Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for June 17, 2016

Obviously Wiley is neither a student of economics nor history. But the general sentiment of disgust for our political class is right on.

Congressmen today have little choice but to use this resource. Few congressional staff members have the level of expertise of the lobbyists, and when a staffer does obtain such knowledge, lobbyists will offer her 3 times her current pay to work for them..Perhaps most important — corporate lobbying and the corporate media control the ideological world in which policy makers live. These are the people everyone in Washington talks to, so the majority comes to THINK in a pro-corporation manner..It’s not just campaign donations.

“And while you’re at it, kill those ‘gun control’ proposals. They interfere with business. Yes, people are upset, but you can’t sell a million guns without someone deciding to use one.”-Historical footnote: in the months before 9/11, the Bush Administration sent a representative to a conference in Africa (instead of Sec. of State Colin Powell). They drafted an agreement designed to keep guns from the hands of terrorists and rebels. Bush’s rep vetoed the agreement, explaining it would hurt US business.

Interesting note Jim.

lol poor old Business can’t get enough of our money to put in Offshore Tax havens. the greed and control just isn’t enough for Business. well, who needs demand anyway. Business stop caring about anyone but themselves when the Republican bought Congress, the Supreme court and everything else. the good ole American Way.

I thought Flo put a ban on all political talk?

Pathetic service to one pig.

Everyone whining about lobbyist, raise your hands if your business or organization does not have a lobbying branch to support its interest and gain support, which helps keeps you employed or with other gains.Retirees – let me introduce you to AARP, along with many others.

EVERY group lobbies. Every special interest, from the right to the left, lobbies.Everyone has their demand for deregulation of things that benefit them and, yes, regulation to prevent competition.

If you just take benefits, guess what – you have lobbiest on K Street, and the surrounding areas, who work Congress just to benefit your group and interest and no one eise.

Care for us! True, indeed !

They ne’er cared for us yet; suffer us to famish and their store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there’s all the love they bear us.

Wm. Shakespeare, “Coriolanus”, ca 1608…..Some things never change.

Drivel. Federal register has been averaging 80,000 pages a year and corporate tax rates in the US are among the highest. Might want to read the news, it’s been in there a lot lately.

And they’ve been avoiding taxes for years.

Flo, you’ve lost your accent. it should be “moah.”

The less action we get from Congress, the better off we are. Let ’em sleep!

Deregulation and tax cuts???? since when?

“Corporate master” says “please”? Must be one of the new progressive breed.

The Koch brothers own a good number of Congressmen and Senators. One of my senators reminds me more of a ventriloquist dummy. No brain but when one of the Koch brothers speaks his mouth moves.

Does Koch Cash have any influence on Congress? Well let’s look at some of the legislation that’s been passed recently.

Numerous EPA programs have been delayed or reduced funding.

The National Science Foundation cannot endow any project unless it “significantly advances scientific principles.” And who gets to decide what these principles are? Wanna bet study into climate change isn’t significant?

Mining is now considered an infrastructure improvement. Which means funds and tax credits going to bridges and roads can now be diverted to coal mining, strip mining, oil exploration and fracking.

The repeal of a 1973 law that prohibited the sale of oil produced in the United States abroad. Since made into law, the price of gasoline went up 65 cents.

I don’t always catch all the laws that Congress makes but when I do, I usually see greed attached.

Maybe she should started serving decaffeinated vitriol for those who cannot start their day without it but don’t want it keeping them up all night grinding their teeth.

At this point, I’m wishing I was into politics earlier in my life so I could have been elected at least once and then be set for life!

When US businesses pay the highest taxes in the world, and they are grossly over regulated. a little cutting is a good thing.

Term limits are really stupid. If a congressman wants to get elected again, he has to please his constituents…Lets say a senator is limited to 2 six year terms. For the last six years, he has no reason to please the voters any more, does he?..He may as well sell out to corporations, vote the way corporations want him to….ease regulations, give tax breaks and loopholes…See, he’s going to need a job soon…..Where are his possibilities for a job? He knows which side his bread buttered on. It’s with the people who have money…That’s where his future is… He has absolutely no reason at all to do what the voters want him to do…He’s going to get kicked out of his job no matter what he does…Voters lose control of him for six years….

Congress Man should have a theme song (sung to the tune of the old Robin Hood TV showtheme):

Congress Man, Congress ManTalkin’ on CSPAN.Congress Man, Congress ManWithout any plan.Loved by the rich, they grease his hand, Congress Man, Congress Man, Congress Man.

Another reason term limits is stupid is that you kick out the good with the bad!…Why would you want to kick out the good ones?……That’s stupid on its face..And, even more importantly, as much as people love to hate it, being a congress person is complicated job, it takes a lot of skill, it takes years to get the hang of it..Only people who have done it for years can handle it. It’s the old timers who know how to get things done….You lose the experienced people…That’s self defeating…. And, quite frankly, I don’t begrudge what Senators and congressmen get payed…..In fact, I don’t think they’re payed nearly enough…….They’re payed about $175,000 per year…Sounds like a lot doesn’t it?..It’s about what any middle management guy would make at most corporations, say Whirlpool……..But, they have to have two houses, one in their home town and one in Washington, maybe even two cars,…They have to be at home quite a bit, because that’s where the voters are…They have to be in Washington all the time..The job is time consuming and expensive….And trust me….Good politicians are hard to find….Why throw them out for know reason?

What is this mysterious power that the unions have over our lawmakers nowadays? Kinda hard to hear about it with the noise of Citizens United and corporate campaign donations drowning it out.