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Health & Fitness

Our Politicians- Sold To The Highest Bidder

Our politicians are selling us out and should wear patches of their sponsors. "We the people" being unceremoniously tossed aside for the desires of big business and special interest groups.

Once again on both a national and local level we see "we the people" being unceremoniously tossed aside for the desires of big business and special interest groups.   This is not isolated to one issue but applies to almost every important issue of our lives.

Take taxes for example.   When the "temporary" Bush tax cuts for the rich were due to expire a PR campaign was launched that those cuts create jobs when the facts and statistics did not support that at all.   Still some "news" outlets and politicians continued to say this over and over and many people who were nowhere near rich bought into this.    Why?  Follow the money. Politicians receive huge campaign contributions from big corporations.  The big name corporations pay little, if any taxes, get huge refunds and have too many loopholes that allow them to take jobs out of the US.    It's not good for the country, but it's good for the pockets of politicians that are lined with dollars from major corporations. 

Gun control is another example.   Most rational people agree that owning guns is a constitutional right guaranteed by the 2nd amendment but they also agree there is nothing wrong with having required background checks and restrictions on sales to those with criminal records or mental health issues.    The PR campaign for this is "they are coming to take away your guns" or "criminals don't follow the law".    While the latter is true is there anything wrong with not allowing them to legally buy guns easily?    The argument is similar on assault weapons in that most people have no need to own one and those that wish to have them can legally buy them with absolutely no checks by walking into a gun show and buying through a private party sale- including criminals.   Politicians push for gun restrictions and other politicians decry the 2nd amendment as if any weapon is ok for private citizens- maybe even drones and tanks?     Why?  Follow the money. Politicians receive huge campaign contributions from big corporations that manufacture guns and the NRA- the largest lobby group in the US.

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Abortion is a hot issue.  Many believe it is murder and many others do not share this belief.    Politicians spend a massive amount of time on abortion and trying to restrict a woman's right to choose.  Vaginal probes and required wait times are just a few of the things politicians have come up with to attempt to keep women from having abortions- even though abortion is legal in the US.      Why?  Follow the money. Politicians receive huge campaign contributions from big churches and special interest groups.

Marriage equality is yet another issue that politicians spend a huge amount of time on.    The battle cry of the "sanctity of marriage" falls when looking at the rate of heterosexual divorces.   When that doesn't work they malign these people as if they are lepers that will destroy all of us with health or moral decline.  "They" shouldn't have the rights of everyone else.  I'm sure the same thing was said about slavery and women having the right to vote or equal pay.    Why?  Follow the money. Politicians receive huge campaign contributions from big corporations and special interest groups.

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Global warming continues to be debated by politicians.   Those who oppose it say there is no scientific evidence and we should not do anything to restrict pollution and other man made factors that contribute to it.  Why would anyone be opposed to cleaner air, water, and energy efficiency through mileage requirements or the use of solar/wind?    Why?  Follow the money. Politicians receive huge campaign contributions from big oil corporations- corporations that continue to get subsidies from our tax dollars and take public resources for cleanup of oil spills and ruptures of pipelines, or get tax write offs for the disaster that has destroyed the land or sea for decades to come.  

Healthcare continues to be a divisive issue.   Many are uniformed about who will be eligible for government health care or believe it will be free for all.   Most politicians who spread these types of misinformation get huge contributions from insurance companies who currently have little competition and can deny whoever they want whenever they want.  The interests of the stockholders is supreme, not the health of individuals.   

The list goes on.

At a local level it seems obvious that our politicians are also part of this problem.   A good example of this is the parcel at 924 and Plumtree.  Once zoned high density residential but somehow that project was scrapped and the land was rezoned to B-3, high density business, and citizens were promised only something like "The Avenue" in White Marsh could be built there.   That promise was never possible since B-3 allows almost anything, including prisons, adult book stores and more.   Rumors of a possible WalMart circulated then but were dismissed.    Now, years later, the traffic in the area is near gridlock with failing or near failing intersections and there is Walmart fighting to put the biggest store in Harford County there.  Week after week, month after month, citizens appeared at the County Council meetings with facts, figures, statistics and more of why this project should be denied.   The initial Walmart submissions failed to include many requirements and asked for permissions to forego others.    This month new legislation was introduced that anything over 75,000 sq ft would have additional requirements.  This would have covered not only Walmart but all future development of this size. All but two council members sponsored the bill and the two that did not immediately asked for amendments that any project submitted but not approved would not be included- the opposite of what is required for traffic mitigation for projects where only approved projects are taken into consideration.   All of the council members, including all but two of the sponsors voted for the amendment but when it came time to take a vote on the bill a second to vote could not be found from anyone on the council.   

If all the projects submitted are approved there will be a WalMart, MedStar, a high rise apartment complex and at least two new residential communities all being built in one isolated area, with Walmart alone bringing over 10,000 additional cars per day.    Residents in the area continue to decry that the area cannot handle this much additional traffic, that safety will be compromised, home values will decline and small local businesses will be driven out, and the overall quality of life will decline.   Where were our elected officials?    Only Captain MacMahon and President Boniface stood with citizens.   Every other council member, even those who helped sponsor the legislation, bailed on the citizens.   Rumors now circulate that they sold out to Walmart with promises of big campaign contributions.     And what of our county executive who opposed this project?   He's much too busy running for governor.   If he is unable to work out a win/win solution for Walmart and the citizens here, how can he possibly be effective as governor?

That's just one recent example of local issues where over and over our elected officials fail to represent the people and defer to big business.    

What all of these politicians seem to miss is without revenue from private citizens, at both the local and national level, there is no way to run our government and the services needed.    Big corporations might grease campaigns of politicians but they are not paying their fair share and continually dodge taxes- thanks to politicians that pass legislation that protects them.   When neighborhoods decline there is not as much tax revenue from real estate taxes.   When jobs are scarce there is not as much tax revenue from income taxes.  When more people need assistance because of low paying jobs, or no jobs at all, that money has to come out of the same pot that is shrinking.    The answer at the national level for politicians to the shortfalls is to raid social security then decry social security as an "entitlement' program that should be ended.   Our biggest national debt is to the social security fund for loans taken from it by our own government.  

Thanks to deregulation, everything these days is run by a handful of companies.   Media, Oil Companies, Banks, the list goes on.   "Too big to fail" has become the motto and our tax dollars bail out corporations that would have gone under if the invisible hand of economics had been allowed to play out.    Instead of being grateful, some of these corporations that now enjoy record profits have sued the government for giving them money to survive, rebuild and prosper.     We the people are drowning in more taxes, less jobs, less income and declining property values while they get handouts?

Why?   Follow the money.   Most national politicians are millionaires that live in a different reality.   Their campaigns are fueled by huge contributions from big corporations.   At the local level our county council is paid less than $40,000 a year and rely on major contributors.   Both rely on these contributions to run campaigns and get elected, and for every big contribution that person or corporation is looking for something in return.   LIterally anyone can start a Super PAC and raise and spend unlimited amounts of money trying to influence voters.   The Colbert Super PAC, started by comedian Stephen Colbert demonstrated why Super PAC's are detrimental to the political process.  See here for history of "Americans for A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow"

We the people are constantly being divided every day by politicians, special interest lobby groups and Super PAC's.  The them/us mentality reigns supreme in politics and on talk radio.  Keep people divided and they won't possibly listen to each other or facts and realize the politicians are playing them like a game of poker, hoping the people won't catch on.  The only time we seem to come together is in the face of a disaster or attack.   Maybe it's time for our politicians to wear patches like NASCAR to see where their money comes from and examine that against the legislation being introduced or how they vote?

 

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