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CORRUPTION UPDATES 21 October 27th to November 1st, 2006: The CORRUPTION UPDATES reviews corruption in the news. News Stories from California, the Nation and the World are abstracted below, and followed by commentary and references. |
CORRUPTION UPDATES 21
Previous Corruption Updates: Page 20
Next Corruption Updates: Page 22
1) THE ARTICLE ABSTRACTD BELOW WAS PUBLISHED BY THE:
LA TIMES, 10-27-06
Tale of a union and politics is now in jury's hands
“A former SEIU local official is accused of helping divert funds to a political campaign.”
By Joe Mathews, Times Staff Writer
October 27,
2006
“Workers who move
easily between the Legislature and local political campaigns,
stopping only to create phony reports so they could draw paychecks
from a union.”
“Union leaders who routinely sign,
under penalty of perjury, blank forms disclosing their campaign
contributions and trust others to fill in the correct data.”
“These
and other purported details of how unions sometimes practice
politics were described during testimony in a two-week criminal
trial that concluded this week in downtown Los Angeles. “
“Jurors began
deliberations Thursday on four charges against Humphries, who was
president of Service Employees International Union Local 99 for more
than a decade. She is accused of conspiring to break the $500 legal
limit on political contributions by having her union pay for
campaign workers and a cellphone for Martin Ludlow during his
successful 2003 campaign for the Los Angeles City Council.”
“Ludlow, a close friend of Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa's, resigned his council seat to head the county labor
federation in 2005. He pleaded guilty in a related case earlier this
”
“On the stand,
Humphries said she did not understand the meaning of "under
penalty of perjury." ”
“One of Humphries'
lawyers, former City Councilman Nick Pacheco, was defeated by
Villaraigosa in a 2003 reelection bid. Pacheco
and co-counsel Ricardo Torres II sought to put the city's rising
union movement on trial, arguing that despite the campaign
finance laws, union and campaign resources are often
commingled.”
Torres told jurors in his closing
statement that Ludlow and other political
operatives "were doing what unions do" during the
2003 race.”
“The
results of several investigations, as portrayed in a 15th-floor
courtroom over the last two weeks, reveal a rather easy mix of
union and campaign resources.”
“According to
testimony, three staffers from then-Assembly Speaker Herb
Wesson's Office of Member Services joined Ludlow's City Council
campaign in 2003 but their salaries were illegally paid by Local
99.”
“When union auditors questioned whether
these campaign workers had done any work for the union, the
campaign workers produced phony reports — including memos on
the state budget and a report on school board elections — to
make it appear that they had done things for Local 99, according
to testimony.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
SEIU POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN LA DEFENDED AS NORMAL PRACTICE UNION PRESIDENT'S DEFENCE BASED ON ACCEPTABILITY AND COMMONALITY OF CORRUPT UNION POLITICAL PRACTICES, AND THE PERSONAL STUPIDITY OF THE SEIU PRESIDENT
The systematic corruption of our polity, of our parties, politicians, and political institutions are laid out in this article. Disturbing as these practices are, more disturbing is the basis the defense is using to defend these criminal acts.
According to the defense, we are supposed to accept that stupidity, lying under oath, and fraud are the common, and therefore acceptable practices, of unions and politicians.
The basis of this defense is the “everybody's corrupt, so there is no such thing as corruption” defense. Rather than diminishing the criminality of corrupt political practices, this defense only proves that a through reform of our democracy is overdue. And we are hopeful it will anger the judge.
The unions are the small guy in politics. Unions, environmental groups, civil rights and the other non-business bribers of politicians, all added together, provide less than 40% of the total amount of bribes politicians collect.
Well over 60% of the funds for political bribery are provided by large corporations and well heeled national business interests. The small bribers, the unions & etc, work within a system that assures their defeat by the bigger bribers.
The small money-based special interest groups are doomed to lose against the power of bigger money, because here in California, and across our nation, political victory is based on wealth.
The sad truth is that the leaders of the weaker special interests have the same love of wealth and power as the big special interests. Their self-interest is stronger than their loyalty to cause, and stronger than their loyalty to our country's democratic principals and traditions.
The leaders of union and environmental groups, like their corporate special interest counterparts, are more interested in maintaining their positions, their wealth, power, and prestige, than serving their constituencies, the voters, or their country.
Our initiative asserts an ethical standard that is lacking from contemporary politics in California: Our forefathers called it democracy.
