Holy Toledo! They’re at it again.
We are used to the corporate interests opposing all of the bills MOVI supports. That’s no surprise. But the disingenuity in the CalChamber campaign against AB 83, The Get Foreign Money Out of California Elections Act has us really shaking our heads.
CalChamber, as they are now known, has filed the only letter in opposition to AB 83. You may remember that they used to be known as the California Chamber of Commerce, but when that name became too toxic from its association with every anti-worker campaign in California, they rebranded to something hipper and friendlier sounding.
But make no mistake, they are not democracy’s friends.
Now we’ve learned that CalChamber are lobbying Assembly Democrats with the message that AB 83 is unnecessary because foreign money is already prohibited in our elections. Aye yai yai!
Yes, federal law clearly prohibits foreign money in our elections contributed either “directly or indirectly”, but the SCOTUS mistake in Citizens United opened a loophole for foreign money to pour into our elections. The whole point of AB 83 is to #CloseTheLoophole and bring California back into compliance with federal law.
The plain truth is AB 83 is in trouble in the California Assembly. This should not be a close vote with the massive super-majority Democrats enjoy in both chambers of the California Legislature.
We’re working every angle we’ve got to make this happen now, including calls, letters, district meetings and any avenue we can travel.
There is still time to make just a few more Assembly Members do right by their voters if they hear from you today.
Is anyone else tired of common sense legislation coming up short? Legislation to shore up democracy, guarantee health care to all California residents, protect our precious, diverse, and fragile environment, invest in the education of our kids, fairly tax the super rich and every other darned thing that would make life a bit easier and safer for all of us, always seems to fall just short.
It’s the giant multi nationals that plague us. As I’ve mentioned in a previous diary, it’s expected that 98% of the S&P 500 US corporations will qualify as “foreign influenced” when AB 83 becomes law.
No wonder CalChamber hates AB 83. Those foreign influenced multi national corporations are their real constituency. The Chamber of Commerce was considered a force for good in local communities for a long time, but they have not been, for a long time.
We should remember that when Lewis Powell wrote his infamous memo right before Nixon named him to the Supreme Court, he wrote it to Eugene Sydnor, Director of the US Chamber of Commerce. They’re not serving the corner drug store anymore. Well, there aren’t many corner drug stores anymore.
CALL YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER TODAY!!
You can find your representative with this tool. You’ll see their name and your Assembly District number.
If you know your Assembly District number, you know your ASM’s phone number. Every ASM’s Capitol phone number is 916-319-20(AD). For example, I live in Assembly District 61, so my ASM Tina McKinnor’s number is 916-319-2061.
Call Now. Say “I’m calling to make sure my Assembly Member will be voting “AYE” on AB 83, because there should not be any foreign money in California elections!!”
Calls matter. Offices keep track of the numbers. Keep calling until you’re told your ASM is voting “AYE”!
Check out the previous AB 83 DK Diaries.
California-must-exploit-Citizens-United-s-devastating-error-defend-democracy-and-pass-AB83
CloseTheLoophole-Help-California-fix-the-foreign-money-mess-Citizens-United-made
Money-Out-Voters-In-California-can-close-the-Citizens-United-Foreign-Money-Loophole-with-AB-83
Michele Sutter is President and Co-Founder of MOVI, Money Out Voters In, the California sponsors of AB 83 - The Get Foreign Money Out of California Elections Act, now on the floor of the California Assembly.