A Delaware city is set to give corporations the right to vote in elections

[applegrove]

A Delaware city is set to give corporations the right to vote in elections

BY IRINA IVANOVA

JUNE 21, 2023 / 7:00 PM / MONEYWATCH

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/seaford-delaware-corporate-voting-llc-trust-elections/

"SNIP.........

The state of Delaware is famously business-friendly. With more than 1.8 million entities registered in the First State, companies outnumber its human residents by nearly two-to-one.

One city is now moving to raise businesses' influence in the state even further, with a proposal to grant them the right to vote.

Seaford, a town of about 8,000 on the Nanticoke River, amended its charter in April to allow businesses — including LLCs, corporations, trusts or partnerships — the right to vote in local elections. The law would go into effect once both houses of Delaware's state legislature approve it.

The proposal has rekindled a debate over how much power corporations should have in local government, with fierce opposition from civic interest groups who say businesses already wield too much influence over politics.

........SNIP"

[barbaraann]

1. So, could I move to Delaware, set up a thousand corporations, and vote for each of them?

[CrispyQ]

6. From the link:

"...a single property manager who controlled multiple LLCs voted 31 times in a Newark, Delaware, town referendum, an incident that led Newark to amend its rules. And residents in Rehoboth Beach in 2017 beat back a proposal to allow LLCs to vote."

Who thinks this is a good idea except for very rich people? We should be reining in corporate power & influence. Personally, I think corporate personhood is almost as crazy as fetal personhood.

[barbaraann]

7. Thank you for the info. Your assessment is 100% +++++ correct. n/t

[Rebl2]

20. 👍👍👍

[thenelm1]

23. And Republicans. Hell no!! n/t

[Beartracks]

25. I swear, they're like, "If I can't legally buy votes...

... then lets pass a law that says each of my dollars gets a vote."

=============

[Elessar Zappa]

2. I hope Delaware's legislature doesn't approve this.

The last thing we need is corporations having even more power.

[Walleye]

15. The legislative session usually ends on June 30. And I imagine the governor would veto anyway

[yorkster]

3. Absolutely terrible idea....n/t

[Lonestarblue]

4. WTF? Have people in Delaware lost their minds?

We’re already ruled by corporations. We don’t need to give them even more power.

[MOMFUDSKI]

8. But-But-But

They are people says the nit Romney

[Walleye]

16. Just Seaford.Surprised they don't let chickens vote down there

[yardwork]

5. No!!! WTF?!

[msongs]

9. one suspects delaware is run by and for credit card companies etc as is south dakota nt

[captain queeg]

10. Thought this had to be the onion, but no!

[doc03]

11. WTF how does a corporation vote? Each employee already has a vote.

Do they vote once for their self and again for the corporation. Does a corporation get a vote for each employee?
How many votes does a corporation have? This is insane.

[woodsprite]

12. Slower-Lower is pretty much the MAGA area of the state.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. And who gets to decide how the corporation votes? CEO?

Board? Random employee?

[Walleye]

14. And you hear magas insist that you have to be a citizen to vote. Corporations are citizens now?

[Bear Creek]

33. Personhood

They do have personhood. Most act as foreign agents since they claim they aren't American. But they are allowed to pay in elections from the local level to the federal. This must end.

[we can do it]

17. Seaford is a puny town.

[applegrove]

18. Will NGOs and civic groups get a vote? How bout small businesses?

[TheRickles]

19. The reductio ad absurdum of corporate capitalism

[diva77]

21. erring on the side of Mussolini?

[Joinfortmill]

22. Ok, so, corporations are NOT people. We're in crazy-land here.

[Bear Creek]

28. Actually

In the early 1900s corporations were given person status. This problem does need to be corrected.

[Joinfortmill]

29. Whatever they may say, corporations are not people

[Bear Creek]

30. While I agree with you

There is the fact that corporations have been given that status by our government. During 1800s 14th amendment was used to provide corporations legal protection. In 1907 congress passed a law banning corporate involvement in federal elections this came from scandals stemming from presidential elections. 1978 Supreme Court ruled that they have 1st amendment rights and they could buy elections. Then came the Citizens United another Supreme Court ruling that corporations were free to spend on federal, state and local elections.
Time to end corporate personhood or it will end up ending our country as a democracy.
How many of these corporations are buried at Arlington? at Gettysburg?
The laws in place already need to be enforced and most need to be broken up like MA Bell.
Another thought is as this comes to light and republicans have been the driving force, maybe, just maybe that is why they have been wanting a dictator.

[Joinfortmill]

36. Amen to that

[gab13by13]

24. So if someone proves that Roundup gave them cancer and killed them,

can, is it Monsanto now or Bayer's CEO, be charged with a crime?

[applegrove]

26. Exactly.

[Bear Creek]

32. The same

They should be in jail like anyone else who kills for money. I would like to also have them all have the same draconian laws that are for us for bankruptcy. The CEO and boards be under the same personally can't own a house over a certain amount, not be able to get credit etc cetera. Maybe even be barred from ever being able to have a job again or get insurance since that is exactly what they have for the rest of us.

[applegrove]

34. So sad.

[Johonny]

27. Who is the corporation votes?

The CEO, the union, the board of trustees. How many votes per company. Who decides how it votes? What a can worms.

[Zeitghost]

35. One vote

CEO or someone they designate would likely be the one to make the choices at the direction of the board, just like other decisions.

[Lancero]

31. The US has been a corporatocracy for years, Seaford is just being honest about it.