For the resolution of this case see,
“Ex-Union Chief gets jail...,” Corruption Updates 27, last article on page.
2) THE ARTICLE ABSTRACTED BELOW WAS PUBLISHED BY THE LA Times, 10-30-06:
Unregulated groups put millions in election
“Special interests, millionaires skirt campaign limits.”
By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
October
30, 2006
“Sterling, Colo. — Unions,
corporations and wealthy individuals have pumped nearly $300 million
this year into unregulated political groups, funding dozens of
aggressive and sometimes shadowy campaigns independent of party
machines.”
“The groups, both
liberal and conservative, air TV and radio spots, conduct polls, run
phone banks, canvass door-to-door and stage get-out-the-vote
rallies, with no oversight by the Federal Election Commission. Set
up as tax-exempt "issue advocacy" committees, they cannot
explicitly endorse candidates. But they can do everything short of
telling voters how to mark their ballots.”
“Because they can
accept unlimited donations from any source, the committees —
known as 527s — have emerged as the favored vehicle for
millionaires and interest groups seeking to set the political
agenda.”
“By far the largest chunk of unregulated
money — nearly $60 million — comes straight out of union
treasuries and is used mostly to benefit Democratic candidates and
causes. Conservatives are fighting back with multimillion-dollar
donations from a California TV executive and the Texas developer who financed the
Swift Boat ads.”
“The campaign
finance reforms that took effect for 2004 limit individuals to about
$100,000 in total contributions to all candidates, parties and
political action committees per election cycle. Parties and PACs
remain extremely influential. PACs, for instance, are expected to
funnel more than $1 billion to candidates this year by bundling
contributions from trial lawyers, beer wholesalers, pharmaceutical
makers and other groups.”
"Political money is like water. It will find an outlet," said Jeffrey M. Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. "If 527s are banned, will another vehicle pop up? Absolutely."
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
SHADOW PARTIES (527S) INFUSE MILLIONS IN BRIBE MONEY INTO ELECTION
SPECIAL INTERESTS SKIRT CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS TO MAINTAIN THEIR ILLIGIMATE AUTHORITY THROUGH POLITICAL BRIBERY
The “shadow parties” are well described by this article, but poorly evaluated. The shadow parties are vehicles through which special interests participate directly in elections while circumnavigating campaign finance laws. Thus the title, “shadow parties.”
The previous two articles, above, have a disturbing subtext: both present corruption as acceptable practice because they describe corruption as an inevitable occurrence. We strongly disagree.
Although corruption is always present in human en devours, it is always unacceptable. These articles both concede that political power is the product of corruption. The unstated theme of both the above articles is that corruption has replaced the voter as the source of political power.
The problem with the shadow parties is easy to cure. We must require that every group that does political advertisements, or otherwise participates in political campaigning, be treated like a political party. If it looks, smells, and acts like a political party, it must obey the same rules that govern the political parties.
Partisan participation in an election must bring the same regime of contribution limits and reporting that regulate the political parties. The acceptance of political and personal corruption by American politicians, business leaders, the press and our academic elite, is the fundamental problem, and can only be addressed by a public demand for higher standards.
We believe that only We, The People can fix this mess. by reimposing democratic restraints on these wayward elites. Our initiative is crafted to make political authority flow from the bottom, from the people, upward, TO our political representatives, rather than downward, FROM the special interests, through THEIR politicians, down to the people.
Our initiative will change the direction political authority flows in California.
