One Utah

Bill Moyers, in an earlier time, would have been the wise man in his village. We are fortunate to be able to hear him today.

This article, “A Time for Heresy”, is a MUST READ

In it he lists “Some simple facts:”

The number of lobbyists registered to do business in Washington has more than doubled in the last five years. That’s 16,342 lobbyists in 2000 to 34,785 last year. Sixty-five lobbyists for every member of Congress.

The total spent per month by special interests wining, dining, and seducing federal officials is now nearly $200 million. Per month.

But it’s a small investment on the return. Just look at the most important legislation passed by Congress in the last decade.

There was the energy bill that gave oil companies huge tax breaks at the same time that Exxon Mobil just posted $36 billion in profits in 2005, while our gasoline and home heating bills are at an all-time high.

There was the bankruptcy “reform” bill written by credit card companies to make it harder for poor debtors to escape the burdens of divorce or medical catastrophe.

There was the deregulation of the banking, securities, and insurance sectors, which led to rampant corporate malfeasance and greed and the destruction of the retirement plans of millions of small investors.

There was the deregulation of the telecommunications sector which led to cable industry price-gouging and the abandonment of news coverage by the big media companies.

There was the blocking of even the mildest attempt to prevent American corporations from dodging an estimated $50 billion in annual taxes by opening a P.O. box in an off-shore tax haven like Bermuda or the Cayman Islands.

In every case these results were driven by the demands of Big Money in the form of campaign contributions and the cost of lobbying.

And in every case, the religious right was cheering for the winners. (and Orin Hatch could be depended upon for his full support and influence - CDL)

You’ve heard about Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff, I’m sure. Let me tell you a little more than what you might have heard.

“A Time for Heresy”

This entry was posted Sunday, April 23rd, 2006 at 1:11 pm and is filed under National Politics, Political Corruption, Republicans, Society. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.