Letter: Initiate action to get I-1329 on ballot

Five unelected Supreme Court judges decided that our government is for sale to the highest bidder. Extending First Amendment free speech rights to corporate entities has allowed the wealthiest few to buy our elections. Three Supreme Court decisions have allowed our local and national voices to be drowned out by the influence of big money:

1. 1976, Buckley v. Valeo — Since corporations don’t have mouths, they can speak with dollars.

2. 2010, Citizens United v. FEC — Since corporations have free speech rights under the First Amendment, any restrictions on political spending violates those rights.

3. 2012, unlimited spending applies to state and local elections as well.

These decisions effectively silence the “voice” that we human beings have in our political system.

An all-volunteer movement is working to get Initiative 1329, “We, the People, claim our Democracy,” on the Washington state ballot in November. Help us become the 17th state to tell Congress that we support an amendment declaring that corporations are not human beings and money is not speech. Join us for a presentation at 10 a.m. March 22 at the Camas City Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas. The meeting room is on the second floor.

Janet Lykins

Brush Prairie