the story of stuff: Citizens United v FEC
WA State Investment Trust (aka State Bank) HB 2434
Testimony January 26, 2012
Olympia, Wa
http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2012011233
Scott Silber, Boulder organizer with Move to Amend shares wisdom on working to pass a Resolution at the municipal level
Connect the Dot Radio, airs the 4th Monday of each month, on KAOS community radio. Last month we talked with Scott Silber, organizer extraordinaire with Move to Amend, who orchestrated with many others, passing both a local ballot initiative to abolish corporate personhood, and an initiative where the Boulder community voted in a locally owned public utility district. Olympia Move to Amend organizers spoke with Scott in late Nov, discussing the pros and cons of a ballot initiative. Hear a portion of that interview here:
LA County Passes Move to Amend Resolution!
December 6, 2011
THE VOTE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
Quote from Mary Beth Gardham, Move To Amend LA founder who spearheaded the effort to bring the resolution to the LA City Council.
"This is an incredibly historic day. Los Angeles is the first major city in the United States to call for a Constitutional Amendment calling and clearly establish that only human beings are entitled to co n and that money is not the same as free speech thus providing the basis to overturn the Citizens United decision. And get the money out of politics and put the people back in charge,
It's a great day for Los Angeles and it's a great day for the United States of America. I hope this is the vote heard around the world that really is a symbol to the rest of the country that they can do the same as we've done and together we're going to develop the grassroots support we need to actually amend our constitution and that's going to be done sooner rather than later."
Quote from Council President Eric Garcetti who introduced the amendment:
"Every struggle to amend the constitution began as just a group of regular Americans who wanted to end slavery, who thought women should vote, who believed that if you're old enough to be drafted, you should be old enough to vote. These are how American amendments move forward from the grassroots when Americans say enough is enough.
We're very proud to come together and send a message but more than that, this becomes the official position of the City of Los Angeles, we will officially lobby for this. I also chair a group which oversees all the Democratic mayors and council members in the country and we're going to share this with all our 3,000 members and we hope to see this start here in the west and sweep the nation until one day we do have a constitutional amendment which will return the power to the people. "
Quote from Council Member Bill Rosendahl:
"I could not believe the coalition of energy that filled the council chambers today. It made a huge difference. It was democracy at its best."
Quote from Council Member Paul Krekorian:
"What we saw in that chamber today was the beginning of a sea change in the way people think about politics in America and I hope that this will be the first day of a long and sustained movement that changes the way we represent ourselves and the way we demand the kind of government that we deserve."
Citizens' United:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
From the Democracy Convention; Move to Amend
See Ben Manski, ED Liberty Tree Foundation and Lisa Graves, Media and Democracy Feb 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V17c5phuvNk&feature=player_detailpage
Stephen Colbert on Occupy Wall Street:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/401092/october-31-2011/colbert-super-pac---occupy-wall-street-co-optportunity---stephen-on-location
Washington Investment Trust (a State Bank!)
Representative Bob Hasegawa's presentation:
Audio interview for Connect the Dots radio with Cindy Cole and John Repp, who wrote the text of the Legislation Bob Hasegawa is pushing forward in the State House of Representatives and Senate:
Stephen Colbert on Occupy Wall Street:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/401092/october-31-2011/colbert-super-pac---occupy-wall-street-co-optportunity---stephen-on-location
Washington Investment Trust (a State Bank!)
Representative Bob Hasegawa's presentation:
MOVIE LIST
Food Inc: The global food production business, controlled primarily by a handful of multinational corporations, has large quantities of food at low direct inputs (most often subsidized) resulting in enormous profits, which in turn results in greater control of the global supply of food sources within these few companies. Health and safety are often overlooked by the companies, and are often overlooked by government in an effort to provide cheap food regardless of these negative consequences.
Speaking Freely: Vol. 1: John Perkins: John Perkins, a former “economic hit man”, discusses the influence the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had on Third World countries as he convinced them to take on large -scale public works projects. These types of projects, funded by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have served to enrich U.S. corporations while enslaving Third World countries into further debt.
The War on Democracy: Venezuela, one of the many nations impoverished by U.S corporations and capitalistic greed, fought back for their rights through unity and dedication of the local people. Hugo Chavez, the leader for the people by the people of Venezuela, kicked out U.S interests, over threw the elite ruling democracy, and established an independent sovereign nation free from western threat of corporatocracy and imperialism.
Thirst: This film shows the anger and frustration people all over the world are encountering as corporations and government try to privatize water. The quality and costs to the public are damaging, while profit is concentrated in the hands of few. The World Bank and MNCs issue billion dollar contracts to governments to privatize water, while the costs fall on the local people and the land. Big Hydro projects disrupt the ecology and bring water prices to soaring costs, stealing the water from the hands of the people- violating basic human rights.
Ingredients: Community sustainable farming is an alternative approach to commercial farming. This local based farming system provides quality fresh produce to local communities within the area. This approach to commercial farming cuts energy and oil costs, which accounts for 1/5 of our energy and oil use. Sustainable farming grows higher yields, is friendly to the health and ecology of the land, and grows what’s in season. This way of farming promotes bio diversity and a break from the industrial food system and fossil fuel dependence.
Frontline Heat: Through industrialization, multinational corporations and western influence are drastically impacting climate change. Loyal to their shareholders, Ceos ignore regulations and guidelines that reduce CO2 emissions and continue practices that harm the environment and contribute to global warming. Because congress is embedded with the corporations, regulatory agencies are inefficient in enforcing reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Auto companies lobby congress heavily to keep EPA standards low, continuing the same destructive political system that enhances the rich and suppresses the poor.
The End of Poverty?: This film discusses the truth of our global economics and the system’s failure as a whole. It breaks down the capitalistic methods, which only perpetuate poverty and increase the wealth for few, while enhancing the U.S economy and Global Transnational Corporations who profit off the labor of third world countries.
The Inside Job: This film looks at those responsible for our financial crisis in 2008. It illustrates the power of our financial sector and their ability to manipulate the market for short-term profit, while compromising the lives of millions. The practices set in place by private financial institutions cost millions of people their jobs and homes.
Life and Debt: This film analyzes the unfair practices of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It reveals the truth behind their enslaving loans, which only further a country into increasing debt by placing restrictions and regulations on their exported goods while lowering trade tariffs on imported goods. This creates unfair competition in the country’s markets, for foreign goods sold cheaper than local commodities out sell local business putting markets out of competition weakening the economy.
The 11th Hour: This film reveals the destructive impact man-kind is having on planet earth. Through our dependence of carbon-stored energy a.k.a fossil fuels, we no longer rely on current sunlight to produce our goods and materials; instead we pollute the air and environment disrupting our global homeostasis- triggering global warming- all in the name of profit. Corporate interests and agendas are the main contributor to global warming. Their disregard for the environment and social responsibility to the people and ecosystems perpetuate the current state we’re in.
