$45,000 For Every 'Yes' Vote

This is a prime example how extensive lobbying and payoffs affect our governing elected officials. Buying votes for a proposed deal is crazy, any deal, and should be illegal.

Perhaps this is why nothing gets done. If a common sense idea, law or reform is proposed, and corporations or entities don't want it, they buy the vote and stall out any option or chance it passes and create gridlock.

How can the best interests of people be protected when money in this manner buys interest, IMO, it can't. Not only were the congressman paid this sum, but senators who voted in favor received 250,000 dollars, really, WOW!!!

It's apparent that what's good or bad for America doesn't matter, as long as politicians can accept cash for political favors and votes our interests and theirs will differ.

Maybe the public should create a super pac and buy our interests back. That's sad to say, however, without money, do we really even have a chance to compete with corporations.

Source

The oil and gas industry, which stands to benefit from the creation of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, gave about $45,000 on average to the 270 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who voted in favor of the controversial project, according to an analysis by MapLight, a nonpartisan research organization that focuses on the influence of money on politics. The bill to approve the Keystone pipeline was passed by both chambers of Congress, but President Barack Obama has indicated he would veto the legislation.

US Company gives money for influence to foreign lawmaker = Bribery.
US Company gives money for influence to USA lawmaker = Lobbying.

Neat system we've got going here...

EDIT: Senators cost more!
ibtimes.com

The oil and gas industry gave nearly $250,000 to each of the 62 senators who voted in favor of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project late last month, according to MapLight, a nonpartisan research organization that tracks the influence of money in politics.

Criminal charges are in order for this kind of political fixing....
If Congress and the Senate cannot be lobbied by corporate shills... we might get something practical accomplished in Washington.
Till this practice is abolished we have no government BY the people and FOR the people.............period.

a reply to: stirling

Yeah I agree, regardless of what the issue is. Perhaps if our politicians were struggling like so many people are just to make ends meet, a different result would occur.

How can you be in touch with people you represent when your accepting cash for votes, and making more money in one fell swoop than most will make in 10-15 years.

Term limits, a cap on pay, and no accepting money or political favors, such as dinners, vacations, consulting fees, the whole nine yards. Hell if either party offered every American to vote one way for 10,000 dollars we'd be in trouble, it's really no different.

Maybe they should start buying our vote/ sarcasm.

Similar rules apply when you head out of college sports into the pro leagues. Recruiters cannot buy or give any potential candidate cars, money, ect... It's illegal. Same principles should apply.

I wonder.

How much did the "No" votes cost?

It would be nice if the politicians took the money then vote for what is right for the people, I bet if they were to screw big business that they would be held accountable for it. ..

a reply to: xuenchen

Good point. I think it was about 2,500 for a no vote.