Tuesday, February 5, 2008

10 Question Survey on Democracy and Corporate Rights

Directed to Candidates for US Representative from Ohio

1. Do you believe that business corporations should be allowed directly or through corporate-sponsored Political Action Committees (PACs) to donate to or invest money in political candidates or issue campaigns? (Note: at one time in Ohio, they couldn't.) If not, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

2. Do you believe that public officials should have the right to examine the financial books of business corporations (i.e. to prevent future Enrons and mortgage company collapses and/or to access the true profits of oil companies)? (Note: at one time in Ohio, they could.) If so, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

3. Do you believe that business corporations should have the right to move toxic trash into communities from another state if people in those communities don't want it? If not, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

4. Do you believe that people should have greater legal and constitutional rights than business corporations? (Note: at one time in Ohio, they did). If so, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

5. Do you believe that the health care system in the United States should be patient-run / doctor-run or run by insurance corporations? If the former, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

6. Do you believe that the public has ultimate control over the public airwaves rather than media corporations? If so, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

7. Do you believe that the public or business corporations should be in charge of electronic voting machines that are used in public elections? If the former, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

8. Do you believe the Iraqi people have a right to control their own oil reserves (and by extension the right to control their own nation), or that oil production and profit decisions should be placed in the hands of US and other western oil corporations? If the former, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

9. Do you believe workers should have the right to free speech and free assembly (contained in the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution) on corporate property? If so, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

10. Do you believe the public has the right to know the ingredients of food they eat or that business corporations have “Free Speech” rights to not publicly release the ingredients of the food they produce? If the former, what do you specifically plan to do about this if elected?

Please mail completed survey by February 29 to Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), 2101 Front St., #111, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 or fax to 330-928-2628 or email to GColeridge@afsc.org. Thanks!