Ralph Nader interviews Jefferey Clements on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour. This 72 minute interview, and roughly 30 minute Q and A at the end, can be listened to and downloaded HERE.

Brief commentary by Community Rights US Media Team member Curt Hubatch: At 47:57 in the Q and A Ralph fielded a question about the Community Rights movement by a caller from Wisconsin. The caller is currently active in the movement. His answer, while respectful and appropriate, I thought was lacking a more in-depth answer as to why state preemption would be a problem when it comes to enacting Community Rights ordinances in the places we live. I was moved to write to Ralph. My  follow-up to Ralph Nader below.

Dear Ralph,

First of all, thank you for all of your decades of work in the public arena. As someone from my community once wrote into our local newspaper during your last run for President you’ve helped us save us from ourselves countless times and deserve nothing but praise. I enjoy the Ralph Nader Radio Hour and tune in most weeks while I’m delivering mail in rural Wisconsin.

I am also writing about your answer to a question from a Wisconsin caller about the growing Community Rights movement at the end of your interview (47:57) about corporate personhood with Jefferey Clements. I heard you saying that We The People can enact Community Rights ordinances, but the state and federal levels of government will just preempt them. That, to me, seems unjust. If governments are instituted to protect our health, safety, and welfare, then how come state and federal levels of government are preempting citizens that are using their local bodies of government (governing bodies that are closest and most accountable to them) from expanding on environmental and other protections already written into state and federal laws? Why do those federal and state laws have to be defined by those in power as ceilings instead of floors in law-making as We The People move forward in creating a more perfect union?

My hope is that you will have someone from the current Community Rights movement as a guest on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour to help your listeners understand the law-making strategy behind the movement. I personally can’t think of a better guest than Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) Director and Attorney Thomas Linzey. He’s brilliant, and has been on the front lines of this movement for decades. Please feel free to contact me if you are looking for other guest recommendations concerning the Community Rights movement.

Thank you again for your work.

Curt Hubatch

Springbrook, WI

Here is a more in-depth description about Ralph’s guest Jefferey Clements:

Ralph welcomes Jeffrey Clements, founder of “American Promise,” an organization that seeks to write a 28th Amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. He is also author of the book, “Corporations Are Not People: Reclaiming Democracy From Big Money & Global Corporations.” Plus: Listener Questions!

Jeffrey Clements is a founder and president of America Promise which is an organization pushing for a 28th Amendment aimed at getting big money out of our electoral process. Mr. Clements is also the founder of Whaleback Partners LLC, which provides sustainable financing to businesses in the local agriculture economy and has practiced law for three decades in public service and private practice. In addition, he is the author of “Corporations Are Not People: Reclaiming Democracy From Big Money & Global Corporations.”