Council should take a stand

Is it appropriate for the Chico City Council to consider taking a stand on corporate personhood? Some say no, that it’s a national issue and the council shouldn’t be wasting time on it.

We disagree. Council meetings have long served as a community forum in which citizens can discuss a wide range of issues, from the Vietnam War in the 1960s to climate change in recent years. And the council routinely passes resolutions recognizing various causes and accomplishments.

Besides, corporate personhood affects everyone. Giving corporations the same rights as individuals redefines what it means to be a citizen. And, as we’ve seen in this election year, the Citizens United case, which is based on the notion of corporate personhood, has given corporations unprecedented power to influence elections—more than is good for democracy.

The only way corporate personhood can be overturned is by passage of a constitutional amendment that will need the approval of 38 state legislatures. The City Council, by taking a stand on corporate personhood next Tuesday (April 17), can send a message not only to Washington, but also to Sacramento that corporations are not people and should not enjoy the rights of people.