Corporations or People

Has anything changed?

In 1906, a newspaper in Montana said, "The greatest living issue that confronts us today is whether the corporations shall control the people, or the people shall control the corporations."
-- Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock

Super lobbyists: Citizens stand up to corporate power:

letter to the editor
Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2012/11/super_lobbyists_citizens_stand.html

From Massachusetts to Oregon, Colorado to Illinois, and California to Ohio, citizens throughout the country voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 6 for their legislators to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling and declare that only human beings -- not corporations -- are entitled to constitutional rights and that money is not speech and campaign spending can be regulated.

Residents in more than 150 cities, including Brecksville and Newburgh Heights here in Northeast Ohio, had the opportunity to vote on measures calling for an end to the doctrines of corporate constitutional rights and money as free speech. Every single one passed.

More council resolutions, ordinances and initiatives across Ohio are planned in 2013. Contact ohio@movetoamend.org for more information.

Greg Coleridge Cleveland Heights

Coleridge is director of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee and the Ohio coordinator for Move to Amend.

MONETARY HISTORY CALENDAR November 26 – December 2

NOVEMBER 30

1835 – BIRTH OF MARK TWAIN

"I wasn't worth a cent two years ago, and now I owe two millions of dollars."

DECEMBER 1

1135 – DEATH OF KING HENRY I OF ENGLAND

About 1100, King Henry, short on gold money, created a unique form of government issued money – Tally Sticks. These sticks were just that – polished pieces or sticks of wood with notches of a certain size to indicated the value of the wood. They were declared by the King as money and issued for purchases. They were accepted by the King for payment of taxes. Tally Sticks was an accepted debt-free government-issued money system of England for over 700 years, including the period of the rise of the British Empire.

NOTICE OF UPCOMING NORTHEAST OHIO PROGRAMS ON MONETARY REFORM

THE FISCAL CLIFF DISTRACTION

Ending the Debt without Cutting Spending or Raising Taxes

Presentation by Jamie Walton --Monetary Researcher, American Monetary Institute (AMI)

While Congress and media pundits discuss and debate ways to reduce our national debt through spending and taxes policies while protecting social programs and earned entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, few in DC are proposing a profound way to eliminate our federal debt altogether — by We the People taking back control from banks the ability to issue and circulate our own money. This is by "democratizing our "monetary policy." A specific bill, H.R. 2990, was introduced earlier this year, the National Emergency Employment Defense (NEED) Act. It would eliminate the debt through creating debt-free U.S. money (compared to most money, which is created by banks via loans, or debt, which must be repaid with interest). The proposed legislation would create 7 million jobs repairing our nation's basic infrastructure. Mr. Walton and the AMI have been major initiators and promoters of H.R. 2990. Democratizing our monetary policy, as Mr. Walton will discuss, avoids any need to cut spending or raise taxes — with much better economic and social justice results, including ending our nation's federal debt. 

Monday, December 10, 6:30 pm

Northwest Akron branch of Akron Public Library (Large Meeting Room)

1720 Shatto Ave, Akron

Sponsored by the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee

More information, gcoleridge@afsc.org

Tuesday, December 11, 7:00 pm

Madison Branch of the Lakewood Public Library (Basement Meeting Room) 

13229 Madison Ave., Lakewood

Sponsored by the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee, Monetary Literacy Group

More information, gcoleridge@afsc.org, monetaryliteracy@gmail.com

----------

Why this calendar? Many people have questions about the root causes of our economic problems. Some questions involve money, banks and debt. How is money created? Why do banks control its quantity? How has the money system been used to liberate (not often) and oppress (most often) us? And how can the money system be “democratized” to rebuild our economy and society, create jobs and reduce debt?
Our goal is to inform, intrigue and inspire through bite size weekly postings listing important events and quotes from prominent individuals (both past and present) on money, banking and how the money system can help people and the planet. We hope the sharing of bits of buried history will illuminate monetary and banking issues and empower you with others to create real economic and political justice.
This calendar is a project of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee. Adele Looney, Phyllis Titus, Donna Schall, Leah Davis, Alice Francini and Greg Coleridge helped in its development.
Please forward this to others and encourage them to subscribe. To subscribe/unsubscribe or to comment on any entry, contact monetarycalendar@yahoo.com  For more information, visit http://www.afsc.net/economiccrisis.html  Previous calendar entries are posted at http://afsc.net/monetaryhistorycalendar.html

MONETARY HISTORY CALENDAR November 19-25

NOVEMBER 19

1831 – BIRTH OF JAMES GARFIELD, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

"Whosoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce, and when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled, one way or another, by a few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate."

