On July 6, 1998, Citizens Concerned About Corporations (CCAC), a spin-off project of Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County (DUHC) in coastal Northern California, turned in almost 2000 signatures in an attempt to qualify the first ballot initiative in U.S. history on the subject of dismantling corporate rule. "The Arcata Advisory Initiative on Democracy and Corporations" needed 1110 signatures to make it on the November 3 ballot, which was successfully accomplished by a small but extremely energetic group of five core members and 15 additional volunteers over 25 hectic days. We were surprised by the almost complete lack of any organized or isolated opposition. Even the owners of the many locally-owned businesses we met with were either supportive or neutral, and two businesses ended up publicly endorsing the Initiative.

The ONLY opposition we encountered was an absurd editorial (on the eighth day of signature gathering) in the Eureka Times-Standard, the local corporate daily, owned by MediaNews Group Corporation, the seventh largest newspaper corporation in the country. The editorial, written by the paper's managing editor, claimed that the $200 our Initiative would cost the local taxpayers was a waste of money, and better spent on filling potholes. He refused to allow us a prompt editorial response, so we went to the local community radio station and framed his comments as yet another example of a distant corporation interfering in the democratic yearnings of a people. Until the turn of the century, corporations were prohibited from ANY involvement in the democratic process (funding elections, lobbying, donating to charities, and so on), and this is exactly what America will need if We The People are ever to reclaim our authority over the corporate form.

We believe that virtually all Americans are fed up with corporate crime and corporate manipulation of our democratic institutions. Everyone we talk to here in Arcata is excited about the possibility of people engaging each other city-wide in ongoing discussions about the proper role of corporations in a democracy, and specifically in Arcata. If we win in November, Arcata may ultimately turn out to be, as Jim Hightower has described us, "...a shot that will be heard 'round the world"!

For more information, or to find out how you can help to spread the news across North America, please write Citizens Concerned About Corporations, POB 27, Arcata CA 95518; call 707-822-2242; or e-mail cienfuegos@igc.org. Donations should be made payable to Democracy Unlimited, with a memo notation: "CCAC."