Politics & Government
Citizens Take to the Streets to Fight Big Bucks in Campaigns
About 40 activists in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay are seeking 2,500 signatures to force local referendums that would support a constitutional amendment they say would reduce the role of big money in elections.
A group of politically active residents who want to change the system are out on the streets of Shorewood and Whitefish Bay again with their clipboards and pens in hand.
Don't worry. It's not another recall effort.
Instead of Gov. Scott Walker or state Sen. Alberta Darling, the activists have a different target in their sights this time around: Getting big money out of politics.
About 40 people are seeking signatures outside of grocery stores, libraries and elsewhere trying to get a referendum on the spring ballots in both villages that would give voters a chance to weigh on the regulation of corporate spending on elections.
The group wants Shorewood and Whitefish Bay to join more than a dozen other Wisconsin communities that have gone on record supporting of a constitutional amendment overturning the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that says corporations have the same rights as people and can spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns.
Remember Mitt Romney's famous "Corporations are people" line? That's what the national movement to end "corporate personhood" is all about.
“I, like most people, have a limited amount of money," said Shirley Horowitz, the Whitefish Bay woman who is spearheading the local effort. "And I care about what the government does. So, I make donations — not huge amounts — to legislators, and I say things like, 'I care about public education. I care about clean water.'
"And what’s been happening is that the legislators aren’t hearing me," said Horowitz, a member of Grassroots Northshore, which is assisting in the effort.
Find out what's happening in Whitefish Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A long, drawn-out process
To say that the folks pushing for this here and across the country are facing an uphill battle is an understatement. And you almost need a flow chart to understand the process here. But let's give it a try.Horowitz and her fellow volunteers need to get 1,027 signatures in Shorewood, and 1,156 in Whitefish Bay to get an advisory referendum on the ballot in either February or April — the next local elections. They also plan to secure some extra signatures in case some are ruled invalid.
As of Monday night, with three weeks to go before an Aug. 26 deadline, Horowitz said the group has two-thirds of its goal in Shorewood, and is about at 60 percent of the way there in Whitefish Bay.
Assuming backers get enough signatures, the referendum will automatically appear on the ballot in the spring. So far, at least 14 Wisconsin municipalities and counties have either passed referendums or resolutions opposing the Citizens United ruling. Of course, Madison was the first one to do so — in 2011. But so did voters in West Allis and rural conservative parts of the state — and in many cases with 70 percent or more support.
Sending a Message to State Legislature
The intent of these local initiatives, Horowitz said, is to pressure the state Legislature to to place a statewide referendum on the November 2014 ballot allowing the voters to be heard on the same issue. Sixteen states, including Illinois, have approved such statewide resolutions.Video: Getting Signatures at the Bay Library
Getting the Republican-controlled Legislature to put the measure on the ballot won't be easy. But that's where the local referendums come in, Horowitz said. They're designed to put pressure on lawmakers all over the state.
"What we’re trying to show that this is a message that resonates with residents all across Wisconsin of various political persuasions and backgrounds, and that the Legislature would really be derelict if they ignore all those people’s wishes," she said.
For a constitutional amendment to succeed, two-thirds of both the U.S House and U.S. Senate must vote in favor of it, and 38 states must ratify it — an effort that even national supporters say could take five to 10 years at least.And while the referendums approved so far have overwhelmingly passed in most communities, there those who oppose overturning the Citizens United ruling.
When the Jefferson County Board took up the issue last month, Supervisor Gregory Torres said the proposed amendment would overstep traditional political boundaries, according to the Jefferson Daily Union.
“Corporations, unions, political action committees, organizations like the ACLU and the NRA are made up of associations of people. People who in most cases freely assemble," was quoted as saying. “I just don’t see how you can say that speech is something that’s limited only to citizens only when they’re not in a group. That concerns me.”
Find out what's happening in Whitefish Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
For more information on the effort, contact Horowitz at shirley.horowitz@att.net or visit the Grassroots Northshore website.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
