Wisconsin Clean Elections Coalition

Future Generations Deserve a Democracy; Not a Plutocracy

By Jack Lohman

Our political system seems to be working just as designed. Or redesigned, I should say, by modern-day politicians.

But why do business leaders accept the current double standard? Honest corporate leaders demand a management team void of personal conflicts of interest, and one that is funded by its product sales and its shareholders. That’s understandable.

Interestingly, the same corporate CEOs that would fire or have jailed employees who traded company assets for money on the side, are all too willing to support politicians who do exactly the same. I say interestingly because the current political corruption is blocking what corporations need most; a universal health care system that would get them out of providing employee health care, save them 15% on wage costs, and eliminate the need to move production and jobs offshore. But the health care interests are using our pay-to-play system against business leaders to ensure that the health care mess is not fixed. They like it just as it is.

The public wants pretty much the same thing; a government without conflicts of interest and funded by its shareholders, the taxpayers. That means politicians who do not take outside money from private sources, especially in return for public assets. And since there are only two kinds of campaign money, public and private, it therefore means full public funding of campaigns.

No, I don't want my taxes increased unnecessarily, but I am willing to invest an extra $5 per taxpayer per year to fund a clean electoral system. I know that investment will return much of the $1300 per taxpayer per year in public assets that state politicians now give to the private interests that fund their elections. And since I am already funding these elections -- through this back-door tax system -- I'd prefer funding campaigns up front at a fraction of the current cost. Most would agree that $5 would be a bargain at 200 times the price.

As a (generally) conservative Republican, I like privatization where privatization makes sense. But there are some functions that make more sense being funded by the taxpayers, and a clean government is one of them. God forbid we turn Social Security, Medicare and other needed government services over to corporate CEOs who are compensated on how much profits are made versus citizens and patients served. I don't want to live in that kind of world.

I also believe corporations should pay zero taxes. As it is, they fund only 8% of government revenues anyway. They spend millions avoiding the payment of taxes, and then pass those costs, plus the taxes they do pay, to consumers when they buy product at the cash register. So why are we going through this costly exercise that effectively moves corporate taxes to regressiveness? They cost low income folks a greater percentage of their wealth than they cost those at the top. Eliminate corporate taxes and health care costs and watch the state’s economy grow.

Personal taxes should be the government’s only income, as all else filters down to the taxpayers anyway. Taxes should be zero for those whose incomes are under $25,000 per year, a flat tax for the 90% of citizens in the middle, and progressively increase for those making over $150,000 per year. All personal income must be considered in the equation, including dividends, capital gains, inheritances, etc.

So, Republicans, disown me if you wish. But we must get off this “compassion” and “morals” kick, because we are doing poorly at both. Create an honest government for our kids and grandkids. We can either have a public democracy or a private plutocracy, but not both.

Lohman is a retired business owner from Colgate and founder of www.ThrowTheRascalsOut.org. He can be reached at jelohman@gmail.com.  

Source WisOpinion and The Capital Times

WISCONSIN DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN E-LERT

The League of Women Voters, Common Cause in Wisconsin and the Democracy Campaign today released the responses we received from candidates for state office to the questionnaire the three groups sent to them July 12.

Sadly, the majority of candidates refused to take a public stand on the campaign finance, ethics and other reform issues we questioned them on. But nearly 100 candidates did respond to our yes-or-no questions, although a handful of them gave noncommittal answers.

And for governor? (see questions here)

Candidates for Governor	Question 1	Question 2	Question 3	Question 4	Question 5	Question 6
Jim Doyle (Democrat) (I)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mark Green (Republican)	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply
Nelson Eisman (Wisconsin Green)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Why didn't Doyle get a winning nod. Because everything Doyle has done (or failed to do) so far, in the area or ethics reform and campaign reform, has been against the best interests of the voters. What he says he will do doesn't count, what he has done does count. And that hasn't been good. Barbara Lawton you can count on; Doyle you can't.

While Doyle's answers look contrived and did not represent his actions. And Green? He said he didn't have time to complete the survey (six yes/no questions). No doubt he needed the time for fundraisers. Also see this article.

Be careful of what you ask for!

The new documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" should send a strong message to the automobile industry and its owned politicians, both of whom killed this critical progress. It is a good example of how our moneyed political system kills needed technology, and how this is likely to turn against those companies that paid to play. 

GM, Ford and others developed electric cars that required zero petroleum to operate and got 60-100 miles on an overnight charge. For 90% of our commuting activities, that's clearly enough. And since most families have two cars anyway, the electric car would make sense as the primary vehicle. But thanks to the petroleum industry and the politicians they owned -- including Bush, Cheney and the dozen or so of lobbyists that Bush hired when he became president -- the federal government sued California for requiring higher standards and lower emissions. The electric car died. Overnight.

Interestingly, GM and the others destroyed hundreds of test vehicles to get them off the roads, all in opposition to the test drivers and engineers that loved them. They crushed and then shredded them, even though they could have sold them at a good profit.

This was a clear conspiracy that needs investigation, but since "laws" were not broken in the process, that will likely not occur. At this point the movie is all we have.

But it is my guess that the so-called free market will cause GM to wish they had not destroyed the vehicles, and I hope it will get them to ask "Why did we kill CAFE standards by giving cash to politicians?" Be careful of what you ask for. If engineers in China or India or Japan now create electric cars in response to high oil prices, GM could end up hurting far more than they are today. It would serve them right if they also ended up with zero production to move to Canada.

Don't miss the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" It's a 90 minute documentary that is very informative.

Also try to see "An Unfortunate Truth," even if you are not an Al Gore fan. Whichever side of the global warming issue you are on, you can be sure that if money were not changing hands at the political level the issue would be addressed overnight and without bias. Congressmen should be ashamed of there willingness to sell America for such a small price.

