1. 9/11/13 NY TIMES A Lottery in hard times puts Spaniards to work. Alameda, Spain has 50% unemployment. The elected Mayor was concerned and conceived the Lottery Plan, to put people to work on various municipal projects. After 6 years of recession, there are 500 names in the Raffle and an equal number of jobs to be filled. A clever start. They made a choice.
2.NY TIMES. 9/17/13 Donors Funds Sidestep Law, aiding Christie. Why should we care about laws when our elected officials flaunt the law knowingly? In New Jersey, Governor Christie hosted Large New Jersey Contractors , who contributed indirectly to his campaign , by making out large checks to the Republican Governors Association which he leads. !
Governor Christie can claim ignorance ? He was merely rewarding ” good loyal businessman”, by hosting this Party celebrating his” plan” to create jobs? He never touched the money, it went directly to a ” group” that he leads? The problem, this cozy relationship insures that no one else can play this game. It’s a closed circle and no other Contractors need apply.
Winner take all politics, is not without cost. Every time some one pays to play, it costs the taxpayer more, you don’t think that money is free do you? Why do you think there are cost over runs in construction? THINK, Why does the project cost 25% more then estimated? It may be because “the kick back”, cloaked as a campaign contribution, wrapped in Citizens United, protecting Corporations and calling them people , is a cost of doing business .
One man, one vote was a good idea! By closing our eyes to indirect payoffs, whether thru PACS or other entities, one man, one vote , in the world of Money Speak. has become an old fashioned notion without Merit? We do have choices.
3.NY TIMES. 9/17/13. Reaping Profit after assisting on Health Care. On July 25th , 2013 Kathleen Sibelius was a keynote speaker at the Blogher13 conference. She talked about her resume, freely admitting she worked for Insurance Companies for 8 yrs prior to becoming Governor and then the Head of Health and Human Services. Immediately after her talk, she was escorted from the stage, she took no questions?
Is it possible that her strong insurance background, influenced her decision to set up Insurance Exchanges, rather then support the ” single payer” system which was the preferred method for Universal Health Care? “The NY Times states: Boom times for those in this administration who have extensive knowledge of the laws they created with a little help from their” friends” in private industry. “.
(Note to my readers; Though the healthcare system has glitches, The system can be tweaked, not dismantled. Universal healthcare is good for the Country.”, my 2 cents.)
The Pharmaceutical Lobby contributes $243million to Washington, via gifts, lunches, charities… It is 12% of all Lobbying Money distributed in Washington. Multiply this sum by a factor of 10 and you decide where the money is going ? Does anyone seriously question why there is no money for jobs? Lobbying costs money and very few can play and benefit.
Prior to Bill Clinton approving the revolving door between government and business, no one from Congress could enter the private sector for 5 years. That certainly curtailed self interest ? When Instant gratification is not possible, the people’s welfare is a ” concern”. We have a choice!
4. NY TIMES 9/18/13. LOL. My entire Blog has detailed innovative ways to find work and stay employed. The small Spanish town has the right idea, a lottery for jobs. It can be done on a large scale, if we really cared about employing people. As a few create more wealth for themselves, HOUSEHOLD INCOMES REMAIN FLAT IN IMPROVING ECONOMY? Soaring Corporate Growth as American incomes remain flat and more Americans fall into poverty. The Times states that ” the partisan divide” prevents sweeping policy changes. I would differ, it’s personal gain for the few. Profit for some trumps concern for our fellow Country men and women. Self interest trumps thinking about the needs of the many. It has nothing to do with Party Divisions, like Lawyers they are on the same side, their own? Where is our choice? Back to one man, one vote would be a beginning?