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CORRUPTION UPDATES 8 August 31 to September 8, 2006 The CORRUPTION UPDATES posts corruption news stories from California, the Nation and the World, and gives you the straight story. |
CORRUPTION UPDATE 8
Previous Corruption Updates: Page 7
Next Corruption Updates: Page 9
A Year When Deals Prevail
“Cooperation between the governor and the Democrats results in legislative attention to some of the state's most pressing problems.”
By Jordan Rau, Times
Staff Writer
September 3, 2006
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
THIS IGNORANT ARTICLE LAUDS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF LATE LEGISLATURE:
The parade of lies and half-truths that plague our corporate media are all apparent in this pathetic article. From PBS to FOX, the “accomplishments” of this pathetic legislature are being lauded. Do we have a free press, or free cheerleading? The only thing they accomplished was to serve the special interests, and their own petty ambitions.
Any objective analysis shows this Legislature served the special interests before the General Welfare of the Citizens of this State. Our previous postings well demonstrate the wave of Money, of corruption, that swept away honesty at the end of the session.
But
the political elites and the corporate media consider this
frenzy of corruption a success, an accomplishment.
SACRAMENTO
At session-end, old bills take on
brand new lives
Lawmakers now can hijack measures with
impunity
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/31/BAGM1KS96S1.DTL
Greg Lucas, Matthew Yi, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Thursday, August 31, 2006
“August is the month when Capitol hallways are choked with lobbyists feverishly trying to persuade lawmakers to kill or pass bills affecting their clients.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
LAWMAKERS USE NEAT TRICK TO AVOID RESPONSIBLE LEGISLATION: “GUT AND AMEND”:
This article describes one of the fine “accomplishments” of this last legislature: The open abuse of the legislative process through a procedure called “gut and amend.” The article describes the use of this dishonest procedure at the end of the term:
“This
week, for example, a bill dealing with domestic violence became
one on physical therapists. A bill on horse racing became a bill
relating to science teachers. Up until last week, a Senate bill
being considered by the Assembly was intended to raise the
minimum wage. But when it was debated Monday, it had changed to
a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.” Wow. No hearings, no public input. Just the Legislature and
their big-buck masters, having their way. What a bunch of
cheats.
GOP Endorsements Carry Price Tag
“A new arm of O.C.'s Republican Party charges incumbents $200 if they want a shot at an early nod. Some consider it a shakedown.”
By
Seema Mehta and Christian Berthelsen, Times Staff
Writers
September 5, 2006
The Orange “county's GOP is requiring incumbent candidates to join a special party association and pay a $200 membership fee if they want to receive the party's "early endorsement." "I understand the intention behind it in trying to get folks more involved," said Tim Whitacre, an elected member of the county party's central committee."However, it's not very well thought out because it comes across as more of a shakedown."
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
GOP SELLS ENDORSEMENTS:
Every part of our electoral and legislative process comes across as a shakedown. The purchase of the Republican party's endorsement is cheap. As previous reviews of in our Corruption News have shown, politicians and parties offer very large returns for a very small investment. Unfortunately, this economic policy of “pay to play”, although it may be ethical in the business sphere, is indicative of the undemocratic practices that now dominate our politicians and parties. We must replace the domination of our polity by wealth with democracy. Join the Committee to Reform Politics in California. Email or write us now. Contact your friends.
Is there something bad in the water of OC that corrupts politicians who drink of it?
Read many more articles on Corruption in the OC
Report Says Rules Favor Incumbents Over Rivals
M. Cooper NYT9-6-06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/nyregion/06campaign.html
“Public financing in NYC has failed to diminish the incumbency advantage. NYC is looking to further restrict Campaign Financing Laws to make the elections fair. This article was based on a report by the city's Campaign Finance Board. The report, “Public Dollars for the Public Good: A Report on the 2005 Elections,” can be found online at www.nyccfb.info.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
NYC FINDS “CLEAN CAMPAIGNS” NOT ENOUGH TO STEM TIDE OF SPECIAL INTEREST CORRUPTION:
Publicly Financed Campaigns is a good idea. In a democratic polity it would present a level playing field against wealth. But we have a polity dominated by National Special Interests. Very Big Money. Clean Campaigns needs to be supplemented with CLEAN ELECTIONS. As it now stands, no half-measures will restore our democracy. Special interests must be limited to their speech and petition rights, and stopped from participating in our elections.
