by move to amend – gainesville
“Which side are you on boys, which side are you on?” – Florence Reece, from the song made famous by Woodie Guthrie.
On Jan. 3, the Gainesville City Commission showed which side they were on, by voting in agreement with over 1,400 local citizens for a resolution sponsored by Move to Amend – Gainesville, the local affiliate of a national Move to Amend campaign.
By a 5 to 1 margin, with Commissioner Chase dissenting and Commissioner Bottcher absent, the Commission approved the Resolution, which calls for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that the rights guaranteed by the Constitution are reserved for “We the People,” and not corporations, labor unions or other “legal fictions,” that money is not equal to free speech, and that our elected representatives have the right and the duty to regulate campaign spending.
In approving the Resolution, the Commission joined over 400 municipalities across the country that have approved similar measures, including Tampa, Key West and several other Florida cities. MTA ballot initiatives have been passed by super-majorities, regardless of the political affiliations of the voters.
The Gainesville Resolution resulted from a year of work by local MTA activists. In December 2011, following a presentation by David Cobb at the Civic Media Center, a large number of those in attendance decided to organize a local MTA chapter. The City’s resolution will be forwarded to the Florida State Legislature and also to our U.S. Congressional delegation. The City will also request that the Alachua County Commission draft a referendum to be placed on the next countywide ballot in 2014. Efforts by MTA Gainesville to do this in 2012 failed by one vote.
Move to Amend has grown to become a vibrant grassroots movement with active groups in hundreds of communities across the country. MTA Gainesville holds regular meetings and volunteers are encouraged to help bring this important campaign to every corner of our community.
For a history of the movement against corporate power and corporate personhood, and for more information about the Constitutional Amendment proposed by Move to Amend (as well as comparisons with other amendments being proposed) visit www.MovetoAmend.org.