Jack Lohman

Tidbits

Governor Doyle's Firewall is broken How many times can he declare innocence? If he is not tracking who is giving him money, he does not qualify for the highest office in the state.

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On Health Care: Wisconsin Can Lead the Way on Health Care Reform (By Judy Robson)  You know what’s wrong with our health care system? We spend too much money on paperwork and red tape. The billing bureaucracy – in hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies – takes up far too much of every dollar spent on health care. See the complete article here.

Russ Feingold has introduced a bill to get us closer to universal health care. To sign the petition go here.

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On the minimum wage

Minimum Wage Gamesmanship: The latest House Republican game was nakedly plain for all to see by mid-afternoon Friday, and yet House GOP leaders played along as if they honestly believed people would not see through it. The game, of course, is to convince the public that Republicans want to increase the minimum wage, now $5.15 an hour. The reality, of course, is that they do not. The only reason House Majority Leader John A. Boehner is even entertaining a vote this week is because frightened Republican moderates, as veteran reporter Andrew Taylor of the Associated Press reported, demanded that the issue be brought to the floor. See the complete TomPaine.com article here, and how congressmen have received $35,000 in wage increases since the last minimum wage increase.

They claim higher salaries will drive some out of business. Too bad that doesn't also apply to Congress.

How dumb does Mark Green think the voters are?  'What more could be fairer?' Nickels for workers, millions for millionaires: How cynical can you get? Green is talking up an early-morning vote he cast today to raise the federal minimum wage -- something he voted against three times earlier this month. What changed his mind? See the blog here.

And this list of OMBwatch.org links to stories on the Minimum Wage/Estate Tax Gamesmanship (thanks to Kristen Zehner for the submission).

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On Estate Taxes

BUSH'S HEIR CUT:  AWARDS TAX BREAK TO SON OF AN ASTOR (by Greg Palast)

See the complete article here.

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COMPARING THE HOUSE MINIMUM WAGE AND ESTATE TAX PROPOSALS: Who Benefits and By How Much?

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On Global Warming

I'm not an Al Gore fan and didn't vote for him. But I did see his documentary Inconvenient Truth. Even if you don't like the messenger you should look closely at the message: we are in for deep problems if we don't fix our environmental problems before before 2015within this decade. I recommend looking at the League of Conservation Voters web site. Understand the problem, and then sign their petition to Congress. Or don't. We can always leave it to our kids and grandkids to fix.

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In Health Care: The Wisconsin Coalition on Health is forming a HEALTH SECURITY NETWORK that will provide information to individuals and groups throughout the state.  Please review their call for help here and consider becoming involved. Of all of the state health care proposals, this is the most comprehensive. (See www.wisconsinhealth.org)

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Search the Center for Public Integrity database of congressional family vacations (sorry, fact-finding missions).

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From www.TooMuchOnline.org

 

Stat of the Week: Income Gains Settling at the Top The most affluent 1 percent in the United States — those households with at least $315,000 in annual income — collected 41 percent of the nation's income gains in 2004, the most current year with statistics available. Over half this increase in the top 1 percent's income share “actually went to the top one-tenth of 1 percent of households.” Source: Aviva Aron-Dine and Isaac Shapiro, New Data Show Extraordinary Jump in Income Concentration in 2004, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, July 25, 2006

Give me a Break!

There is a dangerous virus being passed electronically, orally and by hand. This virus is called Worm-Overload-Recreational-Killer  (WORK). If you receive WORK from any of your colleagues, your boss or anyone else via any means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely.  If you should come into contact with WORK put your jacket on and take two good friends to the nearest bar. Purchase the antidote known as Work-Isolator-Neutralizer-Extractor (WINE) or Bothersome-Employer-Eliminator-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.  You should forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5 friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling  your life.

Okay, so every now and then we need a diversion (or time waster).  Left click on the ice blocks to allow penetration. (I couldn't make it past two!)

Okay, I expect some raised eyebrows about this one. (Rated PG)

Geography quiz http://www.mccollam.com/fun/geoquiz/

Interesting challenge (use your mouse to drag): www.planarity.net

"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

Ever wonder about Precedent?

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A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a woman police officer, who was also a blonde.

The cop asked to see the blonde's driver's license.
She dug through her purse and was getting progressively more agitated. "What does it look like?" she finally asked.
The policewoman replied, "It's square and it has your picture on it."
The driver finally found a square mirror, looked at it and handed it to the policewoman.
"Here it is," she said.
The blonde officer looked at the mirror, then handed it back saying, "Okay, you can go. I didn't realize you were a cop.

Book Recommendations

See other reviews on Amazon.com

Taking Back America: And Taking Down the Radical Right
by Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Robert L. Borosage (ISBN: 1560255838)

Very liberal but with excellent arguments that should be considered by all. Sometimes overboard on the Left. Only one Amazon review:

A Terrific Read, July 25, 2004 Reviewer: A Patriotic Professor "universityprofessor2293" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews This is a truly terrific read, and should be required reading for all patriotic Americans. During the past four years, America has been set on a dangerous and destructive path by the radical Bush administration. GW Bush's policies are so extreme that they bear almost no resemblance to the Republican party of yore- the one of Pat Buchanan and George HW Bush the First. Katrina Vanden Heuvel, editor of "The Nation" magazine (which has the highest circulation of any political weekly now) lays out a well-reasoned battle plan for everyone across the political spectrum who wants to put America back on track. As a professor at a prominent American university, I appreciated the scholarly approach of the book- it is not a liberal screed, but a well-reasoned and very convincing argument for patriotic policies that make America safer and stronger at home, and respected in the world.