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CORRUPTION UPDATES 78

June 18 and 17, 2007

The CORRUPTION UPDATES posts corruption news stories from California, the Nation and the World, and gives you the straight story.

Africa news links

 

 

CORRUPTION UPDATES 78

 

Previous Corruption Updates: Page 77

Next Corruption Updates: Page 79

Contact Us: Committeefordemocracy.org

 

1) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE:

Democrats Press Plan to Reverse Energy Taxes

By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

June 18, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/washington/18oil.html?pagewanted=print

WASHINGTON, June 16 — Senate Democrats are seeking a major reversal of energy tax policies that would take billions of dollars in tax breaks and other benefits from the oil industry to underwrite renewable fuels.

The tax increases would reverse incentives passed as recently as three years ago to increase domestic exploration and production of oil and gas. The change reflects a shift from the Republican focus on expanding oil production to the Democratic concern about reducing global warming.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee will take up a bill that would raise about $14 billion from oil companies over 10 years and would give about the same amount of money on new incentives for solar power, wind power, cellulosic ethanol and numerous other renewable energy sources. The bill is one of the signature issues this year for Democrats, along with immigration and the war in Iraq, and one in which they hope to clearly distinguish themselves from the Republicans.

But Senate Democrats are expected to go beyond the $14 billion in tax changes in the draft bill. Democratic officials said the committee is all but certain to adopt a proposal by Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico that would raise $10 billion from companies that drill for oil and gas in federal waters but do not currently pay royalties to the government.

“We are cutting back subsidies for the oil and gas industry and using that money to finance the development of new and cleaner sources of energy,” said Mr. Bingaman, who plans to attach the entire tax package to the energy bill on the Senate floor next week.

It is unclear how much President Bush or Republicans in Congress will fight the proposed tax shift. The ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, has already endorsed the $14 billion package.

But the plan could easily founder because of opposition to any one of many hotly disputed provisions in the broader energy bill. Just last week, a threatened filibuster by Republicans forced Democrats to postpone a floor vote on requiring electric utilities to produce 15 percent of their power from renewable fuels.

Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York has proposed that oil companies be prohibited from using an accounting method called “last in, first out” for inventories that saves them as much as $5 billion in taxes a year.

 

In addition to higher taxes for oil companies, House and Senate Democrats are hitting at the oil industry in other ways. The Senate bill would give the federal government more power to prosecute companies that engage in “price gouging” on gasoline prices, which is broadly defined in the bill as charging “unconscionably excessive” prices that reflect “unfair leverage.” A similar measure is moving through the House.

 

The oil industry still has persuasive clout in Washington. Exxon, Shell and trade groups like the American Petroleum Institute have hired former Democratic lawmakers and Democratic lobbyists to help press their case.

They have carefully positioned themselves, picking their fights on selected issues that attract fairly little popular interest but affect potentially large amounts of money.

 

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Big Oil Losing Massive Republican Subsidies

The Democrat's Special Interest "friends"in the Senate are set to reap the profits of the same massive government subsidies the Republicans bestowed on Big Oil.

But wait, the Senate cannot originate funding bills, and the energy bill is being pursued by lobbyists in Congress like a pack of wolves after a fast rabbit.

And the Democrat Rabbits are busy.

In the House, two important Democrats, Dingell and Boucher have proposed legislation that overrules the Supreme Court's demand that the EPA follow the law and regulate C02.

So much for "Green Democrats."

This demonstrates that The Bribers of Democrats have replaced The Bribers of Republicans as the recipients of massive subsidies. The Bribers of Democrats do not like pollution regulation as much as Bribers of Republicans.

Dingell and Boucher's heroic rush to the rescue the Auto and Oil Lobbies from the wages of Responsibility show that Big Oil have no shortage of friends in the Democrat Party.

The Democrats have shown their true color: Green. Not Environmental Green, but Greenback Green. The color of money Green. Dingell and Boucher threw in an extra, on top of trying to kill C02 regulation.

Besides putting aside the order from the Supreme Court requiring the EPA regulate CO2, their proposal kills the State's right and power to regulate C02 as well.

These base deeds of the Corporate Democrats demonstrate that the Democrats are not against Big Oil per se, but only that Big Oil is not as high up on the Democrat's payoff list as they were under a Republican Congress. But they are still way up on the list. Pelosi proved that when she preserved the vast majority of Big Oil's subsidies shortly after taking charge of Congress.

The Democrats are big on Ethanol, and ethanol is backed by ADM and Corporate Agriculture. Ethanol wastes food to make fuel. It wastes food because it is a scam by Corporate Agriculture to steal Big Oil's massive energy subsidies while dramatically raising the price of food.

Ethanol is not cost, energy, or Carbon effective. But it is effective at attracting Democrat Subsidies, and providing Dems with a massive flow of Bribes.

All the Dems have to do is drive up both the price of food and fuel by pushing ethanol down our throats. Archer Daniel Midland is dreaming of stealing the massive subsidies of Big Oil, and the Democrats are there to help.

If the Dems are successful, they will present the image of environmental green as they serve corporate greed.

If that's not enough, another of their alternative fuels, the coal to fuel scam, will draw massive bribes from the Coal industry, which the Dems are panting for.

The combination of Agribucks combined with Coalbucks may be sufficient to push Big Oil from the center of subsidized energy profits, to the periphery. But Big Oil already demonstrated they are capable of protecting the majority of their subsidies under a Democrat Congress.

It appears the corporate press is willing to present the Dems as green, when the only green thing they are proposing is to end Big Oil's robbery of the oil leasing program at Interior, which already padded Big Oil with Billions in irresponsible profits.

Big Oil already knew that scam would last as long as Bush's power, and no longer.

The Dems are pulling a fast one, painting themselves as "green" as cover for shifting government subsidies, slightly, from Republican bribers to Democrat bribers.

The reality is that no big changes were brought to Congress in the last election. Just a changing of the guard, and no change in the cycle of bribery and payoff that dominates Congress.

Nothing has changed the corrupt processes or products of our terminally corrupted Congress.

The fact is that the Dems are as dishonest and as thoroughly bribed as are the Republicans. The only change the Dems energy bill will bring is that it will serve the needs of their specific bribers first, rather than either Big Oil or the needs of the country.

