HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-011 Supporting the Move to Amend Campaign Resolution 12-011
Page 1 of 2
RESOLUTION NO. 12-011
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT
TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON, SUPPORTING THE "MOVE TO AMEND"
CAMPAIGN TO CALL FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION TO
ABOLISH CORPORATE PERSONHOOD
Whereas, government of, by, and for the people has long been a cherished American
value; and the people's fundamental and inalienable right to self-govern, and thereby
secure rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed in the
U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; and
Whereas, free and fair elections are essential to democracy and effective self-
governance; and
Whereas, corporations are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, and the people have
never granted constitutional rights to corporations, nor have the people decreed that
corporations have authority that exceeds the authority of the people of the United States;
and; and
Whereas, we do not object to the concept of the ability of corporations to engage in legal
actions (e.g. enter into contracts, sue, be sued, etc.); and
Whereas, interpretation of the U.S. Constitution by appointed Supreme Court justices to
include corporations in the tenn "persons" has long denied the peoples' exercise of self-
governance by endowing corporations with constitutional protections intended for the
people; and
Whereas, the illegitimate judicial bestowal of civil and political rights upon corporations
usurps basic human and constitutional rights guaranteed to human persons, and also
empowers corporations to sue municipal and state governments for adopting laws that
violate `corporate rights' even when those laws serve to protect and defend the rights of
human persons and communities; and
Whereas, corporations are not and have never been human beings, and therefore they do
not vote in elections and should not be categorized as persons for purposes related to
elections for public office; and
Whereas, the recent Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election
Commission, that rolled back the legal limits on corporate spending in the electoral
process creates an unequal playing field and allows unlimited corporate spending to
influence elections, candidate selection, and policy decisions, and to sway votes, and
forces elected officials to divert their attention from the peoples' business, or even vote
against the interest of their human constituents, in order to ensure competitive campaign
funds for their own reelections; and
Resolution 12-011
Page 2 of 2
Whereas, tens of thousands of people, organizations, and municipalities across the nation
are joining with the Move to Amend movement to call for an amendment to the U.S.
Constitution to abolish corporate constitutional rights and the doctrine of money as free
speech;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port
Townsend as follows:
1. The City of Port Townsend hereby calls on our Washington state legislators to join the
tens of thousands of citizens, grassroots organizations and local governments across the
country in the Move to Amend campaign to call for an Amendment to the Constitution to
Abolish Corporate Personhood and return our democracy, our elections, our communities
back to America's human persons and to thus reclaim our sovereign right to self-
governance.
2. The City of Port Townsend calls on other communities and jurisdictions to join with us
in this action by passing similar Resolutions.
3. The City of Port Townsend supports education to increase public awareness of the
threats to our democracy posed by Corporate Personhood, and encourages lively
discussion to build understanding and consensus to take appropriate community and
municipal actions to democratically respond to these threats.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend at a regular meeting
thereof, held this fifth day of March 2012.
David King, May
Attest• Approved as to form:
E
t I fl
F
y
Pamela Kolacy, MMC John P. Watts
City Clerk City Attorney