NOVEMBER 20

1910 -- DEATH OF LEO TOLSTOY, RUSSIAN WRITER AND SOCIAL REFORMER

"Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal, there is no human relation between master and slave. "

  

NOVEMBER 21

1944 – BIRTH OF DICK DURBIN, US SENATOR, ILLINOIS

"And the banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place.”

Interview on WJJG 1530 AM's "Mornings with Ray Hanania," April 2009

NOVEMBER 22

1879 – BIRTH of RALPH HAWTREY, FORMER SECRETARY OF TREASURY, ENGLAND.

"Banks lend by creating credit. They create the means of payment out of nothing."

NOVEMBER 23

1910 – JEKYLL ISLAND MEETING TO PLAN FOR US PRIVATE CENTRAL BANK

Attending this secret meeting were US Senator Nelson Aldrich; A. Piatt Andrew, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury; Frank Vanderlip, president of the National City Bank of New York; Henry P. Davison, senior partner of J.P. Morgan Company; D. Norton, president of the Morgan-dominated First National Bank of New York; Benjamin Strong (a lieutenant of J.P. Morgan); and Paul Warburg, connected to the banking house of Kuhn, Loeb. The meeting would lead to the Aldrich bill, which eventually led to the Federal Reserve Act, passed in 1913.

NOVEMBER 25

1874 – GREENBACK PARTY FOUNDED

The Greenback Party was founded on this day at a convention in Indianapolis. Many of its members were farmers hurt by the financial Panic of 1873 (also known as the “Crime of ‘73”). The party supported “Greenback” paper money (U.S. Notes) issued and spent into circulation by the Lincoln administration. They opposed all money systems backed by any precious metal, believing that those who owned gold or silver (banks and corporations) would possess the power to define the value of products and labor. Government control of the US money system would also ensure sufficient quantity of money was in circulation to help small businesses and farmers. Twenty one independent congressmen, mostly Greenbackers, were elected in 1878.

--------------

Why this calendar? Many people have questions about the root causes of our economic problems. Some questions involve money, banks and debt. How is money created? Why do banks control its quantity? How has the money system been used to liberate (not often) and oppress (most often) us? And how can the money system be “democratized” to rebuild our economy and society, create jobs and reduce debt?
Our goal is to inform, intrigue and inspire through bite size weekly postings listing important events and quotes from prominent individuals (both past and present) on money, banking and how the money system can help people and the planet. We hope the sharing of bits of buried history will illuminate monetary and banking issues and empower you with others to create real economic and political justice.
This calendar is a project of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee. Adele Looney, Phyllis Titus, Donna Schall, Leah Davis, Alice Francini and Greg Coleridge helped in its development.
Please forward this to others and encourage them to subscribe. To subscribe/unsubscribe or to comment on any entry, contact monetarycalendar@yahoo.com  For more information, visit http://www.afsc.net/economiccrisis.html  

MONETARY HISTORY CALENDAR November 12-18

NOVEMBER 12

1999 – ENACTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES MODERNIZATION ACT (ALSO KNOWN AS GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT)

The act removed many barriers contained in the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, including those that separated banking, securities and insurance corporations. The result was massive combination and consolidation within the financial sector – creating enormously powerful institutions.. The bill was pushed for by leading Republicans in Congress, including Phil Gramm and signed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

  

NOVEMBER 13

1856  –  LOUIS BRANDEIS, US SUPREME COURT JUSTICE (1916-1939)

“The goose that lays golden eggs has been considered a most valuable possession. But even more profitable is the privilege of taking the golden eggs laid by somebody else's goose. The investment bankers and their associates now enjoy that privilege. They control the people through the people's own money.” Louis Brandeis, Other People's Money and How the Bankers Use It (1913)

NOVEMBER 15

1637 – WAMPUM ACCEPTED AS CURRENCY

On November 15, 1637 the Massachusetts General Court stated that wampum beads would pass at 6 to a penny and were to be legal as payment in sums under 12 pence   http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/Wampum.intro.html

NOVEMBER 16 

1914 – US FEDERAL RESERVE OPENS FOR BUSINESS

“Commercial banks create checkbook money whenever they grant a loan, simply by adding new deposit dollars in accounts on their books in exchange for a borrower's IOU.” From  I Bet You Thought, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

2006 – DEATH OF MILTON FRIEDMAN, US ECONOMIST

"The Federal Reserve definitely caused the Great Depression by contracting the amount of currency in 
circulation by one-third from 1929 to 1933."