The only way Congress is going to produce an honest energy bill is if we force them to be honest.

Until we break the link between wealth, favors, and bribes that are traded between the special interests and the politicians, our democracy is merely poor camouflage for the bribes and corruptions of the richest industries in the country as they purchase our politicians.

Also See:

Corruption Updates 1, 11th article on page, "BIG OIL OWNS OUR POLITICIANS"

See “politics in Alaska under investigation...,” Corruption Updates #5, third article down.

Corruption Updates 24, 4th article on page, "BIG OIL OWNS INTERIOR DEPARTMENT"

Corruption Update 29, 3rd article on page, "ENERGY LOBBYIST WHO WAS INTERIOR DEPT #2 TARGET IN ETHICS PROBE:ANOTHER LOBBYIST APPOINTED TO GOVERNMENT SUSPECTED OF BETRAYING PUBLIC TRUST WITH ABRAMOFF"

Corruption Updates 74, 6th article on the page, "Congress Turns to Energy, and Lobbyists Arrive"

Search the Corruption Database under

Big Oil

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2) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

In Ethiopian Desert, Fear and Cries of Army Brutality

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

June 18, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/world/africa/18ethiopia.html?ref=t

odayspaper&pagewanted=print

This is the Ogaden, a spindle-legged corner of Ethiopia that the urbane officials in Addis Ababa, the capital, would rather outsiders never see. It is the epicenter of a separatist war pitting impoverished nomads against one of the biggest armies in Africa.

What goes on here seems to be starkly different from the carefully constructed up-and-coming image that Ethiopia — a country that the United States increasingly relies on to fight militant Islam in the Horn of Africa — tries to project.

In village after village, people said they had been brutalized by government troops. They described a widespread and longstanding reign of terror, with Ethiopian soldiers gang-raping women, burning down huts and killing civilians at will.

It is the same military that the American government helps

train and equip — and provides with prized intelligence. The two nations have been allies for years, but recently they have grown especially close, teaming up last winter to oust an Islamic movement that controlled much of Somalia...

The Bush administration, particularly the military, considers Ethiopia its best bet in the volatile Horn — which, with Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea, is fast becoming intensely violent, virulently anti-American and an incubator for terrorism.

The villagers said the abuses had intensified since April, when the rebels attacked a Chinese-run oil field, killing nine Chinese workers and more than 60 Ethiopian soldiers and employees.

...the State Department, the European Parliament and many human rights groups, mostly outside Ethiopia, have cited thousands of cases of torture, arbitrary detention and extra judicial killings — enough to raise questions in Congress about American support of the Ethiopian government.

“This is a country that is abusing its own people and has no respect for democracy,” said Representative Donald M. Payne, Democrat of New Jersey and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa and global health.

“We have not only looked the other way but we’ve pushed them to intrude in other sovereign nations,” he added, referring to the satellite images and other strategic help the American military gave Ethiopia in December, when thousands of Ethiopian troops poured into Somalia and overthrew the Islamist leadership.

According to Georgette Gagnon, deputy director for the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, Ethiopia is one of the most repressive countries in Africa.

“What the Ethiopian security forces are doing,” she said, “may amount to crimes against humanity.”

After the report came out, the researcher who wrote it was banned by the Ethiopian government from returning to the country. Similarly, three New York Times journalists who visited the Ogaden to cover this story were imprisoned for five days and had all their equipment confiscated before being released without charges.

They had promised to let some air into a very stultified political system during the national elections of 2005, which were billed as a milestone on the road to democracy.

Instead, they turned into Ethiopia’s version of Tiananmen Square. With the opposition poised to win a record number of seats in Parliament, the government cracked down brutally, opening fire on demonstrators, rounding up tens of thousands of opposition supporters and students and leveling charges of treason and even attempted to kill top opposition leaders, including the man elected mayor of Addis Ababa.

Many opposition members are now in jail or in exile. The rest seem demoralized.

“There are no real steps toward democracy,” said Merera Gudina, vice president of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, a leading opposition party. “No real steps toward opening up space, no real steps toward ending repression.”

The armed resistance began in 1994, after the Ogaden National Liberation Front, then a political organization, broached the idea of splitting off from Ethiopia. The central government responded by imprisoning Ogadeni leaders, and according to academics and human rights groups, assassinating others. The Ogaden is part of the Somali National Regional State, one of nine ethnic-based states within Ethiopia’s unusual ethnic-based federal system. On paper, all states have the right to secede, if they follow the proper procedures.

The government blames them for a string of recent bombings and assassinations and says they often single out rival clan members. Ethiopian officials have been pressuring the State Department to add the Ogaden National Liberation Front to its list of designated foreign terrorist organizations. Until recently, American officials refused, saying the rebels had not threatened civilians or American interests.

“But after the oil field attack in April,” said one American official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “we are reassessing that.”

American policy toward Ethiopia seems to be in flux. Administration officials are trying to increase the amount of nonhumanitarian aid to Ethiopia to $481 million next year, from $284 million this year. But key Democrats in Congress, including Mr. Payne, are questioning this, saying that because of Ethiopia’s human rights record, it is time to stop writing the country a blank check.

In April, European Commission officials began investigating Ethiopia for war crimes in connection to hundreds of Somali civilians killed by Ethiopian troops during heavy fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.

 

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

NY Times Justifies American Backing of Brutality in East Africa as Deterrent to Terrorism
The Ethiopian invasion of Somalia was sponsored by the United States. Yet the Corporate Free Press said little, Congress said nothing, and Bush engaged us in yet another war.

Our war by proxy against Somalia may have passed unnoticed by Americans, but not the notice of east Africans who suffer under the criminal regimes we support.

Rather than suppressing "terrorism," our support and tolerance of tyrannical regimes across Africa guarantees violent resistance to our presence in the region.

There is no justification whatsoever for supporting dictators. Until we realize this, we will be engaged in a perpetual war against people claiming the right to use their sovereignty as they, rather than we, see fit.

This puts us in the unenviable position of violently suppressing people who claim the same rights we say we are fighting for: The right to rule themselves, to make their own laws, and live according to their own values.

They have wanted to enjoy the principals and practices of American Democracy for decades. Now east Africa has had the image separated from the brutal realities of our government's actual policies and practices, and they are ready to meet violence with violence.

