As a kid growing up, I was misled into believing that the Supreme Court was the last bastion of justice. While every once in a while, it is, the scars on our democracy are nearly always evidence of partisan bias within the court. Gerrymandering is but one more such scar.
None of those scars will fully heal unless the biggest scar, Citizen…
As a kid growing up, I was misled into believing that the Supreme Court was the last bastion of justice. While every once in a while, it is, the scars on our democracy are nearly always evidence of partisan bias within the court. Gerrymandering is but one more such scar.
None of those scars will fully heal unless the biggest scar, Citizens United, is overturned by legislation or amendment. More than a scar, CU is a crippling disability that like say, dementia, has caused America to forget where it left its moral principles. It appears that politicians in both parties have put greed for donations ahead of our democracy, or Congress would have killed that worst SCOTUS decision in my lifetime.
If Dems ever do try to undo Citizens United (and the stupid decision that corporations are citizens which justified it) they might also limit SCOTUS terms and institute the same ethical standards as all other federal officials.
Not just Citizens united Tom, but there are stepping stones. The first stone was Santa Clara County via Southern Pacific Railroad, and a head note which stated "that corporations are considered "persons" within the meaning of the 14th Amendment." The headnote was not part of the ruling, but was added by a clerk of the court who had been the president of a railroad.
uckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
While the government can limit how much individuals contribute to political campaigns, it cannot place limits on campaign expenditures, expenditures by a candidate from personal resources, or independent expenditures by groups supporting the campaign. This is because the Court equated money with speech in this context, so the First Amendment applies.
First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti was a 1978 landmark Supreme Court case that established the First Amendment right of corporations to contribute to ballot initiatives and express their political views:
These led to Citizens United, they all need to be overturned, but with the present SCOTUS and Trump humping Judicial system, and project 2025, what's the chance?
Actually thanks go to Thom, who educated me some years ago, not only on Santa Clara, but Buckley and Belloti, I am an awake student of the Hartmann University. :)
It is scary isn't it Daniel, We are living on the cusp of a neo feudalistic society, that is theocratic in nature. I would not be surprised if they passed a law, requiring one to get a permit to change jobs or employers.
Mr. Solomon, when I read your heartfelt words, I was stunned. Neither your education nor your professional life have been wasted. Think of the many people who were affected by your decisions and your efforts. They received, from you: justice. A measure of one of the things that make communal life worth living. No one will ever be able to make that disappear, not Trump, not Musk, not Bezos, no one, ever.
It seems to me you have made a number of correct choices in your life. You did not choose to abuse others while you acquired huge wealth and power for your own benefit. You chose instead to toil for years in our educational system to learn how to administer justice to our fellow citizens. Then you subsequently built a professional career doing just that. Think of all the people who benefitted from your work.
I do not know if you have ever been a classroom teacher. But you have been a teacher of a kind which uses a courtroom. As such, I like to think we share some career characteristics. We both did some teaching as a service to our community. Like you, I too spent a great deal of my life and efforts earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in preparation for a long career. The third most important objective in my teaching was to prepare my students to be responsible citizens, There was an element of this objective in all my classes, in all my subjects.
Some of my students became physicians, many nurses, defense attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, judges, social workers, labor organizers, a few college professors. During most of my career the US empire seemed to be on a downward spiral. We have now reached a dismal level I did not really believe I would live to see. But my contribution, and yours, shall survive as a seed for the future. Neither of our lives were wasted.
If you find my words unconvincing, then please ask some one close if they agree with me.
As a kid growing up, I was misled into believing that the Supreme Court was the last bastion of justice. While every once in a while, it is, the scars on our democracy are nearly always evidence of partisan bias within the court. Gerrymandering is but one more such scar.
None of those scars will fully heal unless the biggest scar, Citizens United, is overturned by legislation or amendment. More than a scar, CU is a crippling disability that like say, dementia, has caused America to forget where it left its moral principles. It appears that politicians in both parties have put greed for donations ahead of our democracy, or Congress would have killed that worst SCOTUS decision in my lifetime.
If Dems ever do try to undo Citizens United (and the stupid decision that corporations are citizens which justified it) they might also limit SCOTUS terms and institute the same ethical standards as all other federal officials.
Not just Citizens united Tom, but there are stepping stones. The first stone was Santa Clara County via Southern Pacific Railroad, and a head note which stated "that corporations are considered "persons" within the meaning of the 14th Amendment." The headnote was not part of the ruling, but was added by a clerk of the court who had been the president of a railroad.
uckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
While the government can limit how much individuals contribute to political campaigns, it cannot place limits on campaign expenditures, expenditures by a candidate from personal resources, or independent expenditures by groups supporting the campaign. This is because the Court equated money with speech in this context, so the First Amendment applies.
First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti was a 1978 landmark Supreme Court case that established the First Amendment right of corporations to contribute to ballot initiatives and express their political views:
These led to Citizens United, they all need to be overturned, but with the present SCOTUS and Trump humping Judicial system, and project 2025, what's the chance?
Didn't know "Corporation are Persons" were not part of the ruling, but was added by the clerk, who was a railroad president. WOW!
Actually thanks go to Thom, who educated me some years ago, not only on Santa Clara, but Buckley and Belloti, I am an awake student of the Hartmann University. :)
Most of my legal enducation and much of my professional life has been wasted.....
American federal "Administrative law" has been reduced to history. It's as if the Adminstrative Procedure Act never existed.
Musk and Bezos are parties in a case that may determine that most federal labor law will be declared unconstitutional.
It is scary isn't it Daniel, We are living on the cusp of a neo feudalistic society, that is theocratic in nature. I would not be surprised if they passed a law, requiring one to get a permit to change jobs or employers.
Mr. Solomon, when I read your heartfelt words, I was stunned. Neither your education nor your professional life have been wasted. Think of the many people who were affected by your decisions and your efforts. They received, from you: justice. A measure of one of the things that make communal life worth living. No one will ever be able to make that disappear, not Trump, not Musk, not Bezos, no one, ever.
It seems to me you have made a number of correct choices in your life. You did not choose to abuse others while you acquired huge wealth and power for your own benefit. You chose instead to toil for years in our educational system to learn how to administer justice to our fellow citizens. Then you subsequently built a professional career doing just that. Think of all the people who benefitted from your work.
I do not know if you have ever been a classroom teacher. But you have been a teacher of a kind which uses a courtroom. As such, I like to think we share some career characteristics. We both did some teaching as a service to our community. Like you, I too spent a great deal of my life and efforts earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in preparation for a long career. The third most important objective in my teaching was to prepare my students to be responsible citizens, There was an element of this objective in all my classes, in all my subjects.
Some of my students became physicians, many nurses, defense attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, judges, social workers, labor organizers, a few college professors. During most of my career the US empire seemed to be on a downward spiral. We have now reached a dismal level I did not really believe I would live to see. But my contribution, and yours, shall survive as a seed for the future. Neither of our lives were wasted.
If you find my words unconvincing, then please ask some one close if they agree with me.
Great comment, Tom on the beach.