HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-10-2012 Public Comment Hafemeister Racouillat 2Goodwin, Heather
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-
JUL
0 2012
From: Schroeder, Sheryll
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 9:04 AM
SLO CITY CLERK
To: Goodwin, Heather
Subject: FW: Citizen United vs. the Federal
Election Commission
Attachments: SLO City, AJR 22, July 8.pdf
,AGENDA
Heather, here's council correspondence from Mayor. Sheryll
CORRESPONDENCE
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From: Marx, Jan
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Sent: Monday, July 09, 2012 5:36 PM
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To: Lichtig, Katie; Dietrick, Christine
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Cc: Codron, Michael; Schroeder, Sheryll
o CLERK! R G o POLICE CHIEF
Subject: FW: Citizen United vs. the Federal Election Commission
a PARKS & REC DIR
o UTILDIR
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o COUNCIL
Agenda correspondence
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Jan Howell Marx
a CLERK
Mayor of San Luis Obispo
(805) 781 -7120 or (805) 541 -2716
From: David W. Hafemeister [dhafemei @calpoly.edu]
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2012 11:16 AM
To: Marx, Jan; Carpenter, Dan; Carter, Andrew; Smith, Kathy; Ashbaugh, John
Cc: Racouillat; dhafemei @calpoly.edu
Subject: Citizen United vs. the Federal Election Commission
Below and Attached: We plan to present this in the 3- minute commentary on Tuesday.
July 8, 2012
To: San Luis Obispo City Council
Mayor Jan Marx, Vice -Mayor Dan Carpenter, Council Members John Ashbaugh, Andrew Carter, and Kathy Smith
From: David Hafemeister, Rick Racouillat
Re: Citizen United vs. the Federal Election Commission
We respectfully understand that national political issues are not generally part of local governance. However, we are
concerned that the United States Supreme Court decision in Citizen United vs. the Federal Election Commission decided
in 2010 will have a negative and pervasive impact on elections at all levels of government. In that decision, and as
extended by later Supreme Court decisions, Federal regulations limiting corporate, union and non - profit organization
contributions and expenditures in Federal elections were declared unconstitutional.
On June 25, 2012, the US Supreme Court struck down a century -old Montana state campaign finance law that limits
corporate political spending, effectively applying the Court's controversial 2010 Citizen United ruling to state laws.
The Supreme Court decision in Citizens Unitt. and its progeny now allow companies, un, s, committees, Super Pacs
and individuals to spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose political candidates in both Federal and
State elections. The prospect of the corrosive distortion of the political process through a torrent of corporate spending
is deeply troubling, and a clear threat to our democracy.
The California Legislature memorialized its opposition to Citizen United by passing Assembly Joint Resolution 22 this past
Friday, resolving that:
"The Legislature of the State of California respectfully disagrees with the majority opinion and decision ... in Citizens
United ... and calls upon the United States Congress to propose and send to the States for ratification a constitutional
amendment to overturn Citizens United ... and to restore constitutional rights and fair elections to the people ...."
We ask that the San Luis Obispo City Council join the California Legislature, more than 20 California cities, six States and
innumerable cities and organizations throughout the United States, to formally register its opposition to the Citizens
United decision, and to call on the US Congress to pass a constitutional amendment restoring to our local, State and
Federal governing bodies, the power to regulate contributions and expenditures in Federal, State and local elections.
David Hafemeister
(805) 544 -5096, dhafemei(@calpoly.edu
papers at http : / /works.bepress,com /dhafemei/