Articles about how BIG MONEY RUNS POLITICS:
Corruption Updates 17, 5th article on page, “VAST SUMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY COLLECTED BY GOV CANDIDATES IN CA”
Corruption Updates 17, 6th article on page, “Total Campaign Outlays Approach $400 Million”
Corruption Updates 22, 6th article on page, “MONEY WINS IN ALMOST EVERY POLITICAL RACE”
Corruption Updates 19, 1st article on page, “TOP RECIPEINTS OF LOBBYISTS BRIBES ARE LEADERSHIP OF BOTH PARTIES”
Corruption Updates 19, 3rd article on page, “PARTIES AND THEIR BRIBERS WORK TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE RESTRICTION”
Corruption Updates 19, 9th article on page, “BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION ENGULFING JUDICIAL ELECTIONS: INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY A JOKE”
Corruption Updates 20, 1st article on page, 10-25-06, “PELOSI FUNRAISING FRENZY ASSURES SPECIAL INTEREST DOMINATION OF GOVERNMENT INDEPENDENT OF WHICH SIDE WINS IN NOV”
Corruption Updates 20, 6th article on page, 10-27-06, “DEMS RECEIVE SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBES ANTICIPATING VICTORY IN NOV VOTERS ASSURED ONLY CHANGE AFTER NOVEMBER WILL BE WHICH PARTY GETS 60% OF THE SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBES, AND WHICH PARTY GETS 40% OF THE BRIBES”
Corruption Updates 21, 2nd article on page, 10-30-06: “SHADOW PARTIES (527S) INFUSE MILLIONS IN BRIBE MONEY INTO ELECTION SPECIAL INTERESTS SKIRT CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS TO MAINTAIN THEIR ILLIGIMATE AUTHORITY THROUGH POLITICAL BRIBERY”
Corruption Updates 21, 8fh article on page, 11-1-06: “DEMS BIG CHANCE TO REAP THE REWARDS OF CORRUPTION POLITICAL VICTORY OPENS DOORS OF LOBBYING FIRMS TO DEMO INSIDERS: IT'S THE DEMS TURN TO ROB THE PUBLIC BLIND, AND BETRAY OUR DEMOCRACY”
Corruption Updates 22, 6th article on page, “MONEY WINS IN ALMOST EVERY POLITICAL RACE”
Corruption Updates 24, 6th article on page, 12-4-06, “POLITICIANS WHO BRIBE POLITICIANS ARE LEADERS UNCONTESTED CANDIDATES REDISTRIBUTE BRIBE MONEY TO BUY PLUM COMMITTEES AND CHAIRMANSHIPS”
Corruption Updates 26, 1st article on page, 12-8-06, “LOBBYISTS SEE NO CHANGE UNDER DEMS CORRUPTION PRESENTED AS FORCE OF NATURE, DEM CORRUPTION NATURAL”
Corruption Updates 27, 2nd article on page, “DEM LEADERS TO REFORM CONGRESS?”
Corruption Updates 28, 1st article on page, 1-2-07: “LOBBYISTS HIRING-BRIBING DEMS SHIFTING FUNDS AND PERSONELL TO DEMS ASSURES NO REAL CHANGES
Corruption Updates 28, 4th article on page, “Bush and Dems Fight Over Earmarks” (Dems Try to Pass Fake Earmark Reform)
Corruption Updates 30, 2nd article on page, “Democrats set back on earmarks” (Reid Stalls Fake Earmark Reform after it Unexpectedly GAINS TEETH)
Corruption Updates 33, 4th article on page, “Lobbyists find new Congress is open for business”
MORE LINKS TO BRIBERY
3) THE
ARTICLE ABSTRACTD BELOW WAS PUBLISHED BY THE NY Times, 11-1-06,
Egypt
Sends Sadat’s Nephew to Prison for Defaming Military
By JANO CHARBEL and MICHAEL SLACKMAN
CAIRO, Oct. 31
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/world/africa/01egypt.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2f
Countries%20and%20Territories%2fEgypt&pagewanted=print
“Talaat el-Sadat, the nephew of President Anwar el-Sadat and an opposition member of Parliament, was sentenced by a military court on Tuesday to one year in prison on charges that he defamed the military by essentially blaming it for having a hand in his uncle’s death.”
“The case, while attracting less attention than the trial of a former presidential candidate, Ayman Nour, who is serving a five-year prison term on charges widely viewed as politically motivated, comes as Egyptian authorities have shown less and less tolerance for critical opposition.”
““This guy is a loose cannon; he is a populist and he enjoys being a celebrity,” Muhammad Kamal, a member of the upper house of Parliament and a frequent spokesman for the governing party, said in an interview when the trial began. He added, “If someone claimed that Bush was behind Sept. 11, this would be investigated. So what is happening is normal.” ”
“The message is that no one is immune, not journalists, not judges, not parliamentarians,” said Wael el-Ebrashi, editor in chief of Sawt el Umma, a weekly independent newspaper.
“Mr. Ebrashi will himself face trial next month for printing a list of judges whom his newspaper accused of helping to rig parliamentary elections last year.”
“During those elections, government security forces surrounded polling places, beating and shooting would-be voters, in an effort to prevent opposition candidates from winning. Even so, independent candidates affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood won 88 seats out of 454 in Parliament.”
“Egypt’s political elite is in a state of anxiety. The president, Hosni Mubarak, is 78, and while there is no clear successor in sight, it appears the president has begun to hand the reins of state over to his son, Gamal Mubarak. At the same time, regional crises — from the war between Lebanon and Israel to the rise of Iran as a regional power — have further undermined the leadership’s credibility on the street, political analysts said.”
