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Related: About this forumSECRET AUDIO: Missouri Lawmakers, In Meeting AT THE MISSOURI CAPITOL, Threatened With Loss of Donors
http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2013/02/15/secret-audio-missouri-lawmakers-in-meeting-at-the-missouri-capitol-threatened-with-loss-of-donors-if-they-dont-push-right-to-work/
FULL title: SECRET AUDIO: Missouri Lawmakers, In Meeting AT THE MISSOURI CAPITOL, Threatened With Loss of Donors if They Dont Push Right-to-Work
Progress Missouri has released audio tapes taken from a Conservative strategy session held in the Missouri Capitol in which leaders of corporate front groups push for Republican lawmakers to institute a national Right-to-Work law. The speakers, which include Lew Uhler of the National Tax Limitation Committee and Jared Rodriquez of the Western Michigan Policy Forum, threaten stripping politicians of donors if they do not fall in line with the anti-worker agenda.
Big money coming in from national sources is promised as well as a pledge to help the lawmakers during reelection.
Fundraising threats to Republican lawmakers who did not support the organizers extreme agenda
-Big money coming into Missouri from unspecified national sources to finance anti-worker campaigns and candidates
-Strategies for conducting public opinion research to help hoodwink Missouri voters into supporting policies designed explicitly to shrink the middle class and increase corporate power.
FULL story at link.
About the Author: Chaz Bolte
Chaz Bolte is a native of Pittsburgh, PA where he attended Slippery Rock University. He currently contributes to WePartyPatriots, Addicting Info, Secret Party Room, and Football Nation. You can follow him on Twitter @ChazBolte
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)I went & left a comment.
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Also threats of businesses leaving for other "Right to Work" states.
Straight intimidation.
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,272 posts)rurallib
(62,346 posts)Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)Anyone who thinks that our current form of government isn't 'Of the money, by the money, and for the money' just hasn't been paying attention. Unfortunately, our current form of government is broken beyond fixing. Our lawmakers need to spend more time fundraising than any other activity, because if they don't, they lose their jobs at the end of their term.
200 years ago you actually could go door to door and meet the voters. Now, the only way to get elected is to advertise and that costs money. And since money has been equated to 'free speech' the guy with the biggest checkbook usually wins. It really isn't any different than the post-Civil War era when the 'carpetbaggers' roamed the halls of congress with carpetbags full of cash to give to Congressmen to get them to vote one way or the other.
Until we get serious - and I mean really serious - about campaign finance reform, this will continue. When you think about the amount of money spent in the last election and then think about what that money could have done to actually accomplish something good for the country instead of driving people crazy with political ads, you know that we've got a real problem with no solution in sight.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)We fuss ande fume about each and every thing we see that's shifting focus AWAY from us and TOWARDS the monied interests. Hell, WHEN was the last time politicians asked US about some pending law or policy they were about to move on???
They're NOT going to come to us even if WE HAVE contributed to their last campaign efforts. Why? Because 10 - 20 - 100 - 2500 bucks.... they're chump change compared to what special interests can cough up. So WHICH faction of their funding are they most likely to be beholden to???
From gay rights, to gun rights - from social safety nets to ridiculous overkill in national security - from affordable health care to pouring returnless monies into/onto foreign nations - from a switch to green energy to decent and fair treatment for labor - MONEY rules without relent. And we could change that - if only we worked in concert towards it.
I hand write several DC legislators EVERY DAY. At best, I get back some conciliatory rhetoric in return - but more often I get nothing. Why do I persist? More to give me a way of venting - even if most of my post cards find their way to the circular file. I HAVE TO do something. I don't have a PAC I can wield, and I'm too old to go chain myself to the White House fences.
But we COULD effect change in DC - change that would be more than just a slogan - if we'd pull together and DEMAND public financing from local to federal politics. ALL of our current woes - even the attack on 9/11 - are rooted in the vast sums of money that buy seats in government.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Notice the idea of tax incentives was dismissed?
Behind closed doors these people know taxes are no big deal to corporations.
That alone makes this a major story.