Thus we have added yet another "terrorist" threat to the long list of people who are using violence to fight American dictators around the world.

And of course this requires us to strengthen our support for cooperative Regional Dictators in Africa.

Our message is clear: do our bidding, and you can do anything to your government and people.

Now, after decades of abusive neglect, brutal dictators, and imposed globalization in Africa, the Times is noticing that things are not quite right.

But the Times doesn't hesitate to justify our political and military crimes in east Africa in a context of fighting "Terror" and "Islamic Movement(s)." Our political and military support of Ethiopia, and dozens of other abusive, non-democratic dictatorships around the world has been tolerated by the Times for decades.

Until it's too late, and things spin out of control; then the Times exposes, but soft pedals our crimes.

More on Africa

Durban buisnessman convicted of bribing Zuma, NYT, 11-7-06

BAE Bribery of Zuma, others, investigated by SFO, BBC World Service, 1-12-07

Corruption Updates 41, 6th article on page, "BUSH LAWLESSNESS SPREADS TO KENYA:Kenya defends transfers, absolves U.S."


Corruption Updates 72, 4th article on page, "Sudan aids CIA's spy efforts in Iraq"

Corruption Updates 73, 8th article on page, "Ethiopian protest leaders guilty"

 

U.S. support key to Ethiopia's invasion, usa today, 1/8/07

 

Zuma wins in SA, bbc, 12-19-07

Zuma Facts

Zuma Rape

 

What would Egyptian Democracy Say? Dar Al-Hayat, 12-29-07

 

Our ally in Terror, Kibaki, steals election, US silent

Video: How to win in Kenya: Fraud and Violence, Guardian, 12-31-07

Violence Grips Kenya, Sky, 12-31-07

 

Kenya election fraud rejected, economist, 1-2-03

Kenyan election chair announced result before finishing count, guardian, 1-3-08

Kenya's Att General calls for independent count, guardian, 1-4-08

 

Kenya

power sharing deal keeps cheater Kibaki in office, bbc, 2-28-08

kibaki and odinga, angola press, 2-29-08

Kibaki deployed death squads? bbc, 3-5-08

 

Horn of Africa: backwater of empire in flames

shit going crazy in somalia

Bodies litter Somali port seized by insurgents, irishtimes, 9-23-08

US Backed invasion of Somalia going down in flames

Criminal US-proxy Invasion of Somalia ignored by American Corporate press-politicians, alex, 6-18-07

 

At least 5 killed in Somalia food riots, lat, 5-5-08

Somali forces 'out of control,' bbc, 5-6-08

 

 

Somali Pirates seize cargo vessel, news24, 5-27-08

Somali Islamic insurgents attack pirates, meo, 5-24-08

Somali victims 'torn to pieces,' news24, 27/05/2008 (SA)

background: essay: US sponsored Somali Invasion destabilized the Horn of Africa. article: Kenya Kidnaps for US. links: Kenya. links: Africa.

 

 

In Zimbabwe Jail: A Reporter’s Ordeal, nyt, 4-27-08

 

Ethiopia pleads for £167m aid after crops fail, guardian, 6-14-08

 

 

World fish stocks collapse: africa feeling it first.

Bush's Somalia Adventure Fails: Horn of Africa in FLAMES

Ethiopian troops leave Somalia prompting UN call for calm and timely presidential poll, un, 1-13-09

ETHIOPIA-SOMALIA: Ethiopian troops leave parts of Mogadishu, irin, (un), 1-13-09

SOMALIA: Inside a pirate network, irin, (un), 1-13-09

 

Africa

Bush's Somalia Adventure Fails: Horn of Africa in FLAMES

 

Bodies litter Somali port seized by insurgents, irishtimes, 9-23-08

 

Ethiopian troops leave Somalia prompting UN call for calm and timely presidential poll, un, 1-13-09

ETHIOPIA-SOMALIA: Ethiopian troops leave parts of Mogadishu, irin, (un), 1-13-09

Somalis celebrate as Ethiopians withdraw from Mogadishu, iht, 1-13-09

SOMALIA: Inside a pirate network, irin, (un), 1-13-09

 

 

 

Also See: Kenya links

essays

US sponsored Somali Invasion destabilized the Horn of Africa.

Kenya Kidnaps for US

Criminal US-proxy Invasion of Somalia ignored by American Corporate press-politicians, alex, 6-18-07

 

Search the Corruption Database under

Africa

 

African Political Leadership Knowledge Tool/Game:

Last 5 Heads of State - Africa 2008

This facinating "game" tests one's knowledge of recent african national leaders and how they obtained power. In addition to being a game, you can use this neat program to easily find out who the last 5 leaders were in every nation in Africa.

If you are curious about who's in charge in Africa, you need to check this game out!


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3) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

Justice Dept. hard put to hire U.S. attorneys

Sunday, June 17, 2007

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/06/17/MNGD0QGTLF1.

DTL&type=printable

(06-17) 04:00 PDT Washington -- The Justice Department is scrambling to find willing replacements for nearly two dozen temporary U.S. attorneys, whose time in office is now limited under a law signed last week by President Bush.

The developments add to growing personnel problems at the Justice Department in the wake of last year's firings of a number of U.S. attorneys, which led to a political confrontation with Congress, lowered morale and contributed to an exodus of officials from the upper ranks of the department.

The situation became more complicated last week when Bush signed a bill overturning legislation that allowed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to appoint interim prosecutors for an indefinite period. Without that authority, the Justice Department has 120 days to fill vacancies with nominees subject to Senate confirmation, or appointees will named by the local federal court.


THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Bush Crimes in Justice Department Guts Professional Staff
Professional, respectable attorneys need not apply, as "Bushies" put loyalty to party before Country and duty.

Also See:

Corruption Updates 35, 11th article on page, “DOMENICI FINALLY ADMITS TO UNETHICAL, IF NOT CRIMINAL, CONTACT WITH FEDERAL PROSECUTOR”

Corruption Updates 39, 5th article on page,GOP official urged Rove to fire prosecutor”

Corruption Updates 42, 2nd article on page, "Tobacco prosecutor says administration interfered"

Corruption Updates 42, 5th article on page, "U.S. suggests cutting Abramoff sentence"

Corruption Updates 43, 2nd article on page, "E-Mails Show Machinations to Replace Prosecutor" (Loyal "Bushies" Email)
Corruption Updates 44, 2nd article on page,U.S. attorney probe raises civil rights issues"

Search the Corruption Database under

US Attorney (50 Abstracts)

Voter Fraud (10 Abstracts)

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4) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

Delta pumping to increase -- despite smelt

Officials say it's safe for threatened fish, but others say they are not out of danger.

