We All Need to Protest Latest Congressional Corruption
On Monday, Labor Day, September 6, The New York Times ran a shocking article everyone should read. The headline read “Corporations Seek Favor from Lawmakers through Donations to Their Charities,” http://washingtonindependent.com/96741/corporations-seek-favor-from-lawmakers-through-donations-to-their-charities explains why our health care system and so much of our society is now under the kind of corporate domination that makes the threat of so-called “government pale in comparison. Why do pharmaceutical benefit management companies get to dictate what meds doctors prescribe? Why do insurance companies get to tell RNs and MDs how long patients stay in hospitals? Why do banks get bailed out when middle class home owners don’t? Why are there no strings on tax loopholes for corporations and tax cuts for hugely wealthy people? Why aren’t tax advantages awarded to people who create jobs for others rather than cash for themselves?
Of course we all know about the influence of money on politics. But this story reveals that that trend has been taken to a whole new level. Politicians of both parties — think Representative Charles B. Rangel Democrat and Senator Orrin G. Hatch Republican — get away with setting up foundations to which corporations contribute unlimited funds. The whole scheme is insidious. Orrin Hatch sets up a foundation called Utah Families Foundation. To fund it, he solicits money from corporations — who, if they donate $20,000, get to meet privately with Hatch. He then passes on this corporate money to constituents or their groups, thus bribing them to vote for him. So those who can afford to spend $20,000 or more get to bribe Hatch, who then turns around and bribes the voters. This on top of the fact that, failure to create national or state financing of elections, and to set spending limits on candidates means you get the super rich fighting it out with their own money, makes a total mockery of democracy.
This reminds me of the rotten boroughs that were outlawed in England in 1832. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_and_pocket_boroughsThey were boroughs that were essentially bought and paid for by the rich.
What we need is a Reform Act here in the US too. Or, if that’s not possible why not just go straight for the gold. Forget the fiction that our lawmakers aren’t bought and paid for. Or that they aren’t themselves just buying their own seats. Just cut right to the chase. Instead of having two men (or women) fight it out let’s just assign seats to corporations. We could have the Walmart seat, the Staples seat, the Pfizer or Merck seat. We could have Big Pharma fighting it out with the insurance industry, or oil pitching against wind energy. At least, that way our choices would be clear. Of course, the companies would need politicians to represent them. So it would be like the Tour de France or any big sports competition where the stadium is plastered with corporate logos — the man or woman running would always wear the tee shirt or colors of the company he or she represents. The company logo would be on all their campaign material. This way you’d know which corporate interests your guy or girl represents. You don’t like the drug companies, vote the hospital association candidate, you hate the corporate agriculture, go Whole Foods.
Hey, I think I’m on to something. Maybe I can start my own PR company and cash in.
