Extra Letters: Corporate campaign contributions

<p class="bold allcaps">Corporate rights</p> <p>EDITOR: If, as ruled by the Supreme Court, corporations are defined as “persons,” then they should be subject to the rules, regulations and penalties that society requires along with the rights that are granted under our Constitution.</p><p>Thus, if a corporation commits fraud, larceny, manslaughter or even treason, the board of directors and executives should be subject to indictment, prosecution and the same punishments as those meted out to ordinary persons.</p><p>Also, the special tax benefits given to corporations should be changed to those now “enjoyed” by real people.</p><p>STUART SCHY</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Wreaking havoc</h3> <p>EDITOR: The Supreme Court's decision to strike down a 100-year-old ban on corporate spending on political campaigns is, among other things, a major blow against the environment.</p><p>Imagine how much money corporations — including agricultural interests — will spend to support candidates sympathetic to their concerns about environmental protections that they perceive as inhibiting their business objectives. All this will be done, of course, to protect the interests of the shareholders — while simultaneously forgetting that we are all shareholders of our environment.</p><p>Thanks to his Supreme Court picks, George W. Bush is still wreaking havoc on our country a year after leaving office.</p><p>DAVID HOLCOMBE</p><p>Graton</p><h3>Media armies</h3> <p>EDITOR: Mary O'Connor fears that corporations may form armies under the second amendment (“Corporate armies,” Letters, Saturday). I would submit that corporations have already formed armies. No, not under the Second Amendment but under unfair and unconstitutional speech limitations. I refer to the corporations that own television news programs. The large newspapers are all corporations.</p><p>Those corporations under McCain-Feingold were allowed to “campaign” for candidates of their choice, almost exclusively Democrats, with the exception of Fox and a few newspapers, utilizing their “armies” of liberal reporters, while other corporations were, by law, prohibited from doing the same.</p><p>The ruling gives all citizens and businesses the same rights and protections under the law that news outlets have exclusively had in the past. So, I doubt our founding fathers are turning over in their graves. Indeed, I would think they would be very happy that the document they produced is seeing the light of day.</p><p>As for O'Connor's fear of corporate-armed armies, I think corporations have enough to worry about right now. An armed population is an army.</p><p>SHANE BRYANT</p><p>Hidden Valley Lake</p><h3>U.S. principles</h3> <p>EDITOR: In another attempt to devalue the rights of Americans, the Supreme Court voted along partisan lines. This time the justices released a decades-old control on corporate and union spending on elections.</p><p>The partisan agendas of America's political parties polarize American society. Polarizing society causes separation, which destroys our freedom. It's an act of tyranny.</p><p>The problems is Americans are indoctrinated to serve a corporate mockery of democracy (Gov Corp.) instead of being taught how to convey the principles of freedom. Unless self-educated, Americans are kept ignorant of how to convey the founding principles of American freedom. Not conveying its principles precludes freedom.</p><p>Why isn't there a national curriculum teaching Americas how to convey America's founding principles of freedom? We're not even encouraged to know them. Without that knowledge, Americans can't perpetuate their freedom. This is the cause of all America's problems. To properly correct a wrongful effect, one must first correct its cause.</p><p>RAY WITHEY</p><p>Willits</p><h3>A plutocracy</h3> <p>EDITOR: The Supreme Court's benighted decision to permit corporate campaign spending amounts to selling democracy down the river (I use this metaphor deliberately).</p><p>The Supreme Court has now sanctioned the last step needed to establish a corporate plutocracy in America. Liberals, Democrats, conservatives, Republicans and independents should all be deeply concerned about the future of our democracy and republic. Corporate interests can now own the presidency and Congress by their control of media and campaign finance.</p><p>The checks and balances outlined in the Constitution have been undermined by this decision. The likelihood that legislation would be enacted that favors public interests over corporate interests has disappeared.</p><p>Unless willing to commit political suicide, no member of Congress could withstand the financial and media threats that could be imposed if that member does not succumb to corporate intimidation that has now been legalized by the Supreme Court.</p><p>What future presidential candidate would not be beholden to corporate interests to finance his or her election? What congressional or presidential candidate would not tremble in fear of a corporately financed smear campaign? This is a sad time for American democracy.</p><p>DENNIS BUSS</p><p>Petaluma</p>