“The United States at one time talked about Egypt as leading the way toward democratic reform in the Middle East. But with the chaos in the region, and the political uncertainty in Egypt, officials in Egypt said the United States had dropped all pressure to make democratic reforms.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
There are so many things wrong with this article, it's difficult to start. First, and foremost, Egypt is, and has been, an American backed, funded, and armed dictatorship for over two decades. As have the regimes in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and, for now, Lebanon. Our politicians have been framing our recent foreign policy actions in the middle east as a fight for democracy against tyranny.
The very concept of democracy has been historically absent from our involvement in the middle east from the beginning of our involvement.
The middle eastern regimes we bankroll use death squads, kidnapping, and torture as instruments of domestic policy, with our knowledge and consent. We allow, if not encourage, these methods to achieve our foreign policy goals. Our participation in the suppression of civil and political rights in the middle east is well known everywhere, except here, in the US.
Our support of this suppression has bred extreme resentment, and resistance, to us, and the governments we sponsor. Herein lays the source of “terrorism.” These people do not accept the notion that we have “won,” and now they must obey.
We have sacrificed our principals, and other peoples' rights, for short term successes that assure long term failures. Our “victory” has sewn the seeds of our failure. This situation is a product of our failure to live up to our own values, not any failure of middle easterners to live up to their values. The next step in this tragedy would be to bring the police state practices we condone in other nations home.
The Constitution was designed to prevent arbitrary authority from forming in our government, either domestically, or for foreign, applications. This failure of our Constitutional restraints is indicative of the degree of political corruption that has infected our government, and also measures a serious decline in the ethics of our people.
MORE ARTICLES ON EGYPT
Corruption Updates 18, 7th article on the page, "For moderate democracy"
“Egypt Sends Sadat's Nephew to Prison for Defaming Military,” Corruption Update 21, 3rd article on page, states that,
“The United States had at one time talked about Egypt as leading the way toward democratic reform in the Middle East. But with the chaos in the region, and the political uncertanity in Egypt, officials in Egypt said the United States has dropped all pressure to make democratic reforms.”
For further developments on American toleration of the suppression of democracy by the American sponsored dictatorship in Egypt, see,
“Egypt Cracks Down on Brotherhood,” Corruption Update 27, 5th article down.
“2007, Redrawing the Map,” Corruption Update 27, 6th article on page.
These articles describe Mubarak's suppression of democracy through Constitutional amendments:
Corruption Update 30, 7th article on page, BBC Tuesday, 16 January 2007 “Egypt detains Brotherhood backers”
Corruption Update 32, 1st article on page, "Rice speaks softly in Egypt" RICE THANKS DICTATOR FOR REGIONAL SUPPORT
Corruption Update 32, 7th article on page, "President Hosni Mubarak's proposed constitutional amendments were approved by the People's Assembly majority" EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN DICTATOR DICTATES REPRESSIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Corruption Update 32, 8 th article on page, "The Muslim Brotherhood says it will continue to measure its responses despite the regime's latest heavy-handed clampdown" BROTHERHOOD MODERATE IN FACE OF DICTATORIAL REPRESSION
Corruption Update 40, 6 th article on page, "Before the vote" (MUBARAK ABOUT TO IMPOSE BUSH RULES ON EGYPT The Constitutional changes Mubarak is about to impose on Egypt are the same powers Bush has claimed here)
Read More Articles on Egypt
4) THE ARTICLE ABSTRACTED BELOW APPEARED IN THE: LA Times, 10-30-06:
Bustamante faulted over acts by aide
The lieutenant governor fired his fiscal officer after unpaid bills topped $300,000 in two years.
By Dan Morain, Times Staff Writer
October 30,
2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cruz30oct30,0,7925340,full.story?coll=la-home-local
“SACRAMENTO — In recent years,
the lieutenant governor's office under Cruz Bustamante fell $300,000
behind in office rent, and vendors exasperated by unpaid bills shut
off cellphone service, stopped maintaining copy machines and
threatened to cancel credit cards.”
