Eau Claire County Refendum Against Citizens United

In 2002, U.S. senators John McCain and Russ Feingold sponsored a bipartisan campaign finance reform that served the nation well for eight years.  The law sharply limited corporations from using money from their funds to influence campaigns.

In 2010, that all changed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 Citizens United ruling.  The ruling limits individuals to give up to $2,500 directly to a candidate in a primary election and up to another $2,500 to a candidate for the general election. However, if the money is going to super PAC’s, donors, whether individuals, unions or corporations, can give any amount they want.

As we know by all the ads on TV and radio, super PAC’s are giving millions.  As I write this letter, one of our candidates for the U.S. Senate has spent nearly 11 million dollars. Even Newt Gingrich, who praised the ruling initially, calling it “a great victory in free speech”, saw how it harmed him in the Republican primaries earlier this year.

It’s time to stop corporations and unions in taking control of our elections with their millions of dollars in advertising through super PAC’s.

We can do a couple of things: 1.) Vote yes in the Eau Claire County referendum on November 6. 2.) Contact your U.S. representatives and senators and ask them to sponsor legislation to repeal Citizens United.

Imagine what this money could do for the betterment of our country!

Peter Nelson
Eau Claire