Enron, Big Steel

[ByeBye]

Hello All!

    One more topic to consider here.  Why are GW and friends so mum about White House Proceedings?  It seems interesting to me that everyone is bla bla bla Enron, when at this very moment, US Steel has doubled its yearly contribution comparing last year to this year.  I think the total yearly contribution will clock in somewhere around 3 or 4 Million from steel.  I forget exact #'s.  Could these contributions have had anything to do with the recently passed tariffs?  Hmm...*scratches head*...  Let's listen in on what they're saying up at Capitol Hill....

Modeled after old Folgers Commercial.

Narrator:

    "We've replaced this Enron 'campaign contribution' with one from US Steel.  Let's watch if Senator X and his constituency can tell the difference."

Note Senator's surprise:

    "Wow!  I can't believe it!  It looks just like the Enron money.  Boy!"

Narrator:

    "Another satisfied customer.  Why don't you try the switch?"

    There was an interesting article in the NYT about how US Steel wants $20B to help bail out their sorry state of affairs by buying up smaller steel companies and "streamlining" to help improve overall efficiency.  Think they'll get it?  Their chances are probably as good as how much money they bring to DC.
    I know everyone's talking "campaign finance reform" bla bla bla.  But does anyone honestly think that people who are legally dishonest won't find a way around another poorly written piece of legislation?
    I say full information / disclosure, all the time, everywhere!  Big brother can watch me all he wants, but only if I can see through his eyes too.

Regards to all!

 

[Larry Gude]

Hi again Bye,

I couldn't agree with you more in terms of full AND IMMEDIATE disclosure.

I have NO problem if the steel industry is trying to get congress to do what they want up to a point.

I have a huge problem with someone saying they are for free trade, then legislate otherwise and then find out, after I've been led astray and voted for them because of what they said they stood for, that they got money from someone seeking not free trade.

I support Alan Keyes...

If it can vote (a citizen) then it can give every last dime it wants to whomever, quickly disclosed.

If it can't vote, union, corporation, Chinese Military, then it can give no money and will simply have to buy media to takes it case to you and I.

 

[ByeBye]

Larry....


    Glad to see you agree.  The issue then becomes how "high profile" should the disclosure become.  I think every senator should have a web site and there should be a big pie chart on page 1 that details funding sources, accurately of course.  I wouldn't even mind seeing a few tax dollars to go to a project like this.  It seems to me then we could see just what constituency a senator represents.
    In response to your support of lobbyists.  What "point" is your limit.  Not that I'm a tree-hugger, but couldn't drilling in Alaska and Enron and White House oil connection be somehow related?  Is this okay?  Your thoughts.  Not that I've got anything against Bush either.  I think for as long as they've been recording White House proceedings, they should be released.  And really, anyone who wants to use the "national security agenda" to cover their a$$ should really be punished.

Regards to all.

 

[Larry Gude]

Bye,

What is my limit on what someone can spend lobbying? Allow me to clarify.

"Lobbying" to me, refers to lobbying congress and/politicians. They can lobby to their hearts content BUT they cannot give one cent to ANYONE, be it running for office, in office or even thinking about it.  

They are in the position of having to argue for their position, drilling in ANWR, not drilling, simply from the point of being able to tell a pol what they want and think but they CAN'T back it up w/ cash. Lobbying will limit itself.

Then, I think, the cash will chase the people who can really influence the pol, you and I,  because we are the ones who can give based on our wants AND we are the votes.

They may buy ads and direct mail the voters. They go overboard? Guess what? You just motivated me to support someone who opposes you.

The thing is, let's say Bill Gates gives a billion dollars to somebody running for office. As long as it is known, right away, Bill Gates better have many voters liking what he stands for or the money may just sink the candidate.

Look at Jesse Ventura. He motivated VOTERS. All the money was against him.

This system of openness brings third and fourth party candidates into play. A vibrate political life instead of the cynicism so pervasive today.

It may spell the end, or at least a very large limit on the power that the two dominant parties have. It sickens me when a party, not ideas and principles, are preeminent. How do you like that Terry Mcauliffe is really your leader if you are a democrat? He is the moneyman and the money finds people to fit its litmus tests.

Clinton may be a petty criminal. Gore a complete idiot and Bush taking orders from Cheney. Yet, over all, day-to-day, the differences over 8 years would probably be fairly small. It is very tough to do ANYTHING major in Congress and conversely, it is very tough for any one President to ruin the nation if they get much of what they want.

Look at Reagan, The Tax Cutter. Well, congress agreed to cut spending $2 for any $1 tax increase. They didn't do it. Debt and deficit boom. Reagan signed the budgets to get what he wanted. I may have loved him but he didn't run everything. The other party got their cut to.

Look at what we, the people, want and don't get:

Terms limits

Abortion limits

Protected gun rights

End of racial preferences

These are all issues with clear voter majorities, yet the parties, in a sort of collusion, hold theses things back.

Hell, wait until this abomination of reform is better understood. Yet, both parties can share the blame. It is intellectual filth.

I want the media out of its obscene support of one side over the other. It perverts the word “news”.

I want better, smarter people in power that the automatons we have been getting for so long. There are things a candidate from either party cannot honestly mean and say but do because they MUST or the money dries up.

Just my $.02!