Lifting of $1,000 Corporate Contribution Limit

You cannot have an honest legislature that works for your interests when members are obligated to big money contributors. Two bills, HB 2455 and SB 3141, lift the cap on Corporate contributions.

THESE BILLS WILL RESULT IN MORE LEGISLATORS BEING OBLIGATED TO BIG MONEY SPECIAL INTERESTS

Kaukanawai
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Posted by Voter Owned Hawaii = Kory 457-8622

Sample Email to Lists Re: Lifting of $1,000 Corporate
Contribution Limit

SUBJECT: URGENT ALERT – Oppose Bills That Would Open Floodgates
to Corporate Contributions

*Body of Email*

The Hawaii State legislature is fast-tracking two bills that
would create a thousand-fold increase the amount of money
corporations can contribute to political campaigns. Your help is
urgently needed to stop these bills!

CONTEXT

Corporations can donate to candidates running for political
office in several ways. They can donate to various different
kinds of non-candidate committees, and the board members or
employees of the corporation can also donate individually.

Even though corporations can donate indirectly in these ways, in
Hawaii they're also allowed to donate directly to the candidates
themselves. In 1907, the U.S. government banned these types of
direct donations from corporations.

Beginning in 2006, Hawaii limited those direct corporate
donations to $1,000.

Now, there are two pieces of legislation moving in the House and
in the Senate that would lift that $1,000 cap and allow
corporations to give anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 to as many
candidates as they see fit.

WE STOPPED SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN 2006 AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!

Here's how you can help

1. Send in Testimony – below are instructions and talking points

A. Write a quick testimony and file it away to use again. You
can begin your testimony simply by saying something like "I'm
testifying against HB 2455 (or SB 3141), which would lift a
$1,000 cap on corporate donations …" Remember, your testimony
doesn't need to be long, quantity is more important than
quality. Below are some talking points to write your own
testimony, or you can use the sample testimony.

SAMPLE TESTIMONY:

I'm writing in opposition to HB 2455. It's embarrassing that
we're lifting a $1,000 cap on corporate donations when event the
federal government banned these types of contributions in 1907,
101 years ago. Hawaii should be the leader in areas of
government ethics, sustainability, and other important subject
matters. This bill takes us in the wrong direction. It does not
perpetuate anything that is right or just.

Sincerely, ___________

TALKING POINTS (if you want to add to your own testimony)

I. Even the federal government banned direct corporate donation
all the way back in 1907. It's embarrassing that we even allow
them to give money at all. To lift the $1,000 cap would take us
backwards, not forwards.

II. The $1,000 cap on corporate donations is a proven way to
limit corporate interests, and make allows candidates choose
more grassroots style fundraising methods. Between 2004 – 2005,
Governor Lingle raised almost 1 million dollars, but in 2006,
with the $1,000 cap in place, that number dropped to only
$100,000, which is significant as well because 2006 was an
election year, when the fundraising amounts are usually higher.

III. According to a 2005 AARP survey, 86% of Hawaii's residents
of voting age "think campaign contributions moderately or
greatly influence policies supported by elected officials."
Given this fact, we should be working to limit corporate money
and encourage citizen participation. The current $1,000 cap does
both. If candidates can't go to corporations for money, they'll
resort to fundraising from their constituents instead. This is a
positive trend.

B. Email Your Testimony. Send the same email twice, and put a
different subject line in each email. One email is for the House
bill (SB 2455), and one email is for the Senate bill (SB 3141).
Your testimony does not need to be long. The most important
thing is to get something in. The more testimonies we have the
better!

1. Send on email to TO: JUDtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov (not
case sensitive), and reps@captiol.hawaii.gov

SUBJECT: Opposition of HB 2455

CONTENT: (Cut and Paste your testimony into the body of your
email)

2. Send another email to TO: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov , and
sens@capitol.hawaii.gov

SUBJECT: Opposition of SB 3141

CONTENT: (Cut and Paste your testimony into the body of your
email)

2. The second thing you can do is call Rep Say and Sen Hanabusa
and ask them to oppose these bills

Rep Calvin Say – 586-6100 Sen Colleen Hanabusa – 586-7793

3. The third thing you can do is write a Letter –to-the-Editor
of the newspaper

A. Use the talking points or just use your testimony to write a
quick letter to the editor. You can begin your letter with
something like "Dear editor, I'm writing to voice my opposition
to house bill 2455 and senate bill 3141. These bills would lift
a $1,000 cap on corporate contributions to candidates running
for office …" or something like that.

B. Send your letters to

1. Honolulu Star Bulletin a. letters@starbulletin.com b. Use
Online Form http://starbulletin.com/forms/letterform.html

2. Honolulu Advertiser a. letters@honoluluadvertiser.com b.
Online Form: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/form/op/letter

C. If you want to, follow up your letter with a phone call to
ask if they'll print it.

IV. Forward this email to your friends!!