FCC, the Federal Elections Commission, is using 1950s Jim Crow Laws that were created by the U.S. Congress to keep Negroes out of political candidate debates, but they are STILL using them today, even in 2014, to keep independent candidates from participating in Vermont Public Radio general election debates. (Bernie Sanders runs in the Primary in the summer as a Democrat and takes millions of dollars from them and their PACs, and then switches at the last minute in the general election for November to “independent” so he is not a “real” independent.)
This pertains to REAL independent candidates. Vermont Public Radio pretends to be your loving friend on the radio, but they are really snipers aiming at true democracy by excluding candidates from debates. VPR cares about only one thing, “your contributions” and the millions and millions of dollars they don’t tell you about. They are a business that only really cares about the RICH and WEALTHY and keeping the rich and wealthy in political power.
Remember, when you vote, there are a long list of candidates for many statewide offices, but only a few are invited to VPR debates. That’s because VPR only invites the candidates with the biggest campaign funds. VPR does everything they can to make certain that government continues to be of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. Don’t every mistake their sweet voices for being your real friend.
Thursday, April 17, 2014 10:01 AM
From: Mark Berlin
Mark.Berlin at fcc.gov
Federal Communications Commission
To: Cris Ericson
How a station receives its funding is irrelevant.
Stations have the First Amendment right
to have on whomever they want,
and there is no equal time right
for candidates who are omitted from debates.
If you want to seek a change to this law,
it has to be made by Congress.
Mark Berlin at FCC.gov
Federal Communications Commission
—–Original Message—–
From: Cris Ericson
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 9:56 AM
To: Mark Berlin at FCC.gov
Subject: Rebuttal: these are taxpayer dollars being used!
Rebuttal: Hi, Mark!
Vermont Public Radio receives taxpayer dollars
from the State of Vermont and the Federal Government;
so aren’t your Rules in Conspiracy
to allow them to act as an illegal and unregistered
political action committee
by using, at least in part, taxpayer dollars
to fund debates that some candidates are excluded from?
Aren’t you in conspiracy with VPR
to allow them to use taxpayer dollars
to treat me like a Negro was treated in the 1950s?
Cris Ericson
——————————————–
On Tue, 4/15/14, Mark Berlin
Mark.Berlin at fcc.gov wrote:
Subject: Complaint to FCC
To: Cris Ericson
Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 9:04 AM
The equal time law is not
absolute. Back in the 1950’s
Congress amended the law to
add several exceptions.
These include candidate appearances
on newscasts, candidate appearances
as interviewees on interview
or call-in programs, and candidate
appearances on on-the-spot coverage
of breaking news events.
This latter exception includes
candidate debates
and appearances at political conventions.
Thus, any time that a candidate
appears in any of those contexts, the
equal time law is not triggered.
Stations are therefore permitted
to air whichever candidates they want
in on-air candidate debates
and need not provide equal time
to candidates who are omitted.
The equal time law
now applies
to little more than candidate
appearances on paid political announcements.
Sincerely,
Mark Berlin
Policy Division
(political office)
Media Bureau FCC
Federal Communications Commission
_____________________________________
Cris Ericson
COMPLAINT TO FCC:
2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012
(and upcoming 2014)
I was a candidate on the
official election ballot in Vermont
for Governor every two years
and also for U.S. Senator
2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and
for U.S. Congress 2008
and I will be a candidate for Governor
and for U.S. Congress 2014
and my complaint is that
Vermont Public Radio
receives state and federal tax dollars
but has excluded me from all
general election candidate debates
and I don’t think that is legal.
Cris Ericson crisericson.com