- Associated Press
Published 12:00 am PDTSaturday, June 16, 2007

http://www.sacbee.com/capolitics/v-print/story/225777.html

State officials said Friday that they would increase water pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta after a previous temporary stop, citing improved conditions for fish and an obligation to deliver water to cities and farmers.

Limited pumping was authorized to resume June 10, and state officials said they would step up operations significantly beginning Sunday.

"We decided it was safe to increase pumping levels to meet water needs for cities and agriculture based on the fact that most of the Delta smelt are moving away from the pumps," Department of Water Resources spokesman Ted Thomas said.

Limited pumping was authorized to resume June 10, and state officials said they would step up operations significantly beginning Sunday.

"We decided it was safe to increase pumping levels to meet

water needs for cities and agriculture based on the fact that most of the Delta smelt are moving away from the pumps," Department of Water Resources spokesman Ted Thomas said.

Although the scheduled pumping will remain below normal, the amount of water will be enough to meet the state's obligations to cities and farmers, Thomas said.

 

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

State Says:

Fuck the Smelt, We've Stuffed Millions into California:

Shortages of Water, Electricity, Medicine, Forests and Nature Raise Prices-Profits

The Democrats and Republicans agree on almost everything. People and Growth are more important than our natural environment, our social infrastructure, and maintaining our democracy.

Our massive population growth is the cause of the Iraq war, Forty more years of growth like the last forty requires we Dominate the Middle East by Any Means Necessary.

We have grown beyond the natural limits of our resources, and this explains why the Dems are supporting the war for oil in Iraq.

Unless we maintain control of the global oil market, which requires war, our growth will come crashing to a halt.

Our massive illegal growth is accepted by both parties as justification for drilling for oil and gas anywhere.

Our massive illegal growth requires the government exercise police state powers to regulate all the strangers in our midst.

Our massive growth requires National identity cards, arbitrary searches, and illegal detentions to protect us against all the crimigrants the corporations have stuffed into the country to fatten their profits.

Never mind that the true cost is the destruction of our social, political and natural infrastructure. The profits for the few are more important than the quality of life for Americans.

So, Forget the Smelt. People are more important than Smelt. There're gone. Forget the salmon, old growth forests, and clean air. People are more important than our environment.

Forget having ample water and electricity, and you probably already forget that California had about the best schools in the world.

That was 30 years ago, before we forgot our democracy is more important than the irresponsible profits of destructive growth.

 

Also See:

Corruption Updates 39, 10th article on page, " "Scientists:Water Shortages and Drought: CLIMATE ALREADY CHANGED, NO ONE NOTICED"

Corruption Updates 63, 1st article on page, "Delta pumps halted: Smelt Halts Mighty Pumps"

Search the Corruption Database under

Smelt

Water

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5) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

Immigrant cost studies fan debate

By Susan Ferriss - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDTMonday, June 18, 2007

http://www.sacbee.com/101/v-print/story/227946.html

It sounds scary.

The conservative Heritage Foundation estimates that the taxpayer cost of amnesty for 12 million illegal immigrants could be as high as $2.6 trillion by the time they reach their 80s.

With more than half of adult illegal immigrants thought to be low-skilled and lacking a high school education, the Washington, D.C.-based think tank contends that they and their descendents wouldn't come close to covering their cost to society for decades to come.

To put $2.6 trillion in perspective, the 2006 U.S. gross domestic product -- or the value of all goods and services produced here -- was about $13 trillion.

Meanwhile, a much less alarming Congressional Budget Office estimate released around the same time barely registered in some media.

The CBO found that the proposed earned legalization program -- which opponents interpret as an amnesty -- would reap a surplus of $26.5 billion over 10 years' time.

Legalized immigrants would have to pay fees and back taxes, the CBO said, and continue paying taxes as they worked on temporary visas. Current law would bar them for a decade or more from receiving most types of federal assistance, except for emergency medical aid.

Robert Rector, author of the Heritage Foundation report, said he uses census data and other statistics to calculate costs of public services, including public education and an assortment of spending from police to parks.

"All I'm doing is counting things," Rector said. "When (other researchers) claim immigrants give us a bigger economy, and Americans benefit, that's not true."

Benjamin Johnson, director of the Immigration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C, called the Heritage Foundation report a "dehumanizing portrayal" that paints immigrants as "fiscal freeloaders" while dismissing credible research on their contributions to the economy.

"Very few people pass this fiscal benefits test. My mom was a waitress and my father was a forklift driver with three kids in public schools," Johnson added. "Their contributions didn't cover all those costs."



THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

I Hate the Heritage Foundation, But they are Only Group to Add All the Costs of Crimigration

Why should American Working Class pay the taxes to support the Crimigrants who are killing wages, driving prices up, and draining our resources?

So the Dems can expand their Mafia, and the Repugnants can expand their profits, all at the cost of our Schools, Hospitals, Wages, and our democracy.

The Buttlicker from the Immigration Policy Institute admits the validity of the Heritage Foundation's numbers, but cannot bring himself to advocate a responsible immigration program that makes the business community pay the costs of their profits on society.

Crimigrants are stealing the wealth of the country, taking very little, and passing our money and infrastructure expenses into the hands of the richest people in the country, just like in Mexico.

The Business who reap these irresponsible profits must Pay Every Cost to our schools, hospitals, prisons and social infrastructure their illegal labor force has stolen. Crimigration numbers must be kept below the level of labor that suppresses wages due to oversupply.

Crimigrants are the main tool the business and political classes use to make irresponsible profits, and create unconstitutional powers.

The businesses pocket the Profits while we pay the Bills. The Democrats want to make criminals citizens, to capture votes. The Republicans use them to steal our wealth.

Both parties are enemies to the general welfare of our country. Both parties serve wealth and pursue luxury and power. Both parties use crimigrants as tools to achieve their dishonorable goals.

