Dear,
In 2020, Californians went to the polls to decide, among other issues,
whether to pass Prop 22 and classify rideshare and delivery gig workers as
employees.
From the very start, it wasn’t a fair fight. Uber, Lyft, and other
corporations donated more than $150 million to confuse voters into saying
no to the proposition.(1)
Candidates for office benefited greatly as well from billion-dollar
corporation largesse -- the top ten industries in California, including
tech, entertainment, and health care, donated nearly a billion dollars to
campaigns.(2)
State and local elections are being sold to the highest corporate bidder,
and we can’t ever count on our representatives to put our interests first
until we get corporate money out of politics. That’s where AB 20, the
Corporate-Free Elections Act, comes in.
[ [link removed] ]Will you share this explainer video on the Corporate-Free Elections Act
with your social media network on Facebook?
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AB 20 would make California the 23rd state to ban corporate campaign
contributions and start to restore power to the people.(3)
Only one nonwhite male has ever held the governor’s office in California,
in 1875.(4) White people -- mostly straight males -- comprise a majority
of the legislature, even though they’re in the minority in California.(5)
That’s little surprise, since most corporations in California and around
the country are run by white men. They use their deep pockets to elect
people who benefit them, look like them, and maintain their wealth and
power.
Corporations are also only interested in one issue: profits. They’ll never
donate in favor of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and any other
reform that might cost them -- even if it would make our state healthier,
safer, and more just.
By banning direct corporate campaign contributions, AB 20 would take the
first step toward getting money out of politics and creating a more
representative democracy and a more equitable California. (6)
But rest assured: every major special interest will fight this measure
tooth and nail, from Big Polluters to Big Tech, to maintain their grip on
politicians -- and policy. That’s why we’re working with our allies to
pull out all the stops to get this bill over the finish line.
To overcome well-heeled corporations and pass AB 20, we need to generate
massive grassroots demand, and Courage California is part of a broad
coalition effort to do just that. And we need your help to get the word
out.
[ [link removed] ]Will you share this explainer video on the Corporate-Free Elections Act
with your social media network on Facebook?
[ [link removed] ]Click here to tweet the video out!
[ [link removed] ]Or share on Instagram by clicking here.
For our democracy,
Raquel, along with Angela, Annie, Caitlin, Deepthi, Jay, Irene, Lindsay,
LisaMarie, Molly, and Scottie (the Courage team)
Footnotes:
1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.
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