills by State Senators Raskin and Frosh limit corporations' power over elections.
A constitutional amendment correcting this ruling, and the Fair Elections Now Act, for public campaign funding, have been introduced in the U.S. Congress and are supported by many reform groups.
Featuring an appearance by Designated Human Eric Hensal of Murray Hill, Inc. for Congress murrayhillincforcongress.com ("Corporations are People Too")
Legislators; other leaders will also address the crowd.
Park: 15 min early at the Naval Academy football stadium parking lot ($5.00) off of Rowe Blvd. (550 Taylor Ave Annapolis 21401), then take the free shuttle.
Contact: fairandcleanmd@gmail.com, 240-280-2582 or 410-812-1447
Rally participants to date: Prosperity Agenda, TrueVoteMD, Voters for Peace, FreeSpeechforPeople.org, Public Citizen, Progressive Maryland, Maryland Common Cause, SEIU Maryland/DC State Council, The Center for Corporate Policy, Voter Action, The League of Women Voters - Maryland Chapter, Maryland Progressive Democrats of America, Maryland Public Interest Research Group, Progressive Working Group, Democracy for Montgomery County, The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland, The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom - Baltimore & Catonsville Branches, Environment Maryland, Citizens Against Unlimited Corporate Campaign Contributions, Fair And Clean Elections-MD
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