This farce will continue until we take back our democracy. Only then will we be able to craft an immigration policy that does not impoverish working Americans, drain our social infrastructure, destroy our environment, and justify endless wars to feed our endless growth.

Also See:

Corruption Updates 34, 3rd article on page, LONG TERM PRISON CRISIS RECOGNIZED? SEEING IT HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM, PAYING FOR IT IS A PROBLEM

Corruption Updates 36, 7th article on page, “CORPORATE-DEMOCRAT IMMIGRATION POLICY SUCCESSFUL: PERMANENT LOW COST LABORING UNDERCLASS CREATED IN US”

Corruption Updates 36, 9th article on page, “HONEST STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ONLY SHOWS MONETARY COST OF IMMIGRATION": EDUCATION, MEDICINE, DEMOCRACY, AND JUSTICE ARE HIDDEN “COSTS” OF CHEAP FOREIGN LABOR ON THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS

Corruption Updates 41, 1st article on page, "CA. Schools Need Billions" California Schools in a Death Spiral, politicians laugh all the way to the bank

Corruption Updates 45, 8th article on page,Income Gap Is Widening, Data Shows" (gee, wonder why?)

 

Search the Corruption Database under

Crimigrants (26 Abstracts)

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6) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

A Democrat in '08! But not that one

Polls show voters support the party, but individual candidates -- particularly Clinton -- are another story.

By Michael Finnegan
Times Staff Writer

June 17, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-dems17jun17,1,1842149,full.story

From the Los Angeles Times



WASHINGTON — Frederick Cole wants the Democratic Party to take back the White House in 2008. "Look what a mess we're in," said Cole, a nurse in Louisville, Ky. "It's time for some fresh, new-thinker ideas."

Yet if his party nominates Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of
New York for president, the 52-year-old Democrat plans to vote for her Republican opponent.

"It's a personal thing," Cole said. "I don't like her. I think she's condescending and arrogant, even worse than Al Gore, who has no personality."

When registered voters were asked which party they would like to win the White House, they preferred a Democrat over a Republican by 8 percentage points. But in a race pitting Clinton against former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, the Republican was favored by 10 percentage points.


"I just don't feel like she has the integrity to do the right thing," said retired service-station owner Richard James, 62, a Democrat who lives in Herriman, Utah.

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Everybody Hates Billery
Democrats hate them for selling out to Global Corporate Fascism, the Republicans hate them as shallow Wannabes.

So we've got two choices: A Corporate Fascist, or Corporate Fascist "lite."

Until we make candidate funding dependent on voters, we will continue to float corporate trash to the top of the Candidate Heap.

Corporate Democrats of the Democratic Leadership Council Laughs at democracy:

"We're as Rich as Republicans and the Lesser Evil"

(Originally written on 1-22-07 for Corruption Updates 33, 2.)

The DLC is a corporate funded political mafia. Clinton took the Democraps down the Corporate trail, endorsing privatization, deregulation, globalism, rewarding offshoring, and welcoming a massive influx of irresponsible, unfunded growth.

These acts horrified “liberals” and “Conservatives,” but signaled that the Democrats had sold out to greed, and assured the DLC would continue to receive vast amounts of corporate bribery.

This changed the Democratic Party from a coalition of labor and liberal Special Interests to a Corporate Funded mirror of the Repubs.

Clinton ended democracy in the United States by conceding that political victory was dependent on how much corporate money, rather than voter contributions, the candidates could raise.

Our initiative will free both parties from their corporate control, allowing liberals and conservatives to argue out their positions honestly, until we craft policy and law that reflects the wisdom of each side. Today, the candidate that collects the most Big Money Special Interest Bribes wins almost every election.

Under the “Clinton System” it does not matter which side wins. The special interests spread their bribes across party lines, assuring that the Corporations will receive at least a 100 to 1 payoff for their bribes no matter who wins.

 

Also See:

Corruption Updates 59, 2nd article on page, "At Wal-Mart, Clinton didn't upset any carts"

Corruption Updates 33, 2nd article on page, "Corporate Democrats of the Democratic Leadership Council Laughs at democracy"

Corruption Updates 62, 6th article on page, "Suit Sheds Light on Clintons’ Ties to a Benefactor"

Corruption Updates 76, 4th article on page, "Clinton: Fundraiser allegedly demanded stock"

Read Articles describing how the

Democrats represent Corporations

Articles about how

BIG MONEY RUNS POLITICS

 

Search the Corruption Database under

Clintons

Democrats

Lobbyists

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7) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

Corruption probe focuses on Maywood

Federal, state and local authorities are looking into claims that a tow firm owner who has city contracts lavished trips and meals on officials.

By Scott Glover and Matt Lait
Times Staff Writers

June 18, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tow18jun18,0,1782047.story?coll=la-home-local

From the Los Angeles Times
The owner of a tow truck company that landed a lucrative contract with the city of Maywood has spent thousands of dollars entertaining police and public officials, including paying for meals, tickets to sporting events and trips to Las Vegas, records and interviews show.

Two members of the City Council have acknowledged failing to report the gifts as required by state law.

Known in Maywood by the moniker "Bravo" or sometimes "Tony Bravo," the owner's real name is Tooradj Khosroabadi. Since 1998, he has made millions towing cars, largely through an aggressive campaign by the city to rid its streets of drunk or unlicensed drivers by impounding their vehicles.

The storage charges were sometimes so high that drivers — many of them illegal immigrants — forfeited their cars rather than pay. Some of the cars were purchased by police officers.

Allegations that Khosroabadi paid kickbacks to police officials and rank-and-file officers who targeted motorists are part of a broader investigation now facing the tiny city in southeast Los Angeles County.

The FBI, the state attorney general and the Los Angeles County district attorney in recent months have requested copies of the city's towing records and have questioned witnesses about complaints of corruption.

Authorities are also looking into unrelated allegations of police brutality.

Maywood Police Officer Pablo Cunningham, who has accused the department of retaliating against him for reporting an array of alleged misconduct, has said in court papers that Police Chief Bruce Leflar once called a meeting at which he pressured officers on behalf of Khosroabadi, telling them he "needs more impounds."

Leflar, who abruptly stopped showing up for work late last year, declined to comment.

