Tom Steyer on Corporations Democratic Presidential Challenger; CEO

Can beat Trump on economy, did not inherit a penny

Spent $300M to take on unchecked corporate power

STEYER: What I've done over the last decade is to put together coalitions of ordinary American citizens to take on unchecked corporate power. We have a broken government in Washington, D.C. It's been purchased by corporations. Over the last decade, with the help of the American people, we have taken on and beaten the oil companies, the tobacco companies, utilities, drug companies.

I've also built one of the largest grassroots organizations in the United States. Last year, NextGen America did the largest youth voter mobilization in American history, also, in partnership with seven national unions, knocked on 15 million doors in 2016 and 10 million in 2018.

Unchecked capitalism has failed us

Break the corporate stranglehold of our government

Break up monopolies but we should focus on the positive

Calculate CA corporate income tax based on in-state sales

He also has a history of throwing his money behind progressive causes, including efforts to:
• Raise cigarette taxes in California;
• Require out-of-state businesses to calculate their California corporate income tax based on the percent of sales in the state; and
• Adopt a carbon tax in Washington.

US government & Trump have been corrupted by corporate money

"We have a broken government that has been corrupted by corporate money. We need to push the power back to the American people, to re-take the democracy and I've been doing that successfully--from the outside--10 years." Steyer said. "The question is, if we're going to take back this democracy, is someone going to lead it who has successfully done it from the outside, or a bunch of people from Washington, D.C.?"

Big-money interests are committed to stopping progress

AdWatch: put people before corporations

In one ad, Steyer focused on his pledge to limit the influence of corporations in politics, an early theme of his candidacy. He has leaned into his outsider status in the starting moments of his campaign.

"We're a get-out-to-the-people, directly-address-the-people organization,'' Steyer told POLITICO. "I've been an outsider this whole time in Democratic politics."

"Tom is running for president because he sees how the broken political system in Washington has failed the American people and has a plan to change it," Steyer's campaign manager said in a statement. "Our campaign is focused on exactly that--creating a United States that puts its people before corporations."

Take the corporate control out of politics

Corporate corruption has broken our government

Supported 2012 income tax increase for multistate businesses

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 39, Income Tax Increase for Multistate Businesses (2012)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $29.58 million; outcome: Approved
• Proposition 39 was on the November 6, 2012 ballot in California as an initiated state statute, where it was approved. Proposition 39 would:
• Requires out-of-state businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California.
• Repeals an existing law that gives out-of-state businesses an option to choose a tax liability formula that provides favorable tax treatment for businesses with property and payroll outside California.
• Dedicates $550 million annually for five years from the initiative's anticipated increase in revenue in order to fund projects that "create energy efficiency and clean energy jobs" in California.
• Initially, this extra revenue will go to fund "green" energy projects.

Trump puts corporate interests ahead of people's interests

Steyer: Those guys disagree with us on almost every point. One of the things we strongly believe is that the people Trump nominated put corporate interests ahead of American interests. We feel it's important to get citizens to be reminded of this common thread: that the new administration doesn't hate working against climate change, they don't hate science--they just love oil and gas profits.