Our Economy Could Be In Surplus In Less Than A Year With A 1% Wall Street Sales Tax

How about we get the damned lobbyists out of Washington and our elected officials out of the pockets of those lobbyists... and then we can have a level starting point for engaging in the rest of this stuff.

As long as big businesses can buy our government out from under us, this entire conversation is moot.

My .02 cents. Tax and all.

Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by jacobe001

 

Between 2005 and 2011, organized labor spent $1.1 billion supporting federal candidates, according to Federal Election Commission reports, and an additional $3.3 billion on various political activities, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.

www.theblaze.com...

"Small" eh

I give you your 1.1 Billion

against this:

www.opensecrets.org...

LOBBYING
Top Industries
1998-2012

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $2,552,722,289
Insurance $1,812,199,377
Electric Utilities $1,701,218,677
Business Associations $1,490,036,521
Computers/Internet $1,395,997,775
Oil & Gas $1,364,045,081
Education $1,182,271,553
Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $1,175,902,482
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $1,090,841,442
TV/Movies/Music $1,050,865,354
Civil Servants/Public Officials $1,033,911,166
Securities & Investment $1,003,068,278
Real Estate $1,001,257,809
Health Professionals $961,919,485
Air Transport $916,346,387
Misc Issues $785,176,117
Telephone Utilities $755,197,036
Automotive $746,470,912
Telecom Services & Equipment $717,705,914
Health Services/HMOs $665,736,474

Originally posted by Hefficide

How about we get the damned lobbyists out of Washington and our elected officials out of the pockets of those lobbyists... and then we can have a level starting point for engaging in the rest of this stuff.

As long as big businesses can buy our government out from under us, this entire conversation is moot.

My .02 cents. Tax and all.

Agreed.
We need to get them out of our Government.

Originally posted by Hefficide

How about we get the damned lobbyists out of Washington and our elected officials out of the pockets of those lobbyists... and then we can have a level starting point for engaging in the rest of this stuff.

As long as big businesses can buy our government out from under us, this entire conversation is moot.

My .02 cents. Tax and all.

The only way to get rid of "lobbyists" is to shrink the size and power of government, not too many people want to do that.

reply to post by jacobe001

I give you your 1.1 Billion

That was 4.3 billion and other lobbyists and special interests like Hollywood rich elite.

Here is another revealing chart:

www.opensecrets.org...

LOBBYING
Ranked Sectors
1998-2012

Sector Total
Misc Business $5,423,149,669
Finance/Insur/RealEst $5,360,355,650
Health $5,357,991,952
Communic/Electronics $4,427,655,735
Energy/Nat Resource $3,986,211,720
Other $2,892,062,348
Transportation $2,777,023,207
Ideology/Single-Issue $1,790,879,905
Agribusiness $1,623,105,348
Defense $1,534,363,075
Construction $587,288,323
Labor $537,487,949
Lawyers & Lobbyists $389,454,657

Again, how is that working out where are government is for sale?
Is that what the founding fathers intended where we are supposed to have a government that represents the people of the nation, rather than the ones with the biggest pocketbook?

Originally posted by neo96


The only way to get rid of "lobbyists" is to shrink the size and power of government, not too many people want to do that.

Because everyone wants to shrink the other guys interests and not their own.

The ones doing the squabbling about the other guys are not the average Joe Six Pack in America, but the Big Business and Banks duking it out.

The average Joe Six Pack has no influence or call in what the bought and paid for politicians are fighting about.


Take the healthcare debacle for example.
It was a fight between the politicians, Big Pharma and the Insurance Companies.

Big Pharma and the Insurance Companies won in the end.

reply to post by neo96


That's a red herring. Even if we gutted almost all Federal spending we'd still have a few hundred folks in Washington quite willing to vote in accordance with whoever was offering them a bonus for doing so.

Repeal Citizens United, ban the practice of lobbying, make the Constitution, once again, applicable to citizens and not corporate entities and then we might have representation that takes their jobs and our futures seriously.

Originally posted by jacobe001

Originally posted by neo96


The only way to get rid of "lobbyists" is to shrink the size and power of government, not too many people want to do that.

Because everyone wants to shrink the other guys interests and not their own.

The ones doing the squabbling about the other guys are not the average Joe Six Pack in America, but the Big Business and Banks duking it out.

Yeah 10 pages of getting rid or corporate lobbyists until someone brought up union lobbyists.

Originally posted by neo96

Originally posted by jacobe001
So Neo, do you think we should get Wall Street and the Big Corporations out of our government, or do you think they should be able to pay to get to the head of the line in the markets unlike the majority of US Citizens and Small Business?

Dunno do people support getting unions out of Government or other special interest groups?

All I have seen is the constant vilification of Corporations,and Banks.

Right, how about La Raza and CAIR.... they lobby Washington. It's likely that people who hate Wall Street would give MALDEF and MECHA a pass.

While they promote similar views on 'Hispanic identity' and 'Hispanic history,' the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), and the National Council of La Raza (La Raza) have separate corporate identities and histories. What is unique about both MALDEF and La Raza is that they are the creations of the Ford Foundation, which remains one of their principal sources of funding.

While the original LULAC emphasized 'Mexican-Americans' were 'Americans' sharing the same national interests as other 'Americans,' today LULAC's goals center on 'group entitlements' as can be seen in The 1998 LULAC Legislative Platform available on its website (www.lulac.org).