“Aides to
Bustamante blame the lapses on the lieutenant governor's former
fiscal officer, who used a state-issued credit card to make a down
payment on a sports car, travel to Hawaii, buy stereo and computer
equipment and rent videos, state documents show. The state has paid
those costs.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
BUSTAMANTE IN RACE WITH SELF: WILL HIS CORRUPTION, OR HIS INCOMPENTENCE BE VICTIOROUS? WE CALL IT A DEAD HEAT. SELLING OUT TO THE INSURANCE LOBBY WHILE BEING INCAPABLE OF RUNNING A MEANINGLESS OFFICE PROVES NO TALENT OR HONOR WHATSOEVER IS REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS IN CALIFORNIA POLITICS
Good ol' Cruz is always good for a laugh. The average politician exhibits a brutal, razor-edged, professionalism, and is easily able to hide their corruption behind a carefully crafted public relations machine. Cruz is so comically corrupt and incompetent that he offers a humorous counterpoint to the brutally efficient corruption of our political elite.
There may be a hidden benefit to electing Cruz to public office; He is so corrupt and incompetent that the government would collapse. The ability of the big bribers would be limited by the stupidity of the politicians they bribed.
When our political leaders are elected because of how well they collect bribes, we are assured corruption and incompetence will be the strongest assets of our leaders.
5) THE ARTICLE ABSTRACTED BELOW WAS PUBLISHED BY THE LA TIMES, 10-30-06:
Some legislative candidates run with big money but no opposition
In 74 races, those with safe seats are raising more money than they need. Sharing it will give them clout in Sacramento.
By Nancy Vogel, Times Staff Writer
October 30,
2006
“SACRAMENTO — In 74 of 100
legislative races on the November ballot, candidates face no real
competition: Not one of their opponents has collected even $1,000
and some face no opposition at all.”
“Yet these
74 candidates between July and October together raised $8.5 million
from corporations, unions, industry groups and others with a stake
in how state laws are written. These candidates don't need to work
for reelection — voters of their own parties dominate their
districts by such wide margins that their seats are safe — but
they continue to attract or solicit donations.
Such donations
trouble government watchdogs, who say they are made to win the
goodwill of soon-to-be lawmakers.”
“Fund-raising
has become the main criterion by which lawmakers are judged by their
leaders in this era of term limits, in which lawmakers have just a
few years to make a mark before they must find new jobs. Candidates
strut their ambition through how much they've raised and how much
they've given to help the party cause.
"Your ability to
raise money determines your status on the food chain," said
Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla (D-Pittsburg). Because of term limits,
he will leave the Assembly next month after six years. "It
determines your committee assignment, your chairmanship, your status
among other members." “
“Legislative
candidates with no or token opposition have in recent weeks sent
hundreds of thousands of dollars to state and county Democratic or
Republican parties or donated directly to the few candidates with
formidable opponents.”
“Among Democratic Assembly
members coasting to reelection, the biggest, most generous
fund-raiser between July and October was Alberto Torrico of the East
Bay city of
Newark.”
“Torrico raised and gave away $239,000
to Democratic Party committees and funds run by Nuñez. Last
month, Nuñez named him chairman of the Assembly committee
that handles gambling, tobacco and alcohol legislation. It is known
as a "juice" committee because it involves industries
known for giving abundant campaign contributions.”
“
"The goal of putting people on those committees isn't that
those people will just raise money for themselves," Canciamilla
said. "It's that money will trickle to the party, other
candidates, the caucus."
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
UNOPPOSED CANDIDATES COLLECT SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBES AND LAUNDER THEM TO OTHER CANDIDATES
THE FOOD CHAIN GOES ON: SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBE AND BUY POLITICIANS, THEN THE POLITICIANS USE THE MONEY TO BRIBE AND BUY OTHER POLITICIANS
If special interests can buy politicians, then it's logical that politicians should be able to buy politicians too. But that is much too simplistic. What the politicians are doing is much more complex.
The politicians are redistributing special interest money to magnify their own power, as well as the reach of their special interest's bribe. The politicians are actually acting as lobbyists for lobbyists.
This further diminishes the influence of the voter over their politicians. Channeling the special interest money through politicians to other politicians makes a mockery of democracy.
How can we expect democracy to work when our politicians are more dependent on outside big money than on their local voters? Especially when the big bucks have been laundered through other politicians. The voters don't have a clue about who is really buying their politicians, and small individual contributors can not be sure if their money is being put to the uses they intended.
All candidates and officeholders must be prohibited from laundering their campaign funds, or receiving laundered campaign contributions.
