California Politicians Could Soon be Forced to Wear Logos of Top Corporate Donors

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/news/2015/12/29/california-politicians-could-soon-be-forced-to-wear-logos-of-top-corporate-donors/

Popular memes calling for politicians to wear the logos of their corporate sponsors have circulated the Internet for years, but the suggestion may soon be a reality for California legislators. In the next week, a potential ballot measure, submitted to the Office of the Attorney General in October, is expected to receive title and summary for the 2016 election, meaning its advocates will be able to collect signatures in order to secure its official place on the ballot. The proposed law would require legislators and candidates to sport the emblems of groups that donate money to their campaigns.

As the advocacy group that launched the measure, California is Not for Sale, muses:

Imagine this: a California Senator is speaking on the floor and proposes a bill he just drafted that will give oil companies huge tax advantages. Now imagine if on his jacket, he was wearing Chevron, Shell, and BP logos – some of his top ten contributors. Our law will bring this under-the-table-corruption to the surface and expose these politicians who take political contributions in exchange for favors for what they really are: corrupt.

The ballot’s sponsor, John Cox, is an entrepreneur from San Diego and long-time advocate of reforming the California legislature, which is rife with scandal and corruption. The legislature has been plagued with multiple ethics violations and hearings, and last year, members of the governing body flew to Maui to meet with corporate executives and union bosses, who funded the trip by funneling funds through a non-profit organization. The Los Angeles Times reported on the doublespeak-inspired “Independent Voter Project,” which sponsored the event:

The group gets its money from about 24 entities, many putting up at least $7,500. They include Occidental Petroleum Corp., the Western State Petroleum Assn., Eli Lilly, the Altria tobacco firm, the California Cable and Telecommunications Assn., the state prison guards union and the California Distributors Assn., which represents distributors of tobacco and other products.

[Octafish]

1. Great idea, truth in labeling.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. It will have to quality for the ballot

so until it does... there are so many things that break into signature gathering that never make it...

[pnwmom]

3. Large corporations with thousands of employees are going to have the most employees

making donations. To anyone.

This whole thing of lumping, for example, all Boeing employees donations together and pretending they were donated by the corporation itself makes no sense to me.

[TryLogic]

14. As long as corporations are considered persons, it does.

[pnwmom]

15. How so? n/t

[brush]

4. I like, I like

That will bring who is bought-and-paid-for to the light of day.

[JI7]

5. lame

[jalan48]

6. I think the Supreme Count would invalidate such a law.

The current court is "corporate friendly" and I doubt they would make their colleagues dress up like NASCAR drivers. I mean, the indignity of it all!

[eridani]

8. Probably. But the whole campaign finance issue will be on the front burner for a year n/t

[jalan48]

10. I think the idea's great.

It focuses the attention on where and from whom these "public servants" are really getting their wages. It shows an increasing awareness of the blatant corruption taking place-flag pins are no longer enough.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, eridani.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

9. Will they change the flag to make them feel more at home?

[colsohlibgal]

11. Please Make It So

Too bad it is not policy now, that would bode quite well for Bernie.

[SoapBox]

12. I would happily vote YES!

[sonofspy777]

13. Politicians Like NASCAR drivers!

LOVE IT

knr

[former9thward]

16. Its a straight out violation of the 1st amendment.

But go ahead and pretend it going to happen.