Link to further articles on Public Financing
Prison union endorses Angelides
By Andy Furillo - Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 12:18 pm PDT Wednesday, September 6, 2006
http://www.sacbee.com/102/story/18924.html
“With a political bankroll expected to exceed $10 million, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association on Wednesday endorsed Phil Angelides in the Democrat's campaign to unseat Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
PRISON UNION BUYS ANGELIDES, “MR. CLEAN CANDIDATE”
This is interesting. The prison union has wielded brutal political power in Sacramento for over a decade. They were recently accused by the special master for prison reform of working with the governor's office to manipulate the outcome of the prison reforms. Apparently Arnie did not grasp at their money, nor their demands.
See two articles in:
Archive I, corruption updates I:
An Honest public offical..........7-13-06
Hagar bashed in hatchet job.....7-16-06
Now they are attacking Arnie, and throwing their vast fortune behind Angelides. Guess who offered them a better deal. What do they want for their money?
Well, their political payoff means we will never see the end, or the bottom of, the ongoing scandals and incompetence in the prisons as long as the prison union, can buy political influence. And Angelides wins, which looks very unlikely.
Under our initiative, these groups would have power relative to their ability to organize their members and supporters, and the quality of their positions. Today, special interest power is based on their ability to bribe politicians. If we want to clean up the prisons, we've got to clean up political corruption first.
Illinois' Ryan Gets 61/2 Years for Corruption
“The ex-governor won't take responsibility for graft and cronyism on his watch, but acknowledges he didn't do enough to stop it.”
By P.J. Huffstutter,
Times Staff Writer
September 7, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-ryan7sep07,1,681893.story?coll=la-headlines-politics
“CHICAGO — Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after placing a moratorium on executions, was sentenced Wednesday to 6 1/2 years in prison for his part in a widespread corruption scandal.”
“But Ryan, 72, would not take responsibility for the rampant corruption in his administration, which ended a political career that spanned more than three decades.”
“In April, a jury found Ryan guilty of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts for himself and his family in exchange for steering millions of dollars' worth of state business to friends and associates.”
“It also highlighted the state's long history of political graft and cronyism.”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
RYAN GETS 6.5 YEARS FOR LIFETIME OF CORRUPTION.
A lifetime of corruption is being repaid with life behind bars.
Note that Ryan gave away millions of public dollars
so he could be showered with luxury gifts and money. How much
did “millions” in corruption cost the
“contributors?” “tens of thousands of dollars”
the article tells us. The system of bribery and cronyism this
article described pollute all levels of our government. Local,
State, and National politics are all for sale.
Top
of Page
Limits on Firms' Donations to California Pension Panel Eyed
“The California teacher fund's board may restrict gifts to the governor, treasurer and controller.”
By Evan Halper, Times
Staff Writer
September 8, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-pension8sep08,1,4346287.story?coll=la-headlines-politics
“SACRAMENTO — The board that oversees California's teacher pension fund is poised to ban financial firms that it does business with from making large political contributions to its members and the governor.” “Implementation of such a ban, which could cost candidates for governor and other statewide offices millions of dollars in campaign cash, was set in motion Thursday with a unanimous vote of the board's corporate governance committee. Over the next two months, staff attorneys will craft statutes, subject to board approval, that would put the new rule into effect. “
“pension boards nationwide have been tainted by "pay to play" scandals” ”
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
PENSION BOARD MAY NO LONGER BE POLITICAL SLUSH FUND FOR DEMOCRATS:
Yes! It is a rare
pleasure to see reports on real actions against political
corruption, rather than reports that justify and soft pedal our
corrupt politicians. Note what this article said: “The
development follows revelations in The Times that Treasurer Phil
Angelides and Controller Steve Westly, rivals in the June
primary election, steered the pension boards they sit on,
including the teacher fund panel, to invest in firms that
contributed to their campaigns. Both men have collected millions
of dollars from companies seeking pension-system cash. But both
quickly endorsed the new plan.”
There is not a
perception of “pay for play,” it is the disgusting
reality of a system that is democratic in name only.
GO TO: Previous Corruption Updates: Page 7
Next Corruption Updates: Page 9
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