Articles related to the collection of Corporate Bribes by the parties, and the political consequences:
6) THE ARTICLE ABSTRACTED BELOW WAS PUBLISHED IN THE SAC BEE, 11-1-06:
Probe of PG&E tactics is urged
Legislators say utility's use of bill inserts and customer phone lines is unethical.
By Edie Lau - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:26 am PST Wednesday, November 1,
2006
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/69769.html
“The increasingly aggressive election battle over electricity service in eastern Yolo County landed on the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday, with several lawmakers calling for an investigation into Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s campaign tactics.”
“Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, and Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, denounced PG&E for using a customer service telephone line and billing inserts to oppose ballot measures that would enable part of Yolo County to drop PG&E and buy power instead from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.”
“ "These customers are captive," Ortiz said at a news conference. "It's an unethical, inappropriate use." “
“Ortiz and Jones -- along with Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, who was not at the news event -- wrote a letter dated Tuesday to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce requesting that PG&E be asked to demonstrate that none of its inserts, telephone recordings or other political activities was paid for with ratepayer funds.”
“PG&E, which stands to lose 77,000 customers in the cities of Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento and adjoining unincorporated areas, has waged a fierce campaign, pumping $10.4 million into the fight.”
“PG&E spokeswoman Jann Taber acknowledged Tuesday that the utility company has used billing inserts and a customer service line for politicking.
She said PG&E has carefully accounted for its staff time and related expenses and charged those to its campaign committee, the Coalition for Reliable and Affordable Electricity, not ratepayers.”
“ "We clearly are exercising our First Amendment right to freedom of speech to communicate with our customers without spending any customer-service dollars," Taber said.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
PGE TRANSFORMED FROM PUBLIC UTILITY INTO PUBLIC BANE BY DEMOCRATIC INCOMPENTENCE
WE FUNDED AND BUILT THE SYSTEM THAT THE DEMS GAVE AWAY. NOW THEY PRETEND TO CRY WHEN PGE ROBS THE PUBLIC AND IS AN ENEMY TO THE GENERAL WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS OF OUR STATE
It seems hard to believe that a Democrat Legislature and Senate approved the deregulation of PGE, and the energy infrastructure in California, from the way they have been complaining about the repercussions of their actions ever since. And the people continue to suffer while getting ripped off.
The background for this ghastly situation is that Californians paid for, and built top quality water, electrical, and educational infrastructures by the mid-1960s.
Ever since the mid 70s, these public infrastructures have been drained to subsidize massive growth in California, and this massive growth of private profit has been subsidized at the publics expense.
The last 30 years in California history has been a textbook case of irresponsible growth and development. While great slums have been rising across our state, our water, and power systems have been turned into private profit centers, while the educational systems has turned into a free daycare center to subsidize low cost workers.
So much for what was once the best infrastructure in the country.
Our state infrastructure has been turned into a cash cow for the special interests. The interests who have made these vast profits, at our expense, have wisely reinvested part of their profits in bribing the legislature to continue subsidizing their illegitimate profits. This irresponsible growth has concentrated wealth and power sufficient to break our democracy.
The corrupt policies of our special interest funded politicians have made PGE a private company, and PGE now bribes politicians and manipulates the public in the same way as the rest of the special interests. And our politicians are pretending to be surprised and upset.
What the Democrats are really thinking is that PGE should “contribute” more money to their campaigns.
Corruption Updates 13, 6th article on page, “Governor, PGE, Set Up Political Slush Fund”
Corruption Updates 24, 2nd article on page, “Arnie has Huge Special Interest Slush Fund” ("officeholder" account: Southern California Edison, PG&E, Chevron and AT&T)
Read more articles about Arnie
Search the Corruption Database under
Arnie
7) THE ARTICLE ABSTRACTED BELOW WAS PUBLISHED IN THE BEE, 11-1-06
Ex-judges: Detainee law unconstitutional
By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer
Last Updated 11:43 pm PST Wednesday, November 1, 2006
http://dwb.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/3407894p-12522720c.html
“WASHINGTON (AP) - Seven retired federal judges from both political parties have joined dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees in urging an appeals court to declare key parts of President Bush's new anti-terrorism law unconstitutional.”
“The judges, in a rare court filing Wednesday, said stripping courts of the right to question how the military handles terrorism suspects "challenges the integrity of our judicial system" and effectively sanctions the use of torture.”
“Bush signed a law this month allowing the military to arrest people overseas and detain them indefinitely without allowing them to use the U.S. courts to contest their detention. Bush hailed the law, which established a system of military trials, as a crucial tool in the war on terrorism and said it would allow prosecution of several high-level terror suspects.”
