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Sign with logo at entrance to office of aerospace company Boeing in Pleasanton, California, July 2, 2019. (Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Boeing, Stop Funding Those Who Undermine Democracy
Boeing should honor its promise and demonstrate commitment to their stated values by immediately and permanently withdrawing any funding to members of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election.
Apr 19, 2022
Smoke billowing over the U.S. Capitol. Rioters marching through the halls, carrying the Confederate battle flag. A gallows, with a noose hanging from it, erected just steps from the Capitol. Police officers beaten and tased.
Unfortunately, this is the game that corporations play-- they write big checks to politicians who control how much of our tax dollars they receive and how big their tax breaks are.
These images from the Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021 will be forever seared into American history. But we must not forget that the events of this infamous day were only warning signs of a deep-rooted illness in our political system. Since then, the same members of Congress who incited armed right-wing militants to attack our Capitol have repeatedly tried to block any investigations into the events of January 6th--and their role in it.
Meanwhile, extremist politicians have kept up a drumbeat of daily lies and disinformation about the validity of the 2020 election to keep their supporters engaged and enraged, which has led to continued death threats and violence against election officials.
And they're doing it with the support of one of Washington state's biggest companies--Boeing, which employs more than 50,000 workers here.
One week after Jan. 6, following the suit of other companies and massive national pressure, Boeing released a statement announcing they were halting all political contributions to the "Sedition Caucus", the group of politicians who voted against the certification of a free and fair election.
Most companies kept their post-January 6 pledges (including big names like Allstate, American Express, Nike, Walgreens, and 79 other major corporations). Boeing didn't.
Boeing resumed political contributions to the Caucus just a few months after January 6--not coincidentally, right as Congress was considering the defense budget. According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Boeing's political action committee has donated almost $250,000 to lawmakers who voted to overturn the election and the party committees that boost their campaigns.
It must be embarrassing for the tens of thousands of Boeing workers in Washington state to see their corporate PAC dollars go to legislators who turned their backs on our country and continue to lie about the election, fanning the flames of hatred and stirring up violence.
Unfortunately, this is the game that corporations play--they write big checks to politicians who control how much of our tax dollars they receive and how big their tax breaks are. We have a system that is out of balance, where the voices of everyday Washingtonians are drowned out by billionaires and big corporations like Boeing. We have a system that rewards extremist rhetoric, rather than level-headed policymaking for the common good.
Boeing states that its company values include "integrity," "transparency," and "being held accountable." Their actions in this instance violate all of those principles.
Boeing should honor its promise and demonstrate commitment to their stated values by immediately and permanently withdrawing any funding to members of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election.
By doing so, Boeing will be aligned with the values of its American workers, its customers, and the democratic system that governs these United States.
Let's hold Boeing accountable. Please sign the petition.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Cindy Black
Cindy Black is the executive director of Fix Democracy First, a Washington state nonpartisan organization that works on money in elections and other democracy reforms.
Smoke billowing over the U.S. Capitol. Rioters marching through the halls, carrying the Confederate battle flag. A gallows, with a noose hanging from it, erected just steps from the Capitol. Police officers beaten and tased.
Unfortunately, this is the game that corporations play-- they write big checks to politicians who control how much of our tax dollars they receive and how big their tax breaks are.
These images from the Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021 will be forever seared into American history. But we must not forget that the events of this infamous day were only warning signs of a deep-rooted illness in our political system. Since then, the same members of Congress who incited armed right-wing militants to attack our Capitol have repeatedly tried to block any investigations into the events of January 6th--and their role in it.
Meanwhile, extremist politicians have kept up a drumbeat of daily lies and disinformation about the validity of the 2020 election to keep their supporters engaged and enraged, which has led to continued death threats and violence against election officials.
And they're doing it with the support of one of Washington state's biggest companies--Boeing, which employs more than 50,000 workers here.
One week after Jan. 6, following the suit of other companies and massive national pressure, Boeing released a statement announcing they were halting all political contributions to the "Sedition Caucus", the group of politicians who voted against the certification of a free and fair election.