Among its objectives expansion of American empowerment and enterprise zones along the U.S.-Mexican border; incentives for 'Hispanic' small businesses; retention of affirmative action hiring policies 'to ensure diversity in all workplaces'; preventing California Proposition 209 from being enforced; increasing the number of 'Hispanic Serving Institutions' and according them 'as many of the same benefits provided to Historically Black Colleges and Universities'; increasing the number of 'Hispanics' at all levels of the federal government and in the civil service, especially at 'key positions in the State Department, the Foreign Service and the United Nations';

U.S. citizenship is no longer important. Membership in LULAC is not restricted to U.S. citizens. 'Residents of the United States' are now eligible to become members (Article III of the Constitution of the League of United Latin American Citizens). Interestingly, it does not specify that they be legal residents. U.S. Citizenship is also apparently not a qualification for National, State, and District Officers, whether elected or appointed. (Article VIII, Section 4).

* LULAC was one of the primary opponents of California Proposition 187 - the proposition to deny illegal aliens free social and welfare services.

www.thesocialcontract.com...

Originally posted by neo96


Yeah 10 pages of getting rid or corporate lobbyists until someone brought up union lobbyists.

So you think the fight in regards to the healthcare debacle was between the American People and Politicians, Or between Big Pharma, Big Insurance Companies and Politicians?

reply to post by Hefficide

That's a red herring.

Don't see it that way

Even if we gutted almost all Federal spending we'd still have a few hundred folks in Washington quite willing to vote in accordance with whoever was offering them a bonus for doing so.

Curious how does someone saying shrink the size and power of government get turned in to gutting it?

But true polticians know they make cash with every bill they passed lifetime funding.

Repeal Citizens United

Contrary to popular belief CU did not give corporations ALL the rights of people so that their haters could sue them etc.

ban the practice of lobbying,

Don't see that ever happening as stated they get paid from them, and make bank loads of cash

make the Constitution, once again, applicable to citizens and not corporate entities and then we might have representation that takes their jobs and our futures seriously.

Sure make the constitution applicable, but corporations are peoples livelyhood do you really support them have no say whatsoever when government makes a law?

Originally posted by jacobe001

Originally posted by neo96


Yeah 10 pages of getting rid or corporate lobbyists until someone brought up union lobbyists.

So you think the fight in regards to the healthcare debacle was between the American People and Politicians, Or between Big Pharma, Big Insurance Companies and Politicians?

That was politicians making it a law that people have to buy a corporate product.

People had little to do with it.

Given the nature of preexisting conditions etc none of those evil corporations would have been on board given it effected their bottom line negatively.

reply to post by neo96


Another red herring. The people involved in those corporations, at all levels, already have a say in the process through their individual vote. Citizens United effectively gives those who control the corporations two voices rather than the one that the Framers intended.

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by neo96

 

Another red herring. The people involved in those corporations, at all levels, already have a say in the process through their individual vote. Citizens United effectively gives those who control the corporations two voices rather than the one that the Framers intended.

So that nurse in a union doesn't have more than one say?

We are talking bout more than one say and there are quite a few "special interests" around.

So no to corporations YES WE CAN with unions.and last time I checked that small minority who "controls" corporations are outnumbered by those just work for them or buy from them,

reply to post by neo96


When did I say I agree with unions? They're just as corrupt as the lobby IMO.

Originally posted by neo96


Sure make the constitution applicable, but corporations are peoples livelyhood do you really support them have no say whatsoever when government makes a law?

The problem is corporations as people that are afforded the same rights, are not acting in the best interest of the nation as people but only for themselves. That is why they should never be part of or interfere with what is best for the nation.

Let's put it another way.
Should the people of this nation be patriotic and supportive of this country and look out for its best interests?

Hypothetically speaking in this example, I am people too, and run my household as a business.
There is no benefit or interests to me in any of the wars taking place so disagree with them.
If a war started with Iran or North Korea, there is also no benefit to me and would oppose it.
I am sure the war profiteers would beg to differ.

Also, if a bomb dropped somewhere in the country, as a person with my own interests, I would do a cost analysis and see if it would affect my bottom line and carry on. Since we are all "people" like corporations, my household income and profits take precedence over patriotism and the care of the nation.

This again is all hypothetically speaking to drive home the point of how disastrous a policy it would be if everyone took on the same attitude as corporations are people.

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by neo96

 

When did I say I agree with unions? They're just as corrupt as the lobby IMO.

We were talking about "more than one say" people always love to single out corporations.

Oh and the CU ruling also made it possible for unions to do what they do it never did just benefit corporations.

reply to post by jacobe001

The problem is corporations as people that are afforded the same rights, are not acting in the best interest of the nation as people but only for themselves

Thats not your place to say or mine or anyone elses.

Think you own them?

Problem is people are not acting in their best interest control,control,regulate and they have done such as great job they are regulating themselves out of existence.

Originally posted by neo96

Thats not your place to say or mine or anyone elses.

Think you own them?

Problem is people are not acting in their best interest control,control,regulate and they have done such as great job they are regulating themselves out of existence.

Actually as a citizen, as long as I still have "Freedom of Speech" I can say it and did, until your masters in DC take it away. The regulations also, anyways as of late, have had nothing to do with helping the people, but regulating small competition out of the way, so the big boys at the top grow bigger,

Just like what it happening in China.

Many on this forum have expressed consent that they would like Wall Street Transactions taxed, but it will never happen if it effects the masters that own DC.

They may pass something perhaps that would effect the little people, but the Big Dogs go free.