I got to vote against Jared Kushner. Jealous?
Jared Kushner is a visible symbol of the corruption that is eating away at our democracy. He has no public office, let alone an elected one, yet he is a key player in negotiating an undeclared war – all while pursuing personal and family wealth in a massive conflict of interest. He seems to be accountable to none of us.
Except ... he sits on the Board of a publicly-traded company in which (through my IRA) I have shares. I just got to vote against Jared Kushner's re-election as a Director. Just like I got to vote against Jeff Bezos. And against resolutions watering down companies' DEI programs. And for management trying to resist resolutions like that. I'm not saying Kushner or Bezos noticed or that my votes alone changed anything. But those were votes I hadn't cast, just like not bothering to vote on Election Day. And I have to admit, it felt pretty good to cast those votes.
I could do that because it's Annual Meeting season for American corporations. That means that every shareholder has a right to vote on corporate directors, as well as resolutions ranging from executive compensation to climate to diversity, equity and inclusion. If you own shares through just about any mechanism (including IRAs), you have the right to vote. If you get notices, open and read them. If you don't get them, ask your financial advisor.
Find out why and how to cast your shareholder votes:
Lessons for us from Hungary's rejection of autocracy
Last month, voters resoundingly rejected Hungary's autocratic leader, despite that leader having held power for over 15 years, consolidated control of the media and courts, and rigged elections. A global symbol of MAGA-style attacks on democracy was defeated.
How did they do it, and what might be useful lessons for us? Here's a quick selection of different analyses:
Kenneth Roth
Aaron Rupar and Thor Benson
And as always:
Check out our updated Signs of Hope, for reasons to not sink into despair!