The Roberts Supreme Court declared that corporations have the
same rights as actual human United States citizens.
So, why aren't any corporations running for public office?
Let us progressives fill this gigantic void in the political landscape by creating a corporation to run as a candidate in each key district where there is a "red" incumbent. That corporation will be called:
Jobs + [Name of City or Congressional District, or State] + Inc.
Then we will attempt to put that, ahem,
person on the ballot. It might be a write-in campaign, so it has to be a simple name, like "Jobs Detroit, Inc.", or "Jobs Ohio, Corp."
If it works, the Corporatist Party will shit themselves in fear and confusion. They will have to make a choice between two unpleasant alternatives:
1. Run a campaign against JOBS--err, against corporations--err, against "people" named "JOBS".
--OR--
2. Get the Supreme Court to reverse its Citizens United decision and declare that corporations really are not people with rights under the U.S. Constitution.
What might such a politically oriented corporation look like?
This is uncharted territory, so it can be pretty much what we want it to be, as long as it satisfies the requirements of the state in which it is incorporated.
For simplicity, it would probably be structured like a regular, for profit corporation as follows:
1. Stockholders elect the Board of Directors for staggered terms of office at an annual meeting.
2. The Board of Directors then elects the Chair of the Board, and selects a CEO.
3. Eligible stockholders are any adult living in the political district affected.
4. Each eligible person can buy one (and only one) share of voting stock for a dollar, and unlimited shares of non-voting stock for the same price. This is how money goes into the corporation.
5. The corporate board will be instructed to carry out the wishes of the stockholders as specified by their votes. In other words, one person, one vote. Just as our U.S. Constitution specifies.
6. The corporate charter will specify that the corporate funds will be spent on winning the election--or helping people get jobs.
What would it cost?
In my state, it costs less than $500 to incorporate, register the corporation with the state, and get a city business license. The documents of incorporation are pretty much boiler plate and can easily be copied from those of an existing local corporation, with only minor modifications. After a little legal review, a fine set of corporate documents can be produced by anyone with a computer and printer. I've done it myself a couple times.
It doesn't cost much to register as a candidate for office; however, I haven't done it, and can't comment on the complexities of getting on the ballot. Maybe someone who has done it can describe the process for various levels of government.
What if the Board of Elections Disapproves?
Heehee! This is where the fun starts. If the local Board of Elections won't let, for example, Jobs New Orleans, Co. register as a candidate, then we ask for help from the ACLU or other pro-bono legal group that defends the rule of law in the United States. The lawyers can sue the Board of Elections on behalf of our precious corporation that is being deprived of its f***ing constitutional rights.
How 'bout it?