Cunningham said officers targeted motorists whom they believed were illegal immigrants; their alleged offenses were derisively referred to as "driving while wet," according to Flynn.

Cunningham declined to be interviewed by The Times. He is currently suspended, pending an investigation into alleged misconduct on his part that department officials would not disclose.

The vehicles were impounded for up to thirty days, and the owners were charged for storage. The rates — $20 a day for small vehicles and $28 a day for larger ones — resulted in bills that would often exceed the value of the vehicles.

The city of Maywood also received a cut for each vehicle that was towed, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars for city coffers.


On at least two occasions, Khosroabadi also provided Las Vegas hotel rooms for Maywood officers who participated in the annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay race that draws runners from law enforcement agencies throughout the state, Khosroabadi's relative confirmed.

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Police, Businesses, Reap Economic Profits Lauded by Immigration Advocates:

Racist Abuses Profit Greedy, Abuse General welfare of America
The abuse does not stop at just having masses of unfunded, illegal immigrants spreading poverty to the American Working Class, and Luxury to their abusers.

Accepting mass immigration condones abusing people for profit. by race. Immigration concedes that brown people get paid less, and have less dignity than white people.

Let the Abuse Begin!

That's the dirty little secret of our crimigration: business can pay them wages no American would accept, and sell their racism as some kind of weird, racist, "justice."

Immigration delivers profits to the top of society based on racial abuse of American Workers. Racist Brown wages have replaced fair wages. The government and businesses have successfully used Race to divide the wages of labor into elite and Mexican wage scales.

The government and Corporations have decided poverty suits America.

And the Mexicans are proud of being spit on, of "doing work not even the blacks will do," according to the last Mexican President.

In reality, the Blacks have been forced to Mexican wage levels. The Crimigration has deeply impoverished Blacks.

Accepting racial division of labor degrades and pollutes every aspect of our society with selfishness and greed. The abuses bleed through to every aspect of our lives.

The police and the politicians are morally weak, and easily fall into adding their particular strain of abuses to the already heavy abuses the employers inflict on the crimigrants.

The cops steal their cars, the business steal our money, and the politicians reap big bribes from both groups to maintain and perpetuate this cycle of thievery.

The only people who lose are Middle-Class Americans. The majority pays the bills so the leaders can live in luxury. The Middle-Class pays for everything, and gets kicked in the face for their efforts.

Also See:

Corruption Updates 55, 5th article on page, "One year for police officer who assisted 2 Crimigrant brothels"

Corruption Updates 55, 6th article on page,"Taxpayer funds aid Police Vegas relay racers:Immigrant Sex, Free Junket"

Corruption Updates 59, 8th article on page, "New York: 2 Indicted on Slave Charge"

Search the Corruption Database under

Crimigrants

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8) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

U.S. attorneys fallout seeps into the courts

Defense lawyers in different cases are raising new questions about government prosecutors and potential political biases.

By Richard B. Schmitt
Times Staff Writer

6:51 PM PDT, June 17, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-usattys18jun18,0,5805474.story?coll=la-home-center

From the Los Angeles Times



For months, the Justice Department and Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales have taken political heat for the purge of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

Now the fallout is starting to hit the department in courtrooms around the country.

Defense lawyers in a growing number of cases are raising questions about the motives of government lawyers who have brought charges against their clients. In court papers, they are citing the furor over the
U.S. attorney dismissals as evidence that their cases may have been infected by politics.

Missouri lawyers have invoked the controversy in challenging last year's indictment of a company owned by a prominent Democrat, on suspicion of violating federal wage and hour laws. The indictment, which came two months after the owner announced that she was running for political office, was obtained by a Republican U.S. attorney who also has been criticized because he charged workers for a left-leaning political group on the eve of the 2006 midterm election.

The lawyer for an alleged child pornographer recently defended his client at a federal trial in Minnesota in part by questioning the motives of the Republican U.S. attorney, who has come under scrutiny in the congressional investigation into the prosecutor purge.

Lawyers for a former county official in Delaware who has been accused of corruption asked a judge in early May to allow them to subpoena the Justice Department and White House for documents to see whether political motives factored into charges being brought against the official. They cited the brewing controversy inside the Beltway.

"Those revelations dramatically reinforce the reasons to believe that considerations beyond mere law enforcement are behind this prosecution," the lawyers wrote.
The controversy has drained morale from U.S. attorney offices around the country. And now, legal experts and former Justice Department officials say, it is casting a shadow over the integrity of the department and its corps of career prosecutors in court.

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Failure of Independent US Attorneys Threatens American Injustice System
Until we stop the politicians from selling themselves to the highest bidder, there will be no democracy, nor justice, coming from the American Government.

All the appointees of Bribed Politicians serve the briber before the public. This has killed many Americans, and will continue until we Stop the Bribery.

Thus we have the spectacle of Deadly Drugs coming from the FDA, We have the Department of Transportation killing people on our highways. We have the EPA allowing the poisoning of our people, across the whole range of their duties.

The vast bribes Bush received paved the way for Enron to steal billions with impunity, for Bush to close the EPA libraries, and attempt to completely gut chemical safety regulations.

Corporate bribery keeps China's poisons flowing into our country unchecked, and has choked off any criticism of their tyrannical government.

These are just a few of the many abuses that drowning our democracy in bribery has brought to us.

Join us in stopping the Bribery.

The Political Reform Initiative will remove Corruption from the Center of Politics, and drive it back into the shadows where it belongs.

Join Us.

Also See:

Corruption Updates 10, 5th article on page, "DO BRIBED POLITICIANS PROVIDE SAFE REGULATION OF PIPELINES, OR ANYTHING ELSE?" (No)

Corruption Updates 38, 1st article on page, “Fired U.S. attorney's testimony raises broader concerns"

Corruption Updates 42 , 2nd article on page, Tobacco prosecutor says administration interfered"

Corruption Updates 46, 8th article on the page, "Prosecutor Posts Go To Bush Insiders: Bush packing US Attorney posts with biased insiders"

Read more articles About Abuse of the

US Attorney

 

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US Attorney

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9) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

Egypt: Twisted democracy

By Salama A Salama

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/print/2007/849/op4.htm

14 - 20 June 2007
Issue No. 849

The biggest problem with democracy, some think, is that it doesn't guarantee who's going to win. You hold free and fair elections and anyone, just anyone, can win. This is quite unfortunate; at least according to one of our neo-thinkers who recently said that democracy brought unwanted or banned political groups to political life. He called for restraint and regulations to be introduced so as to guarantee that unwanted figures wouldn't get into parliament, as they did in 2005.

