PLATTSBURGH — About two dozen people braved a biting wind Friday in downtown Plattsburgh to let their feelings be known about big corporations financially hijacking elections.
"This is big. Especially in a country where so many people are not paying attention," protester Tim Palmer said.
He was one of a group of people who spent a few hours outside Congressman Bill Owens's office on Durkee Street Friday decrying the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that ruled that corporations have the same rights as people when it comes to expressing free speech in the form of campaign donations.
The Plattsburgh protest was in conjunction with demonstrations nationwide to bring attention to the issue.
"The Constitution is quite clear," Palmer said.
"Corporations were formed back then to execute a state project, like a bridge or something. They've taken this way too far. They are not people."
DEFINING CANDIDATES
George Baker, head of the Clinton County Working Families Party, said his party fully supports publicly financed campaigns to take the election power away from corporations and their deep pockets.
"It's gotten to the point where they (corporations) define the candidates," he said. "Reform is definitely needed."
Owens (D-Plattsburgh), who met with some of the protesters Friday, also disagrees with the Supreme Court decision.
"It just allows more money to be thrown into a system that is already overrun with money," he said.
Owens said that both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of taking heaps of money from corporate donors. He also supports publicly funded campaigns.
"If you go to publicly funded campaigns, you eliminate the private donors from within the corporations, and every candidate would get the same amount."
COUNCIL LOBBIED
Palmer said that another way to change the system is to persuade Congress to amend the Constitution to limit corporations' donating power. The way to do that is by starting at the local level, urging local governments to support such a change.
Some of the protesters appeared at the City of Plattsburgh Common Council meeting Thursday night, asking that body to consider passing a local resolution opposing the Supreme Court ruling.
"We can't afford our own lobbyist, so we are asking you to be our voice and say that (the) 'corporations are people' (decision) is not good for our democracy and America," former City Councilor Michael Kelly said.
Jennifer Colver read a letter that said, in part, "The fact is that a radicalized Supreme Court in Washington has ruled that money is speech and that corporations are people whose speech is protected by the First Amendment. This guarantees that only the 1 percent are wealthy enough to decide who gets to run and who gets to win elections in the United States of America."
Former City Councilor Bill Provost urged the council to take some kind of action on the issue.
"As long as there are elections in our country, this will be a local issue," he said.
Mayor Donald Kasprzak said the councilors are free to offer such a resolution for a vote if any of them desires.
"It has always been my belief that if a councilor wants to bring forth any resolution, regardless of the topic, they have every right to do so," he said.
"I look forward to the debate if that happens."
Email Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com
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