Posted on 08/17/2006 9:55:35 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
August is a time of political-financial convergence: During the same month that California legislators decide the fate of hundreds of bills, they also seek political money from donors with an interest in the legislation. This not-so-subtle shakedown may be legal, but it inspires public cynicism and distrust of government.
During the stretch between Aug. 7 and the end of the session on Aug. 31, the Legislature will decide on more than 1,500 pieces of legislation. The last month of the session is packed with frenetic wheeling and dealing as bills face the final deadline.
But August also turns out to be an opportune time to cadge money from lobbyists and interest groups awaiting action on their legislation. Various news reports put the number of political fundraisers for state legislators (and would-be legislators) at 75 to 100 events this month, sometimes more than a dozen festivities a day.
Politicians routinely say that campaign contributions don't affect their votes. But legislators apparently count on donors believing the opposite, judging by the timing of the fundraising. Seeking cash from those with legislation awaiting votes just looks wrong, whether the practice is legal or not.
Raising campaign cash is part of politics, of course. But is it too much to ask that California's elected officials maintain a firewall between campaign money and public policy?
I actually find this strange! This should be true only if we were a nation/state/county/city/special district/school district, etc., of children IMO!
Of course if that were true and none of us were of the "age of majority" we couldn't then have government(s) of, for and by "the PEOPLE" could we!?
So now either the League of Women Vipers, or the MSM all the way down to the local news rag with barely post-teen reporters who think they are Woodward & Bernstein and about to change the world by comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable... must have started this childish cynicism and distrust of the money driven American system of capitalism!!!
Think about it my FRiends... do we live in fairytale town, or in a real world where lobbyist must be paid because lawmakers have penetrated regulatory pressures into every possible opening and orofice of business people to the point that when some bloated bureaucrat farts it messes up the free markets for days and even weeks, sometimes even permanently when it comes to GovernMental EnvironMental legislation/litigation!!!
Think about it FReepers and escalate the fight against fatigue and apathy and especially cynicism. A healthy skepticism is OK, but cynicism means you've given up hope. The only thing Jesse Hi-Jackson was EVER right about was "Keep Hope Alive!"
My daughter thought she would join the Vipers but when they found out she was a Conservative they turned a cold shoulder to her. She told them they were a just a front for the libs when she left >:)
And she, of course, is exactly correct!!! Smart daughter you have there!!!
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