Posted June 20, 2004
The Oklahoma Democratic party is the first major party that we’re aware of to officially oppose “corporate personhood” at the state level since the 1800s. Similar platforms and resolutions were passed in Washington, New Hampshire and Maine in 2004.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
AS APPROVED IN STATE CONVENTION, MAY 17, 2003
BE IT RESOLVED, AS FOLLOWS:
8. PRESERVING DEMOCRACY — The Democratic Party of Oklahoma believes that democracy is dependent upon local grassroots economies for our communities where families live.
We oppose corporate welfare which is defined as any action by local, state or federal government that gives corporations or an entire industry a benefit not offered to others, be it a grant, subsidy, real estate, low interest rate loan or tax breaks in the form of a credit, exemption, deferral, deduction or a tax rate lower than what others pay. Mega-corporations are the major beneficiaries of corporate welfare to the disadvantage of smaller companies.
We believe our democracy is controlled and threatened by mega-enterprises and propose to put an end to this consolidation of power. We strongly advocate legislation to strengthen controls and to increase penalties for businesses that violate the public trust.
We will work to promote a sustainable alternative to the new global “free market” capitalism, a system of democratically-governed market economies of “fair market” capitalism that are healthy markets leading to creating just, sustainable and compassionate societies.
We will initiate and promote the following actions:
* End the legal fiction that corporations are entitled to rights as persons
* Exclude corporations from political participation
* Implement serious political campaign reform to reduce the influence of money in politics
* Eliminate corporate welfare, direct or indirect
* Recover other externalized costs through fees and taxes
* Implement mechanisms to regulate international corporations and finance
* Use fiscal and regulatory policies to restrain financial speculation that exceeds the capabilities of the value of production
* Provide economic parity to human-scale, stakeholder-owned enterprises so they will flourish at the grassroots of our communities where our families are
* Community reinvestment to promote local business and home ownership
* Businesses that build, employ, and invest in the United States and do not engage in income tax avoidance by establishing offshore companies.