Orcas Citizens Unite to Say “Money is not Speech”

Thursday June 28, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Orcas Public Library

“Money Out of Politics” is  a signature gathering effort on San Juan, Lopez and Orcas to put pressure on the San Juan County Council to pass a resolution saying,  in short, that  corporations are not people and money is not speech.” The effort, inspired by the “Move to Amend” campaign,  calls for a Constitutional amendment in support of that philosophy and in opposition to recent Supreme Court rulings, such as Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission.

On Thursday, June 28 at the Orcas Public Library from 4:00-5:30 there will be a “Money Out of Politics” Resolution Meeting to collaborate/strategize an Orcas-San Juan-Lopez petition drive to present to the SJ County Council during open comment, requesting a Resolution (see below). The goal is 1,500 signatures for this summer, before the election.Currently there are about 600 signatures obtained.

The purpose of this meeting is to get the County Council to pass a Resolution directed to state and federal legislators that the people of San Juan County want a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that corporations are not people and money is not speech.

The purpose is also to bring this issue before residents to educate about the problem, build a coalition and ground-swell of public support, so to help other municipalities to resolve.

Resolution:
The County of San Juan, Washington hereby includes in its 2012 Federal and State Legislative Priorities support for a constitutional amendment ensuring that artificial entities, such as corporations, trade unions and similar organizations, are not entitled to the protections or “rights” of people, so as to specifically ensure that (1) spending by such entities to influence the electoral process is not a form of constitutionally protected speech and (2) such limitations as Congress, as well as state and local jurisdictions, may choose to enact to restrict such expenditures, by either artificial entities or individuals, are legal and viable under the Constitution.

The full Resolution, including the petition can be viewed at  www.moopsanjuan.com

Meeting Agenda:

1. Give information and links if folks need more knowledge about it.
2. Discuss what we want to accomplish locally and as a state-wide coalition.
3. Inform what the current situation is with the County Council and how we can get their attention.
4. Decide on number of Petitions for Orcas & San Juan and discuss how to take it to public comment.
5. Planned presentations for open comment at every meeting.
6. Plans for events, movies, skits, flash mob – easy things to inform.
7. Letters to the editors
8. Farmer’s Market & SJ County Fair

Contact Sharon Abreu at sharmuse@gmail.com to RSVP.