On corporations

When the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are people and have a right to spend unlimited amounts of money to elect legislators of their choosing, Congress changed.

Now the first concern of each Congressperson is to make sure they have enough money to get re-elected. Concern for passing legislation to improve the nation and the lives of U.S. citizens is now secondary. Laws that may offend potential donors will not even be discussed. Promoting gun safety to protect citizens from mentally unbalanced mass killers is ignored, while legislation that benefits members of Congress will quietly pass with near unanimous support.

Warren Buffett, Common Cause, and others have offered suggestions to remedy this situation — pass a constitutional amendment that states in effect: Corporations are not people. Congress shall pass no law for their own benefit that does not equally apply to all citizens.

Such an amendment would assure a sound Social Security as it would also apply to Congress. A sound healthcare system can be available for everyone. Taxation and budgeting can also be reformed with the amendment.
Congress will not pass such an amendment, nor will media support it for they love the millions of dollars that come from advertising. Citizens must pass this amendment state by state.

Members of Congress who cooperate across party lines to support a citizen’s agenda rather than corporate interests deserve to be re-elected. Candidates who believe corporations are people should be defeated.

John Hempstead
La Crosse

Handicap access

Rountree Gallery in Platteville hosts the work of the area’s wonderful artists.

The displays are presented on the second floor of the gallery. That floor at present is not handicapped-accessible. It would be nice if it could be available to those with stiff knees, canes and wheelchairs.

Is there a possibility that this will be done in the near future?

Edith Parkins
Lancaster

Baldwin over any GOP

On Tuesday the voters of Wisconsin will have an opportunity to choose which candidate will represent the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate election against Tammy Baldwin for the seat being vacated by Sen. Herb Kohl (D–Wisconsin).

Unfortunately, none of the Republican candidates have really distinguished themselves from the others when it comes to the issue of outsourcing jobs from our state.

Decades of outsourcing have hurt Wisconsin industries and taken a toll on families across the state. Tammy Baldwin has taken a stand against outsourcing and is working to bring jobs back to Wisconsin and strengthen industries in the state so they can compete globally. Baldwin cosponsored the House version of Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s Bring Jobs Home Act, which would end tax breaks for firms that move jobs or businesses overseas.

At the moment companies can take tax deductions for most business expenses, including closing factories in Americ. Instead, the bill would provide a tax credit equal to 20 percent of the cost associated with bringing jobs and business activity back to the U.S.

None of the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate has taken a stand on the issue of outsourcing, unfair trade deals and China’s cheating. They all support the Paul Ryan budget plan, which according to the Tax Policy Center could encourage domestic companies to move more of their operations overseas.

While Tammy Baldwin has proven to be a leader on the issue, the Republican candidates refuse to let us know whose side they are on. Either they are on the side of the middle class and want to end outsourcing to bring jobs back to Wisconsin, or they are on the side of the corporations and special interests who seek to send good-paying jobs overseas.

Tammy Baldwin had stood up for the middle class citizens of Wisconsin and continues to work to bring jobs back to this state. Unfortunately, to this point, the same can’t be said for any of the GOP candidates.

Donna Swanson
Platteville

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