Sign Petition to Ban Corporate Campaign Contributions & SHARE

http://vpirg.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=8477.0&dlv_id=13564&pgwrap=n

The Vermont Senate passed S.120, a VPIRG-backed bill that would ban corporate campaign contributions in the state. But now we need your help as the bill moves to the House Committee on Government Operations.

We need to let legislators on that committee know that Vermonters care about corporate influence over elections. That's why we'll be hand-delivering our petition to them in the days ahead. The longer that list of signers, the larger the impact this petition will have.

If you haven't already, add your name to this petition in support of S.120 — the ban on corporate campaign contributions in Vermont.http://vpirg.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=8477.0&dlv_id=13564&pgwrap=n

Despite the fact that corporations have been prohibited from giving direct campaign contributions to political candidates at the federal level for more than 100 years, Vermont still treats corporations the same as people in terms of the contributions they are allowed to make to political candidates.

At VPIRG, we know that corporations are not people and should not have the same rights that people have when it comes to elections. 

As a matter of public policy, corporations have been given certain advantages over real people, such as limited liability and unlimited life. But these advantages were intended to help our economy flourish. They were not intended to result in undue corporate influence over the political process.

This year, we have our best chance ever to make sure Vermont joins 22 other states and the federal government in passing this long overdue measure to rein in corporate power.

We’ve never before gotten this bill passed by either chamber. So this year is already different. But now it’s critical that we let legislators know it’s time to put an end to direct corporate influence over elections in Vermont.

In 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt forcefully declared that, “All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law.”

We agree completely, and that is why we’re supporting S.120. 

Thank you,

Paul Burns
Executive Director, VPIRG