Proposed Constitutional Amendment aims to end corporate personhood, money as speech

In an amazing radio discussion November 28, Ben and Jerry's co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield made the case for a 28th Amendment to the US constitution.  The proposed amendment would put an end to the legal fiction of corporate personhood and the absurd premise - rampant in law today - that money is somehow speech, and is therefore carries with it First Amendment protections.

The show included input from a lawyer from a pro-amendment group, Move to Amend (http://movetoamend.org), as well as commentary from other lawyers and listeners.  It is both a highly informative discussion, as well as a strong example of how ideas can be debated in a rational and dispassionate manner.  Additionally, for those who agree with the ideas of the amendment supporters, the show gives a formidable list of organizations with whom individuals may get involved to build momentum for this much needed amendment.

The episode can be found here, and may be listened to on the webpage or downloaded in mp3 format.

Note: The organization with whom Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield are affiliated for the purposes of this movement is Business for Democracy.

Vermont can lead the way

Today, independent Senator Bernie Sanders announced that the State of Vermont had been awarded $18 million to help implement a new federal health reform law.  This comes at a time when Vermont is planning to transition to a state-wide single payer healthcare system with the ability to cover nearly every Vermonter by 2017.  Hopefully, through successful implementation of federal reforms now and the anticipated expansion of coverage to all state residents by 2017, Vermont can lead by example and set the precedent for universal coverage for all people in this country.  Read more from Senator Sanders' office here.