“ "We believe that compelling this court to sanction executive detentions based on evidence that has been condemned in the American legal system since our nation's founding erodes the vital role of the judiciary in safeguarding the rule of law," the judges wrote.”
“The brief was filed by retired Judges Shirley M. Hufstedler, Nathaniel R. Jones, George N. Leighton, Timothy K. Lewis, Frank J. McGarr, Abner J. Mikva and Patricia M. Wald. Three of the judges - Leighton, Lewis and McGarr - were appointed by Republican presidents.”
“In their own court filings, lawyers for the detainees argued that the law is unconstitutional because it prevents people from challenging their detention in U.S. courts - a right that attorneys said the framers of the Constitution never would have allowed to be stripped.”
"Persons imprisoned without charge must retain the right to obtain a court inquiry into the factual and legal bases for their imprisonment," attorneys wrote.”
7 RETIRED FED JUDGES JOIN GITMO “DETAINEES” IN CALLING BUSH PRISON ILLEGAL
HOW DARE THEY QUESTION THE PRESIDENT'S RIGHT TO ARREST AND IMPRISON PEOPLE ON HIS OWN IMAGINARY AUTHORITY
The only people who have any guts are retired. Everybody in the active front lines of their professions, including our “free” press, “our” politicians, the commanders in our military, and legions of Americans, have chosen to advance their personal agendas by remaining silent in the face of injustice, dishonesty, and the serious political crimes the parties and politicians have committed against our Constitutional system.
Our government long ago exceeded the clear constitutional limits placed on political power. The Democrats say the the Constitution is outdated, and they can take away a citizen's guns. Yeah, right. The Republicans say the Constitution grants liberty only to people who are straight and don't believe in abortion. Yeah, right.
Stuck between these two corrupted parties, civil liberties are a mirage, only attained through political victory, and the cost of victory makes their franchise rights are a joke.
The party that wins gets to impose its values on everybody else, and steal the lion's share of the country's wealth. The losing party bides its time, waiting for its chance to impose its corruptions on the country.
It is time to reapply the democratic system that our Constitution guarantees to our politicians and on our political system. It's time to protect everyone's civil liberties, no matter which party is in power.
Link to an extensive list of articles concerning: Unconstitutional Presidential Power
Search the Corruption Database under
Illegal Searches
Unconstitutional Presidential Power
Failure of Congressional Oversight
Wiretaps
Secret Government
8) THE ARTICLE Abstracted Below was Printed in the SAC BEE, 11-1-06:
Lobbyists could change if Democrats win
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer
Last Updated 5:55 pm PST Wednesday, November 1, 2006
http://dwb.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/3407922p-12522838c.html
“WASHINGTON (AP) - Labor unions and environmental groups that have had little influence during Republicans' control of Washington could suddenly find themselves helping set the legislative agenda if Democrats take control of at least one chamber of Congress.”
“On the other side, GOP-leaning business groups that won huge policy changes such as lawsuit limits and tax breaks may have to play defense against Democratic proposals for the first time in years.”
“Seasoned firms, trade associations and other special interests have lived through power shifts and know how they would cope with the next one. Many employ lobbyists from both parties.”
“When political control changes, the most effective lobbyists are those who - even if they lean toward one party - have reached out to lawmakers on both sides, including committee chairmen and top minority leaders, one longtime lobbyist said.”
“The National Association of Realtors backs candidates in both parties who support its issues, spokeswoman Mary Trupo said. "So whether it's Democrats or Republicans that are controlling one or both houses of Congress, it doesn't really affect how we do business," she said.”
“After Republicans took control in the mid-1990s, some started a controversial effort to pressure lobbying firms to fire Democratic lobbyists and give solely to the GOP if they wanted access.”
“Known as the "K Street Project," the effort tracked thousands of lobbyists and their party affiliations, often getting them wrong. It was widely criticized by lobbyists as unfair and crude intimidation.”
“Washington's influence industry can count on one thing no matter who holds power: Lobbyists will remain coveted fundraisers and donors.
They gave at least $13 million on the federal level this election, roughly 60 percent to Republicans and 40 percent to Democrats, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
DEMS BIG CHANCE TO REAP THE REWARDS OF CORRUPTION
POLITICAL VICTORY OPENS DOORS OF LOBBYING FIRMS TO DEMO INSIDERS: IT'S THE DEMS TURN TO ROB THE PUBLIC BLIND, AND BETRAY OUR DEMOCRACY
The proper role of money in politics is in free speech activities. Lobbying, when done honestly, is funding speech, not bribing the politician. Free speech becomes a liability to democracy when used as a justification for smashing the relationship between the voter and their representative.