Most companies kept their post-January 6 pledges (including big names like Allstate, American Express, Nike, Walgreens, and 79 other major corporations). Boeing didn't.
Boeing resumed political contributions to the Caucus just a few months after January 6--not coincidentally, right as Congress was considering the defense budget. According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Boeing's political action committee has donated almost $250,000 to lawmakers who voted to overturn the election and the party committees that boost their campaigns.
It must be embarrassing for the tens of thousands of Boeing workers in Washington state to see their corporate PAC dollars go to legislators who turned their backs on our country and continue to lie about the election, fanning the flames of hatred and stirring up violence.
Unfortunately, this is the game that corporations play--they write big checks to politicians who control how much of our tax dollars they receive and how big their tax breaks are. We have a system that is out of balance, where the voices of everyday Washingtonians are drowned out by billionaires and big corporations like Boeing. We have a system that rewards extremist rhetoric, rather than level-headed policymaking for the common good.
Boeing states that its company values include "integrity," "transparency," and "being held accountable." Their actions in this instance violate all of those principles.
Boeing should honor its promise and demonstrate commitment to their stated values by immediately and permanently withdrawing any funding to members of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election.
By doing so, Boeing will be aligned with the values of its American workers, its customers, and the democratic system that governs these United States.
Let's hold Boeing accountable. Please sign the petition.
Cindy Black
Cindy Black is the executive director of Fix Democracy First, a Washington state nonpartisan organization that works on money in elections and other democracy reforms.
Smoke billowing over the U.S. Capitol. Rioters marching through the halls, carrying the Confederate battle flag. A gallows, with a noose hanging from it, erected just steps from the Capitol. Police officers beaten and tased.
Unfortunately, this is the game that corporations play-- they write big checks to politicians who control how much of our tax dollars they receive and how big their tax breaks are.
These images from the Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021 will be forever seared into American history. But we must not forget that the events of this infamous day were only warning signs of a deep-rooted illness in our political system. Since then, the same members of Congress who incited armed right-wing militants to attack our Capitol have repeatedly tried to block any investigations into the events of January 6th--and their role in it.
Meanwhile, extremist politicians have kept up a drumbeat of daily lies and disinformation about the validity of the 2020 election to keep their supporters engaged and enraged, which has led to continued death threats and violence against election officials.
And they're doing it with the support of one of Washington state's biggest companies--Boeing, which employs more than 50,000 workers here.
One week after Jan. 6, following the suit of other companies and massive national pressure, Boeing released a statement announcing they were halting all political contributions to the "Sedition Caucus", the group of politicians who voted against the certification of a free and fair election.
Most companies kept their post-January 6 pledges (including big names like Allstate, American Express, Nike, Walgreens, and 79 other major corporations). Boeing didn't.
Boeing resumed political contributions to the Caucus just a few months after January 6--not coincidentally, right as Congress was considering the defense budget. According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Boeing's political action committee has donated almost $250,000 to lawmakers who voted to overturn the election and the party committees that boost their campaigns.
It must be embarrassing for the tens of thousands of Boeing workers in Washington state to see their corporate PAC dollars go to legislators who turned their backs on our country and continue to lie about the election, fanning the flames of hatred and stirring up violence.
Unfortunately, this is the game that corporations play--they write big checks to politicians who control how much of our tax dollars they receive and how big their tax breaks are. We have a system that is out of balance, where the voices of everyday Washingtonians are drowned out by billionaires and big corporations like Boeing. We have a system that rewards extremist rhetoric, rather than level-headed policymaking for the common good.
Boeing states that its company values include "integrity," "transparency," and "being held accountable." Their actions in this instance violate all of those principles.
Boeing should honor its promise and demonstrate commitment to their stated values by immediately and permanently withdrawing any funding to members of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election.
By doing so, Boeing will be aligned with the values of its American workers, its customers, and the democratic system that governs these United States.
Let's hold Boeing accountable. Please sign the petition.
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