# Government Problem, Not Size...but Who It's For



## SeaBreeze (Dec 28, 2014)

Opinion on the problem with the government. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-government-problem_b_6376972.html



> Why are politicians doing so much for corporate executives and Wall Street insiders? Follow the money. It's because they're flooding Washington with money as never before, financing an increasing portion of politicians' campaigns.The Supreme Court's decision this year in McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission, following in the wake of Citizen's United, already eliminated the $123,200 cap on the amount an individual could contribute to federal candidates.
> 
> The new spending legislation, just enacted, makes it easier for wealthy individuals to write big checks to political parties. Before, individuals could donate up to $32,400 to the Democratic or Republican National Committees.
> 
> ...


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## Jackie22 (Dec 28, 2014)

This keeps happening because the voters keep sending people to Washington that vote against their own interest.

Its called suicidal stupidity.


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## WhatInThe (Dec 28, 2014)

Corporate and personal welfare. At the national level corporate America gets the breaks and local politicians pay off favors with jobs for anyone from a campaign worker or someone who helped fudge, nudge and/or manipulate let alone personal friends.


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## Warrigal (Dec 28, 2014)

Is this apparent to everyone or is there some collective blindness happening?
Electoral power still rests with the people if they choose to exercise it.


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## Josiah (Dec 28, 2014)

Just when I think I can put our country's problems on some backburner and maybe concentrate on the Humor Forum, SeaBreeze has to come along and rattle my cage.
Good grief.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 28, 2014)

Guilty as charged Josiah, fifty lashes with a wet noodle for me, lol!


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## tnthomas (Dec 28, 2014)

Jackie22 said:


> This keeps happening because the voters keep sending people to Washington that vote against their own interest.
> 
> Its called suicidal stupidity.



True story.

I "vote my pocketbook", am not interested in making the greedy rich, and call "BS" on Trickledown Economics.


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## Debby (Dec 28, 2014)

Dame Warrigal said:


> Is this apparent to everyone or is there some collective blindness happening?
> Electoral power still rests with the people if they choose to exercise it.





'Hmmm, electoral power......'?  As all politicians seem susceptible to the lure of 'support', how does electoral power influence anything?  When both or all parties (depending on the country) seem to be of the same mindset just with different pet projects, it seems like there isn't anything else to vote for if one did have a mind to change anything.  

You know how they say it takes a while to turn an ocean liner?  Well, it's like this ocean liner has no breaks and the rudder is busted.  Change???  Seems unlikely.


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## Josiah (Dec 28, 2014)

Instructive chart


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## Warrigal (Dec 28, 2014)

Over here voters are turning away from the old parties towards the Greens, Independents and microparties.
It really gives the big parties something to worry about and really big headaches in government, not to mention much amusement for the rest of us watching them sweat.


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## Don M. (Dec 28, 2014)

SeaBreeze said:


> Opinion on the problem with the government. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-government-problem_b_6376972.html



The information about what is happening in our government is out there....but very few people take the time to do any real research.  The BEST source for tracking the flow of ridiculous amounts of money to our politicians can be found at Opensecrets.org.  This site logs all the money reported to the FEC, by politician, party, etc.  However, with the advent of Citizens United, many of these newly formed PAC's are able to circumvent the normal reporting procedures.  However, the reported funding is a very good measure of just who is increasingly "owning" our government.  Then, when you couple these campaign contributions with a given politicians voting record, at sites such as VoteSmart.org., a fairly clear picture begins to emerge as to just where our politicians allegiance really lies.  

One of the most interesting charts I've seen lately is this one.....http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=i&showYear=2014.  This list shows the largest contributors to the 2014 campaigns by Industry/Sector.  The thing that sticks out in this list of the top 20 Lobbying Sectors is that 5 of the top 20 are Health Care/Insurance related.  That offers some real insight into why the people of our nation are stuck with paying twice as much for health care as those of virtually any other developed nation.  Buried deep in the 11,000 pages of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is language that these Lobbyists inserted so as to insure the continued and rising profits of our Health Care Industry.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 29, 2014)

Dame Warrigal said:


> Electoral power still rests with the people if they choose to exercise it.



No, electoral power rests with the electoral college. The President is not chosen by popular citizen vote: he is chosen by "electors" who are in turn chosen by popular vote on a state-by-state basis. 

"One man, one vote" may have worked in South Africa  but not here.


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## Warrigal (Dec 29, 2014)

The electoral college is an anachronism but remember that all power is not vested in the Executive. You also have Congress as well as state and local government bodies.

What's more you have the power to change the House of Reps every two years and the Senate turns over completely every six years in two yearly increments.

We don't elect our PM or Governor General at all because power rests with parliament and parliament is elected by the people - all of them, not just the 30% to 40% that can be bothered to get out of bed to vote.


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## Ralphy1 (Dec 29, 2014)

A benign dictator is the answer, perhaps the Matrix...


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## Warrigal (Dec 29, 2014)

You're not wrong. I've just been to Singapore and they have much to thank Lee Kwan Yu for.


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## Ralphy1 (Dec 29, 2014)

Have you ever known me to be wrong?


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## Warrigal (Dec 29, 2014)

Never, but then my short term memory is less than reliable lately.


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## Ralphy1 (Dec 29, 2014)

Have you ever known me to be wrong?


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## Warrigal (Dec 29, 2014)

Whatyername, I've never ever known you to be wrong.

:lofl:


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## rkunsaw (Dec 29, 2014)

Jackie22 said:


> This keeps happening because the voters keep sending people to Washington that vote against their own interest.
> 
> Its called suicidal stupidity.



That's for sure. The idiots voted or Obama twice. And Pelosi and Reid keep getting elected too.


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## Jackie22 (Dec 29, 2014)




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## QuickSilver (Dec 29, 2014)

Good one Jackie!!   lol!!!   AND that about sums up what folks get voting against their own interests..  But the cartoon forgot the holy grail of GOP policy.  Privatizing Social Security and voucherizing Medicare!!


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## Debby (Dec 29, 2014)

It would be nice if the 'flavour' of meanness could be eliminated when it comes to folks discussing the personalities of the voter on the other side don't you think?  After all, it's all a matter of perspective isn't it?  Who was right, who was wrong to vote the way they did.  There have been and always will be good and bad decisions on the part of both(all) parties regardless of which country you live in.


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