A PEEK INTO CONGRESSIONAL CORRUPTION
7/2/2003

Contrary to popular perception, it's actually quite easy to get the
attention of most members of congress on an issue of particular concern to
you - just write your request on the back of a big campaign check.

Alas, though few of us peasants have the wherewithal to spread five-figure
checks around the capitol, so we're left out of this insider's game. Of
course, congress critters themselves indignantly deny that any such game
goes on, but every now and then, the congressional log gets lifted... and we
get an eyeful of the ugly squirmies underneath.

The latest ugly incident involves a Kansas corporation called Westar Energy
Inc. and four top congressional leaders. We only know about this because
some Westar executives were caught this year in a mess of criminal activity,
and the subsequent investigation turned up a most interesting email from a
Westar vice-president to the other executives.

The company wanted an exemption from a federal regulation and hoped to have
its exemption slipped into an energy bill. "We have a plan for participation
to get a seat at the table," says the email, which then bluntly names the
price: "The total package will be $31,500 in hard money (individual) and
$25,000 in soft money (corporate)."

It then names the four congress critters who named the price - Reps. Tom
DeLay, Joe Barton, Billy Tauzin and Sen. Richard Shelby. The money was
paid - and sure enough, Rep. Barton slipped Westar's exemption into the
bill.

When the email became public, all four of these congressional squirmies
feigned outrage that anyone could even think they would trade legislative
favors for campaign cash. But there it was - they admit they took the
cash... and promptly did the deed, all behind what they thought at the time
were securely closed doors.

This is Jim Hightower saying... To stop this corrupt corporate money, we
must provide public financing of our elections. To start where you live,
call Public Campaign: 202-293-0222.

On Fri, 04 Jul 2003 15:08:12 GMT, Epimethius <Epimethius@saturn.net> wrote:
>
>This is Jim Hightower saying... To stop this corrupt corporate money, we
>must provide public financing of our elections.

In other words, create a self-perpetuating oligarchy, that doesn't need
to go out to the community for anything but taxes.

--
Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty
when the government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom
are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded
rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious
encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.
- Justice Louis Brandeis