Group items tagged bloomberg - Politics ~ Progressive

Obama Talks With Top Republicans Amid Standoff - Bloomberg | July 30, 3011 9 PM - 0 views

www.bloomberg.com/...mit-plan-to-avert-default.html

obama republicans GOP debt crisis talks bloomberg politics economy corporate tax economics

shared by avivajazz jazzaviva on 31 Jul 11 - No Cached

Multi-front fights & the influence machine: Obama & lobbyists who know no limit | "We a... - 0 views

tomdispatch.com/...gton%2520Influence%2520Machine

lobbying lobbyists influence congress whitehouse commerce legislation special-interests

shared by avivajazz jazzaviva on 17 Sep 09 - Cached

avivajazz jazzaviva on 17 Sep 09

As of mid-August 2009, there were six (6) lobbyists per single (1) member of House and Senate (Bloomberg News). That's 6:1, folks. Just for healthcare reform. For financial industry reform, there are 2,400 lobbyists in play. The Chamber of Commerce spent $26.2 million--in the first 2 quarters (6 months) of 2009. Clearly, private industries and their foot soldiers on K Street/Capitol Hill influence/dictate American policymaking. No matter who's 'voted in,' it's the influence machine that rules Washington. Worse, there's a good chance that the Supreme Court will grant corporations (as 'fictive persons') to spend unlimited dollars in funding electoral campaigns. Is there hope that this country will be a democracy one day? Or is it doomed to become increasingly, irrevocably plutocratic?

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">As of mid-August 2009, there were six (6) lobbyists per single (1) member of House and Senate (Bloomberg News). That's 6:1, folks. Just for healthcare reform. For financial industry reform, there are 2,400 lobbyists in play. The Chamber of Commerce spent $26.2 million--in the first 2 quarters (6 months) of 2009. Clearly, private industries and their foot soldiers on K Street/Capitol Hill influence/dictate American policymaking. No matter who's 'voted in,' it's the influence machine that rules Washington. Worse, there's a good chance that the Supreme Court will grant corporations (as 'fictive persons') to spend unlimited dollars in funding electoral campaigns. Is there hope that this country will be a democracy one day? Or is it doomed to become increasingly, irrevocably plutocratic?</div>

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