[sheila]

Coincidentally, there was a story in the paper this morning about crooked politics...basically it's rampant and crooked with money. The story was about an ex politician who is making more money as a lobbyist than he did as a politician and he seems to have more influence than when he was a politician.

Here's the short version of the story.

Currently, judges for the county and state are chosen by an independent panel of lawyers and others. An effort was brought to change the law so that judges would be elected like politicians and therefore have to run election campaigns and raise funds to do so, etc.

Turns out that effort to change the law was instigated by the owner of a big construction and roofing company. Why? He uses (still) asbestos and has been involved in a number of lawsuits. So rather than change his ways, he figures, if he can change the law, to have judges elected, he can pay their election campaigns and they will then owe him and be favorable in any rulings of lawsuits against him.

So this guy, pays the lobbyist to get this law on the books. To do this, the lobbyist, promises certain key politicians that they will get some large donations if they vote for this new law. They vote for this new law and within 7 days, $250,000 is paid to the lobbyist and the Republican re election fund.

So the politicians, instead of having their constituents best interests at heart...those that are getting poisoned by the asbestos...they vote for a law that will help the construction company because he is paying them $250,000 to do so.

Now here's what I find amusing. People are stupid enough to keep voting for these guys. It makes me chuckle every time I think about it.

[Snoopy]

YEP

The biggest crooks all over the world are usually the ones at the top of the pyramid and not the poor blighters at the bottom - if you know what I mean 

[MiriMaran]

The true meaning of Democracy!!!  Its a disgrace!