The Verizon Corporation has been identified as one of the country’s worst tax evaders, paying no corporate taxes while having made over $32.5 billion in profits between 2008 and 2010, and receiving a $951 million tax rebate from the federal government.

In fact, they’ve spent more money lobbying than they have paid in taxes. Billions more, actually.

If Verizon CEO Lowell McAdams cheated in a game of poker, he’d forfeit his chips. If he cheated on a spelling test, he’d get an automatic F. If he cheated in a baseball game, he’d lose by default. If he cheated on his significant other, he’d be single. Why, then, is Verizon permitted by law to what amounts to cheating on their taxes?

A government should represent the people. Instead, our government represents a super-wealthy minority with the financial means to control an entire nation’s political process. We can thank our current campaign finance system for bloated corporations like Verizon (remember when they tried to force those concessions on their employees?), and the wealth disparity they have created.

Corporations like Verizon lobby for tax loopholes that let them dodge their taxes. This leaves them with mountains of extra cash, which they use to buy candidates. Because of our current political climate, candidates can’t afford not to sell their campaigns to corporations. Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam knows very well that if a politician hopes to compete in an election, they have to accept his massive donation. That candidate effectively becomes Lowell’s lap dog, cementing loopholes that allow massive corporations to continue evading taxes.

Public financing of elections would work to fix this. A candidate in a publicly financed election would not have to bow to pressure from big donors. Lower contribution limits and better enforcement would take big money’s influence out of politics.

To quote President Obama’s State of the Union, we “can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by — or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

Until we take the money out of politics, corporations like Verizon will continue to enjoy sweetheart deals and tax loopholes, while the gap between rich and poor continues to grow.

Sign our petition that we made today, urging Verizon to pay their fair share of taxes.

Your work isn’t done yet, though. We need as many people to contact our president as possible, and that’s where you come in.

Please tell five of your friends to also contact President Obama. We’ve taken the liberty of making a sample message to send them. Simply copy and paste the text below into an email to your friends.

Friend,

I just wrote President Obama to thank him for appointing AG Schneiderman to investigate the housing crisis. Could you take 30 seconds out of your day and click here now to also do the same?

Thanks,

(Your Name)

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Sign up below to get a reminder and join us Tuesday January 24 at 8:30pm Eastern.

Please tell five of your friends to sign the petition. We’ve taken the liberty of making a sample message to send them. Simply copy and paste the text below into an email to your friends.

Friend,

I just urged my senator to close corporate tax loopholes in New York. Could you take 30 seconds out of your day and click here now to write your senator too, and urge him or her to reform the corporate tax system?

Thanks,

(Your Name)

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