Business Links of Our Candidates

[thinkahead]

Does anyone know the level of business links our candidates have - and if there are any conflicts of interest our opponents might be able to exploit (as we have with Dick Cheney) during the election?

I've heard many Democrats had ties to Enron, and many sit on Boards of Directors of various businesses - are there any of our candidates with links that we should be worried about? - and if so, have they, or will they sever those links before the election?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. Lieberman would be the worst one

it's his pro-business history that counters his otherwise very liberal record. Kerry has a great record of refusing PAC money. I don't know how the others stack up but I'm sure Nader would be happy to rate them all. :)

[Bombtrack]

2. Enron and Howard Dean were good buddies when he was making deals with them

in Vermont

Boston Globe detailed tax breaks for Enron
"Howard Dean is fond of criticizing politicians who provide tax breaks to "large corporate interests," and one of his favorite campaign lines is a blast at the Bush administration for doling out tax cuts to top executives of Enron Corp. But during Dean's 11 years as Vermont governor, he enacted tax breaks that attracted to the state a "Who's Who" of corporate America - including Enron - to set up insurance businesses.

Indeed, Dean said in 2001 that he wanted Vermont to "overtake Bermuda" as the "world's largest" haven for a segment of the insurance industry known as "captives," which refers to firms that help insure their parent companies. With little notice then - and barely any mention now in the Democratic presidential campaign - Dean succeeded in turning Vermont into the kingdom of captives. Vermont has more of these companies than the other 49 states combined.

As part of the enticement, Dean led efforts to cut state taxes of such companies, and he helped defeat a Clinton administration effort that would have eliminated $100 million worth of federal tax deductions given to the industry.”
(Boston Globe, 12/12/2003

[thinkahead]

3. Most states made deals with Enron

before they became the boogeyman. But did he, or does he have any ties to them financially? Or any other corporation?

How about Clark? Does he have any business connections? He seems like he would - especially after leaving the military.

[Bombtrack]

4. Or any other corporation? Unless he unseals his records

people won't know if he was in fact as it seems, very much a yes man for IBM.

IBM, the leading polluter in
Vermont, received his Environmental Achievement Award nine times.

He also, if I remember correctly met with them in private an amazing number of times.

[HFishbine]

5. Clark

After his military career, Clark worked for:

Silicon Energy Corp., WaveCrest Laboratories, Entrust Inc., Sirva Inc., Acxiom Corp, Stephens Inc., and Time Domain Corp..

Security, communications, data mining, Internet and aerospace companies. Clark's role frequently included lobbying the government on behalf of his employers.

http://www.loper.org/~george/archives/2003/Sep/928.html

[AP]

8. Many states did NOT sell out to Enron. The CA legislature did.

Howard Dean tried to, but his legislature stopped him. So he tried to help them other ways -- eg, with the insurance captives.

Not every state did that either.

[KaraokeKarlton]

7. That is NOT true

The captive insurance industry came to Vermont in 1981, 11 years before Dean became governor. A tax cut that affected captive companies became effective in 1993. Enron opened a captive in Vermont in 1995, two years AFTER the cut went into effect. Anyone who tries to claim that Dean made any deal with Enron is full of you know what right up to their eyebrows. The math doesn't even come close to adding up. Also, no one knew Enron were corporate crooks back in 1995. Enron saw Vermont as a good place to open a captive insurance company for their business and did so. Although I'm sure the tax law was something they found appealing, it was NOT put in place for the purpose of giving Enron anything.

This issue has been discussed time and again and Dean supporters have provided solid proof to debunk the silly claims made about this issue. To continue to try to make it an issue when it clearly isn't is not what I'd call honest criticism.

[DemDogs]

6. Too friendly with business? Dean, Clark, Lieberman

No question that these three candidates have compromised the public interest for business interests. Don't think the others are as vulnerable. Best would be Edwards and Kucinich.

[AP]

9. Kucinich lost his mayorship because he stood against energy privitization.

Ie, he behaved exactly the OPPOSITE as Dean did as governor of VT.

Edwards has behaved his entire career as someone who felt that business and people do better when business acts as responsible citizens.