25 signatures reached
To: California Assemblymember Marc Levine
Assemblymember Marc Levine, stop being a corporate tool.
Petition Text
Assemblymember Levine, demonstrate that you aren’t a corporate Democrat by giving back the campaign donations you’ve received from big agribusiness, big pharma, California Chamber of Commerce, California Real Estate PAC, Walmart, and other big business interests.
~Illustration by Leighton Woodhouse, Dog Park Media~
Why is this important?
In 2010 with its “Citizens United” ruling, and again this year in its “McCutcheon” ruling, the US Supreme Court has equated money with free speech and eliminated many of the restrictions on how much cash corporations and wealthy individuals may contribute to political campaigns. These rulings give great power to those who have megamillions to spend on electing politicians who will vote their way. Billionaires and huge corporations paying to put politicians into office is the opposite of democracy. As Comcast Executive Vice-President David L. Cohen said, “My priorities in political giving are Comcast’s priorities. I don’t kid myself.” Are big Pharma, Agribusiness and Assemblymember Levine’s other donors any different?
Levine was elected to represent California Assembly District 10, which encompasses one of California’s most progressive regions: Marin County and part of Sonoma County. Yet he has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from big business interests, and has voted or abstained from voting in line with those interests instead of in the interests of his constituents in the district.
It’s hard to believe that Mr. Levine is anything but a Corporate Democrat when we see six-figure donations from big business, while he toes the line and votes the way big business wants him to vote. Marc Levine, we urge you to return those donations, start voting the way your constituents want you to vote, and support public financing of campaigns!