This article fails to recognize the fact that lobbying is influence purchasing and peddling using money, jobs, and endless luxury perks. Lobbying has become a corrupted vehicle of special interest bribery money, not the legitimate use of free speech to petition our representatives.
A new ethical standard must be imposed on a polity that has spun out of control: democracy. Corruption will always exist. But corruption must not be allowed to control the center of politics.
When we are complacent, or tolerant, towards corruption, danger is not far behind. Political corruption has put our safety, our treasury, and our honor, in grave danger.
Corruption can only be driven back to the shadows by a serious reassertion of democratic principals and practices, beginning with the elimination of special interest bribery.
A Guide to Recent Examples of Corruption and Bribery
Search the Corruption
Database under
Big Money Politics
9) THE ARTICLE abstracted BELOW WAS PUBLISHED BY THE SAC BEE, 11-1-06:
Scientists say White House muzzled them
By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer
Last Updated 8:45 pm PST Wednesday, November 1, 2006
http://dwb.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/3407985p-12523026c.html
“WASHINGTON (AP) - Two federal agencies are investigating whether the Bush administration tried to block government scientists from speaking freely about global warming and censor their research, a senator said Wednesday.”
“Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said he was informed that the inspectors general for the Commerce Department and NASA had begun "coordinated, sweeping investigations of the Bush administration's censorship and suppression" of federal research into global warming.”
“He said the investigations "will uncover internal documents and agency correspondence that may expose widespread misconduct." He added, "Taxpayers do not fund scientific research so the Bush White House can alter it."
“In February, House Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., and other congressional leaders asked NASA to guarantee scientific openness. They complained that a public affairs officer changed or filtered information on global warming and the Big Bang.”
“The
officer, George Deutsch, a political appointee, had resigned after
being accused of trying to limit reporters' access to James Hansen,
a prominent NASA climate scientist, and insisting that a Web
designer insert the word "theory" with any mention of the
Big Bang.”
“A report last month in the scientific journal Nature claimed administrators at the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration blocked the release of a report that linked hurricane strength and frequency to global warming. Hansen had said in February that NOAA has tried to prevent researchers working on global climate change from speaking freely about their work.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
WHITE HOUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR CENSORING SCIENCE
INSPECTORS FOR NASA AND COMMERECE DEPTS MAY EXPOSE WIDESPREAD MISCONDUCT
The only certainty the average voter has, is that the political party in power will distort the facts to suit their big funders. And the big funders supply bribes to both parties.
A perusal of the patterns of special interest bribery demonstrate that the smart money buys both sides, giving 60% to the dominate party, and 40% to the minority party, subject to reversal in case of a change in leadership.
This assures that all legislation, by both parties, will be conditioned to respect the interests of the biggest special interests. Neither party will challenge, bite the hand that feeds it, nor allow honest science to stop their frenzy of greed.
Also See these Articles relating to the Censorship of Science
for Big Oil:
Corruption Updates 21, 9th article on page, “Scientists say White House muzzled them”
Corruption Updates 32, 2nd article on the page, "BUSH TRIES TO KILL CHEMICAL RULES, SCIENCE, AND INTEGRITY IN ONE FELL SWOOP:INTEGERTY FALLS, RULES AND SCIENCE DAMAGED, BUT STILL STANDING"
Corruption Updates 33, 10th article on the page, "Bush Suppressing Science and Truth:climate scientists censored, science suppressed"
Corruption Updates 38, 9th article on the page, "CLIMATE SCIENCE SILENCED YET AGAIN AT INTERIOR"
Corruption Updates 41, 2nd article on the page, "SCIENCE CLAIMS BUSH A NAZI"
Corruption Updates 41, 3rd article on the page, "REPUBLICANS DEMAND SCIENCE SAYS WHAT THEY WANT IT TO SAY"
Check out articles about Big Oil
Search the Corruption Database under
Censorship
Environment
Interior Department
Other articles on the Media, our Government, and Propaganda:
Corruption Updates 15, 7th article on page, 10-4-06, “Bush Admin Buys Anti-Castro Cuban Reporters in Miami; Nobody Cares”
Corruption Updates 17, 9th article on page, “Reporters Helped Plan War”
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