-----------------

Why this calendar? Many people have questions about the root causes of our economic problems. Some questions involve money, banks and debt. How is money created? Why do banks control its quantity? How has the money system been used to liberate (not often) and oppress (most often) us? And how can the money system be “democratized” to 

rebuild our economy and society, create jobs and reduce debt?

Our goal is to inform, intrigue and inspire through bite size weekly postings listing important events and quotes from prominent individuals (both past and present) on money, banking and how the money system can help people and the planet. We hope the sharing of bits of buried history will illuminate monetary and banking issues and empower you with others to create real economic and political justice.

This calendar is a project of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee. Adele Looney, Phyllis Titus, Donna Schall, Leah Davis, Alice Francini and Greg Coleridge helped in its development.

Please forward this to others and encourage them to subscribe. To subscribe/unsubscribe or to comment on any entry, contact monetarycalendar@yahoo.com  For more information, visit http://www.afsc.net/economiccrisis.html  

People in Ohio Vote to End Corporate Personhood and Money as Speech. Twice!

Ballot measures in BOTH Newburgh Heights and Brecksville passed. Voters in each community supported calling on Congress to support a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring:

- Only human beings, not corporations, are legal persons with Constitutional rights, and
- Money is not equivalent to speech, and therefore, regulating political contributions and spending does not equate to limiting political speech.

A second provision of each ballot measure calls for a local community-sponsored public hearing where residents can testify on the impact of political contributions by corporations, unions, and Super PACs on their community.

While similar in these ways, the measures were different…and historic in Ohio.

NEWBURGH HEIGHTS becomes the first city in Ohio to pass a Move to Amend initiative placed on the ballot by the Mayor and Council. Rather than simply pass a Resolution, Newburgh Heights deliberately chose to let the people decide. And did they ever - by 74%!

BRECKSVILLE becomes the first city in Ohio to pass a Move to Amend initiative placed on the ballot via citizen initiative. Despite active opposition by the power structure in this "conservative" community, the measure passed with 52% of the vote.

Congratulations to the people of both communities who voted Yes! Congratulations to Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins and Newburgh Heights council for their prophetic decision to place this issue on the ballot and educate residents. And congratulations to Citizens for Transparent Politics in Brecksville, co-founded by Rose and Jack Petsche, for their tireless work to gain ballot access and wage an educational campaign.

May their victories inspire others elsewhere to wage campaigns to pass resolutions, organize citizens initiatives and call on councils to place similar measures on their local ballots to let the people decide!

Who's next!

Vote…then Organize to End Corporate Rule/Money as Speech

Tomorrow is election day, 2012. If you already haven't, make sure to VOTE for President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative, State Assembly, State Supreme Court justices, State School Board, state issues, local offices, local judges and local issues. 

But democracy is more than voting. It's doing critical and equally important work between elections…

…to EDUCATE the public on important issues and concerns

…to ADVOCATE to elected officials to change or create laws

…to ORGANIZE individuals via groups and coalitions for campaigns and movements to press officials to change/create laws or to launch citizen initiatives to enact new laws

While voting is important, the truth is NO MATTER who is (re)elected tomorrow…

- Corporations will STILL possess never intended inalienable constitutional rights, and

- Money will STILL be defined as equal to speech

Both corporations and money, therefore, will STILL not be able to be regulated in ways which give people without money the ability to have their voices heard, their needs met, and their communities helped. 

While the effort to (un)elect individuals is very important in furthering what's left of our republic and democracy, until and unless we end the constitutional doctrines that corporations are people and money is speech -- these constitutional shields will forever prevent them from being responsible and accountable to We the People.  

So make sure to vote (if you already haven't!) November 6.

Then rest November 7 (especially if you were involved in a political campaign). 

But then on November 8 commit yourself to helping change the constitutional ground rules shielding corporations and the wealthy few, which permit them to perpetually dominate our politics, economy and society. 

Commit to helping the Move to Amend coalition pass a constitutional amendment declaring:

- Only human beings, not corporations, are legal persons with Constitutional rights, and

- Money is not equivalent to speech, and therefore, regulating political contributions and spending does not equate to limiting political speech.

If interested in helping out in your community, email me at gcoleridge@afsc.org

Corporations are NOT People. Money is NOT Speech. MovetoAmend.org