Democracy is a never ending fight and responsibility....get started now for 2012; they're ahead of us

Soulless and insatiably greedy multinational corporations dominate our politics, our economics and our lives. The problems they’ve created for our people, our nation and the world are legion.



It’s enough to feel hopeless and helpless.


But there is hope. And you are helping.

All of us, working together, have more power than the corporate giants. We can and do make great things happen.


Think about all we’ve done together — as Public Citizen — over the past year.

Public Citizen massively expanded our Democracy Is For People campaign to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. More than a million people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment to keep corporate cash from overwhelming our elections.

Public Citizen helped launch the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, a broad alliance that is challenging the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s attack on fundamental consumer, health and safety protections.

Public Citizen petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove several dangerous drugs from the market. We are proud to be Big Pharma’s worst enemy.

Public Citizen forced Richard Nixon’s 1975 grand jury testimony — in which the former president discusses the infamous gap in his secret tapes — to be unsealed.

Public Citizen obtained leaked documents revealing that speculation by Goldman Sachs was the primary driver of inflated gas prices.

Public Citizen and our allies have continued to thwart expansion of the World Trade Organization, where giant corporations aim to extend rules that give them power to undermine consumer and environmental protections in the U.S. and other countries.

Public Citizen worked with allied organizations to delay approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline, which would cause more oil spills, drive up gas prices and dramatically worsen climate change.

Public Citizen issued a report proving that caps on medical liability in Texas do nothing to reduce the costs or improve the effectiveness of health care for the state’s citizens.

Public Citizen successfully defended a group of young climate activists who were sued by Koch Industries for the “crime” of exercising their First Amendment free speech rights.

Public Citizen issued a report showing that more than half of doctors disciplined by their hospitals are not subject to subsequent state action. We continue to be the leading advocates for physician accountability.

Public Citizen made major gains in our campaign to review and repair World Trade Organization rules that impose limits on financial regulation. All of the major developing countries asked for a review — only to be blocked by the United States and other rich countries.

Public Citizen helped pass 14 energy efficiency and renewable energy bills in the Texas legislative session.

Public Citizen generated a record number of comments submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators on CEO pay.

Public Citizen overcame White House delays to force issuance of an important new rule to protect child agricultural workers. We also petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a new rule protecting workers from excessive heat exposure.

Public Citizen worked closely with the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on nuclear disaster preparedness legislation.

After halting consideration of three Bush-era free trade agreements for four years, Public Citizen delivered the largest Democratic opposition vote to any Obama initiative in his presidency when Obama flip-flopped on his campaign commitments and pushed the deals for approval.

Public Citizen coordinated a large national coalition on shareholder protection — aiming to advance the modest principle that a corporation should not spend money on elections without authorization from its shareholders.

Public Citizen’s Solar Si, Nuclear No campaign resulted in all the major partners pulling out of the South Texas nuclear plant.

Public Citizen argued our 60th case before the United States Supreme Court. We are involved with nearly a third of Supreme Court cases.

Public Citizen led the push for tight restrictions on energy speculators, urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to establish firm position limits in energy derivative markets.

Public Citizen celebrated its first four decades as the people’s lobbyist with a series of events nationwide, culminating in our inspirational 40th Anniversary Gala in October.

All of that is merely a sampling of what Public Citizen did this year. Just think what we will do in 2012 and beyond! And there is nothing — nothing — that we accomplish without activists, members and supporters like you from coast to coast and from all walks of life.

Citizens United v. FEC = is not the American Way!!! Demand Social Justice Now...

The movement to amend the U.S. Constitution to get corporate money out of elections is picking up some serious steam.




On November 9, thousands of Americans attended one of more than 200 house parties nationwide -- organized by PFAW, Public Citizen, Move To Amend and other allies, and joined by Sen. Bernie Sanders -- to mobilize and plan for a day of action on the upcoming January 21st second anniversary of Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court decision that unleashed unlimited corporate spending in our elections.

It's high time YOU got on board!

SEVEN bills proposing a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision have been introduced in the current Congress -- FOUR just this month, including one introduced last Friday by Rep. Ted Deutch to expressly exclude for-profit corporations from the rights given to natural persons by the Constitution, prohibit corporate spending in all elections, and affirm the authority of Congress and the States to regulate corporations and to regulate and set limits on all election contributions and expenditures.


Here's just a glimpse of the growing national movement!

• In Colorado, the Jamestown Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment establishing that only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights and that the First Amendment does not protect unlimited political spending as free speech. And voters in Boulder City passed a ballot measure calling for an amendment to the US Constitution that would state that corporations are not people and reject the legal status of money as free speech.

• In California, the city councils of Fort Bragg and Richmond passed resolutions this year supporting an amendment to ban “corporate personhood.”

• Missoula, Montana voters approved a local ballot referendum urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment that clearly states that corporations are not people and do not have the same rights as citizens by a three to one margin.

• Residents of Monroe, Maine passed a Local Self-Governance Ordinance stating that "no corporation doing business within the Town of Monroe shall be recognized as a ‘natural person’ under the United States or Maine Constitutions or laws of the United States or Maine."


And many more resolutions have been introduced in state and local legislative bodies across the country.


Generations of Americans have come together to force much-needed change by amending the U.S. Constitution to expand democracy and protect fundamental rights. With the voice of the voter being increasingly drowned out by unlimited corporate spending in elections, the need has arisen again. Now, it's our generation's turn.

Please speak out now.


Thank you for standing up against corporate power run amok and for Government By the People -- the American Way.