This was the main theme of the recent Shura Council elections. Thankfully, the mishaps of the past have been rectified and the unfortunate loophole in Egyptian democracy has been plugged. We have just had elections that were at least as foolproof as those of Syria, Algeria and Yemen. We have successfully avoided the pitfalls of the Iraqi, Lebanese and Mauritanian elections. The elections in Iraq brought about sectarianism. And those in Lebanon brought about grave divisions, we're told. Those in Mauritania are definitely bad for the country, although we're not sure yet in what way.

The mid-term Shura elections proved to the nation that we could have elections without democracy, or democracy without real elections. Now we can safely assume that the National Democratic Party (NDP) is poised to win all or most of the seats without having to deal with competition, aside from that among its own members. In some of the constituencies we've seen heated battles among NDP rival candidates, or between NDP members and those independent candidates who will soon be joining the NDP. The elections saw no new rivalries, surprises, or political groups emerging onto the scene.

That's quite a feat. Here we have an electoral system that guarantees victory for the party already in power, a system that hands authority to those who already have it, a system that has no room for the unusual. Perhaps some faces can change, so long as they're all NDP members. But no change will happen in the composition of the new council, and no change in policy.

The only problem in that arrangement is not that the electorate will lose faith, for they did a long time ago. The problem is that democracy is being twisted out of shape. We have elections that keep the same people in power. We have elections that fail to stamp out corruption or expand freedom. We have elections that entail no accountability for the system. We have a democracy that no one can trust.

Worse than that, the process involves a heavy dose of intimidation. The process of excluding unwanted candidates is rather clumsy. Police have rounded up 800 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and independent candidates. The reason commonly given for the arrests is that the Brotherhood is an illegal group and is using religious slogans in its campaign. It was in this climate of fear and mistrust that the government decided to ban religious slogans from political life. Its real aim, of course, was to stop the Brotherhood from making further inroads into parliament.

The NDP seems to be under the impression that the Brotherhood won 88 seats in the People's Assembly because of religious slogans. In reality, only a minority of voters choose the Brotherhood because of its slogans. The Muslim Brotherhood wins whatever votes it gets because of its involvement in helping the deprived classes, the very classes the NDP has failed to court. Almost two-thirds of voters in this country don't even bother with elections, for they dislike the NDP and the Brotherhood equally. The nation is ready for a change. It is ready for a new political force to emerge. The sick and futile rivalry between the Muslim Brotherhood and the NDP is not getting us anywhere.

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Bush "Democracy" Requires People Vote for Bush's Side, or our Dictators will Kill you.

Our system only likes elections when they are fixed, and our dictator is assured victory.

The existing governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt are American supported dictatorships who have no democratic or Islamic legitimacy. Their Kingdoms are propped up by American military and economic support.

Our support for these tyrannies is now as much of a threat to their continuation as our power is necessary for their continuation.

These governments will instantly crumble in open elections, or if our military and economic support is withdrawn.

The dictators of all three have only one viable solution to this contradiction: They are radicalizing their positions to reflect the hatred of their people for America.

They must do this to maintain what little authority they still have over their people, and delay the day when they either pay for their disloyalty with their heads, or flee to the protection of the United States.

Bush has accelerated the fall, and inflamed Arabic rage against the American supported Tyrants who have throttled their voices, crushed their rights, killed their people and stolen their lands.

The inevitable fall of the Saudi, Jordanian, and Egyptian dictatorships will end the Arab peoples' forced recognition of Israel.

Israel's legitimacy cannot be honestly recognized in the Middle-East until the Arab peoples have rid themselves of American supported dictatorships, and form legitimate governments that represent their beliefs, positions, and interests.

Only then will there be legitimate negotiating partners that represents the Arab's true perspective on Israel.

That has happened in Iran, and Syria. And it should come as no surprise that they hate Israel and the US, as we imposed dictators and foreign policies on them that represented foreign interests, rather than their own interests and beliefs.

We can strengthen and expand this hatred, by crushing the Arabs as they revolt against American dictatorships. This will fail, and when the Arabs emerge out from under American-sponsored dictatorships, there will be hell to pay.

Or we can diminish the hatred. We have a choice with the parts of the Middle East we still control, Let's tell our Arab dictators that our reign of terror is over, and we are going to force elections or take away the military and political protections that shield our dictators.

Rather than justice, it is obvious that our choice is to strengthen tyranny and increase violence. This will fail.

When failure occurs, the survivors, the rich Saudi Princes, and the minions of the Egyptian dictator, will move here, their true “homeland,” with billions of dollars.

Just like the Shah's buddies did in 1979. And when this happens, the people of these countries will hate us for the abuses we visited on their people and countries through the dictatorships we forced on them.

Look for oil prices to skyrocket, and American control of the world oil market to end.

 

Also See:

Corruption Updates 18, 7th article on page, FOR MODERATE DEMOCRACY: EGYPTIANS BELIEVE DEMOCRACY IN EGYPT IS NOT A REAL CONCERN (of the United States)

 

Corruption Update 21, 3rd article on he page, Egypt Sends Sadat's Nephew to Prison for Defaming Military 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 uncertainty in Egypt, officials in Egypt said the United States has dropped all pressure to make democratic reforms.” Now compare that with our latest rational for the Iraq war: “We Will Spread Democracy across the Middle East.”

 

Corruption Update 27, 5th article down, Egypt Cracks Down on Brotherhood

Corruption Update 27, 5th article down, Egypt adopts Bush style arrests based on no more than the will of the President

Corruption Update 27, 6th article on page,2007, Redrawing the Map,” This article describes Mubarak's suppression of democracy through arbitrary Constitutional amendments.

