Talk, Act, Fight

A small crowd of MoveOn.org supporters gathered at noon on August 10 at the Community Concourse to "fight Washington corruption."

Speakers included Anne Hoiberg, copresident of the League of Women Voters of San Diego, and Jeanne Brown, San Diego organizer for California Common Cause. Brown said she was there to "urge citizens to contact their congressional leaders to pass the Fair Elections Now Act, which would help fight Washington corruption, so that we can get the best representatives, not just those with the most money." The Fair Elections Now Act would provide public financing to candidates supported by small donors.

Cohost John Falchi blasted British Petroleum for its corporate lobbying and told the crowd to help get the Lobbyist Reform Act passed; this act would prohibit people from switching from lobbying to government service, and vice versa, within a five-year period. It would also stop lobbyists from gifting government officials.

MoveOn.org also wants to limit corporate spending on elections by overturning the Supreme Court decision that gives corporations the same First Amendment rights as individuals.