John;
I really dislike it when someone generalizes any group. The problem I
have is with the continuous rant from the right that "Everyone knows
that ___________ is incompetent"(replace the blank with government,
public schools or teachers etc) Please note that big business is never
a target. In this case you just did the same with politicians. I
agree that they are not taking the action on Cap and trade that I
would like to see.
The question is why? You might even be right that it is because they
have been bought off and this issue is so complex that they feel most
of the public is not watching. How have we gotten to the point that
you suggest, that all of our politicians are on the take to the
highest bidder? I think the answer is very simple. The cost of running
a federal campaign today is staggering. A campaign manager once told a
class that if you are looking for a candidate find someone prepared to
spend six days a week six hours a day on the phone asking for money!
The easiest source of funds is big business. Cloaked, of course, by go
betweens and consultants.
I suggest that rather rant in general that we begin a concerted effort
to limit spending on campaigns and disallow TV and radio ads by any
organization other than the candidates. Leave the newspapers and the
internet open but ban TV and Radio from replaying political material
garnered from open sources.
Too simple? Other suggestions ?
Chris Frandsen
On Aug 9, 2009, at 7:29 PM, John Williams wrote:
It does not take long for the new set of politicians to start selling
out just like the old set. Cap and trade was supposed to raise
hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue by auctioning off the
emission credits, but now it seems that most will be given away for
free to whoever was best at bribing the politicians. Next up, the
politicians sell out to the drug companies, in what could easily
amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. What a bunch of suckers we
are to keep putting our faith in these politicians.
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/08/white-houses-deal-with-big-pharma.html
Robert Reich wrote:
"....Last week, after being reported in the Los Angeles Times, the
White House confirmed it has promised Big Pharma that any healthcare
legislation will bar the government from using its huge purchasing
power to negotiate lower drug prices. That's basically the same deal
George W. Bush struck in getting the Medicare drug benefit, and it's
proven a bonanza for the drug industry. A continuation will be an even
larger bonanza, given all the Boomers who will be enrolling in
Medicare over the next decade. And it will be a gold mine if the deal
extends to Medicaid, which will be expanded under most versions of the
healthcare bills now emerging from Congress, and to any public option
that might be included. (We don't know how far the deal extends beyond
Medicare because its details haven't been made public.)...."
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