It’s two years now since the Supreme Court handed down its decision “Citizens United”, which removes limits on corporate political giving. Spending on elections, though now nearly impossible to track, has exploded. Floods of anonymous corporate money are drowning discussions in the early presidential primaries, and projections for political spending for this November’s election indicate there will be little but campaign attack ads to watch on television this year. The implications for our democracy are devastating.

But we the people have not been silent. The ridiculous fantasy that corporations are people and that spending corporate money is constitutionally protected free speech is wearing thin with Americans, and states and communities are taking action. In recent weeks the city councils of Los Angeles and New York City have joined councils in Missoula and Boulder in calling for a constitutional amendment to get corporate money out of our political process. Now the Supreme Court of Montana has directly challenged the “Citizens United” decision by upholding that state’s campaign finance law. Will other states follow Montana’s precedent and act to take back citizens’ constitutional protections? The momentum is building.

January 20 marks the second anniversary of “Citizens United”. In co-operation with Move to Amend, We the People-Eugene presents a rally at Eugene’s Federal Courthouse to celebrate our freedom and our democracy, and to urge the Eugene City Council to pass a resolution calling for an amendment to the United States Constitution which will end the dominance of corporations over our political process.

Come on down to the courthouse Friday January 20 from noon until 5 to hear speakers who are turning around the business as usual dominance of money over freedom. Speakers from Friends of Parvin Butte, the Pitchfork Rebellion. GMO-Free Eugene and Occupy Eugene will join Paul Cienfuegos (at 3), Stan Taylor of the Lane Peace Center and UO constitutional scholar John Davidson. We’ll kick off at noon with  union organizer Gordon Lafer of UO’s Labor Education and Research Center and forester Roy Keene, who will discuss “Who Owns Lane County?”. A  spokesperson from the Tea Party the has been invited. Music, street theater and hot chocolate provided. Bring your entries in the cookie baking contest directly to the organizers.

 

 

OCCUPY the COURTS

CELEBRATING FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY & the TRIAL of  MR. BIG & THE SUPREMES on the 2ND ANNIVERSARY of the “CITIZENS UNITED v FEC” DECISION

FRIDAY JAN 20 NOON to 5

EUGENE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE

(405 E 8th Ave )

*NOON*  DEFENDENTS ARRAIGNED
*12:10  GORDON LAFER- UNIONS &”CITIZENS UNITED”
*12:30   KARLY LOVELING DOES MUSIC
*12:40   ROY KEENE- “WHO OWNS LANE COUNTY?”
*  1:00    OCCUPY EUGENE SPEAKER
*  1:10    DAY OWEN- PITCHFORK REBELLION

*  1:20   PAM DRISCOLL- FRIENDS OF PARVIN BUTTE
*  1:30   JOHN DAVIDSON- CORPORATIONS & THE CONSTITUTION
*  1:45   OCCUPY EUGENE DOES STREET THEATER
*  2:00   DEFENDANTS INDICTED
*  2:05  JULIEN HARRISON- OCCUPY WALL STREET
*  2:15  SABRINA SIEGEL – GMO-FREE EUGENE
*  2:30  TRIAL OF MR BIG AND THE SUPREMES
*  2:40  STAN TAYLOR- A EUGENE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON CORPORATE RIGHTS
*  3:00  PAUL CIENFUEGOS- EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE
*  3:15  DAVID ROGERS – GUITAR
*  3:30  OCCUPY EUGENE SPEAKER
*  4:00  PEACE CHOIR
*  4:15  FROST – PARK STREET THEATER
*  4:25  SENTENCING MR BIG AND THE SUPREMES
*  4:30  OPEN MIKE

CONTACT (541) 937-3034 FOR MORE INFO!