State of the Union: President Seeks Economic Fairness for All

The Communications Workers of America issued this statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address:

The Communications Workers of America commends President Obama for his focus on creating an America that is built to last with an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few.

It's critical to bring quality jobs back to the U.S. by eliminating tax benefits for companies that send U.S. jobs overseas. CWA strongly supports legislation that would end taxpayer subsidies for corporations that get tax breaks, then move call center jobs offshore, among other measures. Corporations have had too much power in writing legislation that rewards corporate interests and abandons U.S. workers, when it comes to manufacturing and services. Too many corporations routinely put short-term profits ahead of loyalty to the nation and workers who have made their success possible.

An America built to last cannot be one in which corporate money determines who is elected and what issues are debated. That's why CWA supports measures to limit the outsized and harmful influence of corporate money in U.S. elections.

One of CWA's top priorities for 2012 and beyond is raising awareness of the corrosive influence of money in politics. Recent related activities include mobilizing CWA members on the two year anniversary of the damaging Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that established corporate personhood; backing Governor Andrew Cuomo's push for voluntary public financing of New York political campaigns, and working alongside local leaders across the country to adopt model city council resolutions that state, in part, that "corporations should not receive the same constitutional rights as natural persons."