If you think about it, the Wisconsin Legislature's late Friday-night/early-Saturday morning 'freedom' maneuvering to double the legal per-person campaign donation limits and remove organization and committee thresholds altogether makes a lot of sense in today's cash-and-carry environment over at the State Capitol.
Don't forget that the GOP-run Legislature in 2013 gave Walker-appointed officials at the Department of Administration and the State Building Commission the power to sell any state asset, without open bidding, leaving the final say-so with the Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance and its 12-4 GOP, Walker-allied majority.
What with so many new opportunities for special interests to cash in above and beyond with what is already available minute-by-minute and favor-by favor at WisDOT, or the DNR, etc., why not institute basic market principles as part of the deregulated landscape and raise the price for elected-official access?
State government these days is like a vending machine. Money in, goodies out, and if the operator of the vending machine expands the choices, shouldn't the customer be expected to pay more for what comes down the chute?
Don't forget that the GOP-run Legislature in 2013 gave Walker-appointed officials at the Department of Administration and the State Building Commission the power to sell any state asset, without open bidding, leaving the final say-so with the Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance and its 12-4 GOP, Walker-allied majority.
What with so many new opportunities for special interests to cash in above and beyond with what is already available minute-by-minute and favor-by favor at WisDOT, or the DNR, etc., why not institute basic market principles as part of the deregulated landscape and raise the price for elected-official access?
State government these days is like a vending machine. Money in, goodies out, and if the operator of the vending machine expands the choices, shouldn't the customer be expected to pay more for what comes down the chute?
Our State government has been busy fighting crime. They have virtually eliminated bribery of public officials by making it legal and outlawed voter fraud - they have been defrauding us voters for a long while and I for one will be happy to see it end.
ReplyDeleteWisconsin elected officials have now effectively become akin to the middle management of a large corporation. They exhibit no independent thought or decision making authority and earn their salaries by doing the bidding of those who offer the real paychecks and payday opportunity, which are not the ordinary citizens of Wisconsin. It is about time we drop the pretense and let the Koch Brothers, Diane Hendricks, ALEC and the Bradley Foundation dissolve the government, form a consortium to run it instead, and put the state into receivership while directly running it using the Michigan model. After all, the results would be no different than now and at least ordinary people would not be paying taxes for the salaries of officials who do absolutely nothing on their behalf. If you are "running the state like a business" then cut out the middleman and let it become business.
ReplyDeleteWhat I had meant by the Michigan model was the appointed corporate stooges that are put into place as "Emergency Managers" when outside forces determine a financial emergency and dissolve the elected government. Shock doctrine at it's best!
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ReplyDelete"State government these days is like a vending machine. Money in, goodies out, and if the operator of the vending machine expands the choices, shouldn't the customer be expected to pay more for what comes down the chute?"
To answer your question; yes, especially if the operator loosens the screws on the claw with intent to screw you and your chances of skill landing you a prize.
i.e., the vendor operator gets his illegal video slot machines you see in the bars from the gaming industry... they are designed to screw you illegally and split the profits between the operator and bar owner. They have in and out meters that keep track of amount of money put into the machine and the amount cashed in(Paid Out)... the difference is split between the operator and bar owner.
Oh, and the operator can change the percentage of pay out any time
The electronic voting machines are in like manner too; only they are designed to appear as being legal and are sold to counties to poll your vote for a one time profit being the sale of the machine... that is, unless they decide to capitalize on having placed those machines by programming them to steal elections as a favor to the ones behind the dark secret money changing hands under the table...
The question is why is the government farming out the counting of our votes to private sector corporations with no oversight or enforceable regulation since the machines are proprietary? how the machines work and how they can be manipulated to produce a desirable result as a remote feature or hands on feature is privy to insiders... kind of like insider trading... i.e., outsiders getting screwed...
Wake the F up (WTFU) vote on paper ballot for a hand count and fuck the machine that can be programmed to screw you over...