Corruption Update 30, 7th article on page, Egypt detains Brotherhood backers

 

Corruption Updates 31, 10th article on page, Pakistan US DICTATORSHIPS CONTINUES TO FUEL “TERRORISM”

 

Corruption Updates 32, 1st article on page,RICE THANKS EGYPTIAN DICTATOR FOR REGIONAL SUPPORT

 

Corruption Updates 32, 8th article on page, BROTHERHOOD MODERATE IN FACE OF DICTATORIAL REPRESSION

 

Corruption Update 40, 6th 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

)Corruption Updates 52, 5th article on page, Muslim Brothers in military trial

 

Corruption Updates 64, 5th article on page, Egypt, Commentary: Time to cut Israel off

 

Corruption Updates 70, 1st article on page, Ballot Boxes? Yes. Actual Democracy? Tough Question(nyt liar)

 

Corruption Updates 74, 10th article on page, Egypt's dissidents held down by law

Corruption Updates 77, 1st article on page, Egypt: Arrests Point Toward a Crackdown

 

Corruption Updates 78, 9th article on page, Egypt: Twisted democracy

Corruption Updates 78, 10th article on page, Egypt: After Shura Council Elections

 

Corruption Updates 83, 10th article on page, Hamas Is Rebuffed Over Talks, Egyptian Dictator Condemns Democratically elected Hamas

Corruption Updates 97, 1st article on page, U.S. Arms Plan for Mideast Aims to Counter Iranian Power: Bush fuels middle east arms race

 

Arab inflation Soars with Dollar Drop, Kuwait Times, 12-31-07

 

Corruption Updates 124, 10th article on the page, Egypt: Dictator Brutally Suppresses Dissent-Press

Mubarak ready to pass Dictatorship to son, AP, Nov 7, 2007

 

Egypt 'fabricated terror group,' bbc, 12-11-07

 

Bush guns up middle-east to counter rise of Iran, irsn, 12-15-07

Bush visits dictator mubarak, makes a mockery of american version of "democracy," lat, January 17, 2008

 

Iran-Egyptian rapprochement?

Iranian rapprochement, al ahram, 1-31-08

iran-egypt to normalize ties, iranmania, 1-30-08

 

Palestine

egypt secures rafa crossing, guardian, 2-4-08

guns blaze across Gaza border, yorkshire post, 2-5-08

 

Arab bitch states expect israel to destroy iran nuke tech, dawn, 2-12-08

 

muslims want their own democracy, not our dictators, bbc, 2-27-08

 

political arrests precede election, bbc, 3-4-08

strategic moves, Al Ahram, 3-5-08

 

US allows egypt to talk to  hamas, meo, 3-8-08

hostile entity holocaust: the jew's final solution for gaza, meo, 3-8-08

 

bush speech: slavery is freedom, war is peace, nyt, 3-12-08

Mubarak: mass arrests and US support props up our egyptian tyrant, bbc, 3-13-08

 

Hamas men 'tortured by Egyptians,' BBC, 3-21-08

 

White House Admits War Crimes,(torture), ap, Feb. 6, 2008

 

Search the Corruption Database under

Egypt (23 Abstracts)

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10) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE :

Egypt: After the shouting

If the results of the Shura Council reveal anything, it is the determination of the NDP to corner the Muslim Brotherhood, writes Gamal Essam El-Din 14 - 20 June 2007
Issue No. 849http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/print/2007/849/fr1.htmWhile the results of Monday's Shura Council mid-term elections had not been announced until Wednesday afternoon they will come as no surprise. The National Democratic Party (NDP) is expected to sweep the board, with press reports suggesting that out of 77 contested seats the NDP has already secured victory in 57. Add to this figure the 11 seats in which the NDP was standing uncontested and it has already secured 68 of the 88 seats up for grabs in the consultative upper house. 

Despite facing a six-month security clampdown, the MB had been determined to challenge the NDP at the polls. Senior MB member Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh said that it would have been a good step had they won.

Losing is good, as well, because they will be able to expose what Abul-Fotouh alleges is a rigging of votes.The MB has already filed petitions at the Court of Cassation asking for the results of the election to be annulled.

After the Supreme Administrative Court rejected NDP appeals, referred by the SEC, to disqualify MB candidates for raising religious slogans, the NDP had resorted to the security option, says Abul-Fotouh who claimed that hundreds of security personnel were mobilised to prevent MB voters from reaching the ballot boxes and that polling stations in constituencies with MB candidates were closed by the security forces by 2pm.

While NDP leaders have remained tight-lipped over the MB's accusations, civil society and human rights organisations report that MB supporters were systematically detained and representatives of MB candidates were prevented from entering polling stations.

Al-Jazeera, the Qatari-based satellite channel, broadcast footage of a polling station in Fayoum where supposed government employees were shown stuffing ballot boxes with votes, a common occurrence, say observers.

The National Council for Human Rights, headed by former UN secretary-general Boutros Ghali, said it has received 35 complaints from civil society organisations who say their representatives were not allowed into polling stations. Independent observers estimate that the turnout in rural areas did not exceed 10 per cent, and was probably around three per cent in urban areas.

The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) estimates overall voter turnout at less than six per cent. "In the absence of judicial supervision and with vote rigging commonplace, it's hardly surprising the public opted to stay away," said the EOHR. Following the second round of the poll, a further 44 members of the Shura Council will be appointed by presidential decree.

President Hosni Mubarak has the option of appointing new figures or renewing the membership of NDP stalwarts such as party Secretary-General and Chairman of the Shura Council Safwat El-Sherif, Interior Minister Habib El-Adly, former prime minister Atef Ebeid, Minister of Labour Aisha Abdel-Hadi and prominent businessman Mohamed Farid Khamis.

Rabie believes the appointment of public figures loyal to the NDP only serves to reinforce the public's perception of the Shura Council's marginal roll. "Even after the constitutional amendments gave it symbolic powers, the Shura Council remains little more than democratic décor with no real say in Egypt's political life," he insists.

THE COMMITTEE SAYS:

Democratic Farce of American Dictator Continues Mubarak steals yet another election with our money and guns.

Also See:

Corruption Updates 77, 1st article on the page, "Egypt:Arrests Point Toward a Crackdown" (NY Times missed the crackdown that has been going on for 30 years)

Read More Articles on Egypt

Search the Corruption Database under

Egypt (23 Abstracts)

Previous Corruption Updates: Page 77

Next Corruption Updates: Page 79

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