Bernie Sanders on Breaking Big Money’s Grip on Elections
October 31, 2014
Bernie Sanders,
Vermont’s independent senator, is angry about what he sees as big
money’s wholesale purchase of political power. It’s a grave threat, he
believes, not only to our electoral process but to democracy itself.
Two
weeks ago, Sanders visited a town hall meeting in Richmond, California,
to fire up supporters of Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and a slate of
progressive city council candidates. They’re running against a ticket
backed by the energy giant Chevron, the third largest corporation in the
United States. Chevron owns an enormous refinery in Richmond and is
spending $3 million to defeat the progressives, who have charged the oil
company with damaging the city’s economy and environment.
Chevron’s Richmond money
– they’re spending more than $100 per voter – is just a fraction of the
billions being spent this year on the most expensive midterm elections
in history, money unleashed by Citizens United, McCutcheon
and other court decisions that have turned voting into what feels more
like an auction than ‘one person, one vote.’ Because the Supreme Court
says money is speech and big business can buy all it wants, corporations
are trying to drown out the voice of anyone trying to speak out against
them, whether in Congress or a state legislature, on a judge’s bench or
in city hall.
“Apparently for these guys, owning and controlling
our economy is not enough,” Sanders told the rally. “They now want to
own and control the government. And we are not going to allow them to do
that. Not in Richmond, not anywhere.”
Producer: Gina Kim. Segment Producer: Robert Booth. Editor: Rob Kuhns. Intro Editor: Sikay Tang.
http://billmoyers.com/episode/bernie-sanders-breaking-big-moneys-grip-elections/
http://vimeo.com/110546752
'I must admit I am a bit sad to hear what Bernie had to say in this interview, as I was sure a month ago he had said he would be running for POTUS on the democratic ticket, he seems to be one of only a hand full who have not been bought out by corporate interests...'
