They say the government never responds to them anymore. They say no one listens anymore, that their vote does not count, that the congressman are going to do whatever they want to do so it's no use to vote. This sentiment is passed among the poor and even the middleclass like a plague. You know why it is not the sentiment of the better off, the wealthy? Because they know their voice will be heard because they have the influence to buy off our congressman. Do you know how they are bought off? With money through campaign donations and lobbying influence.
The Abramoff scandal or "K" street scandal which is the biggest expose' of congressional lobby corruption in history illustrates this clearly. Do you want your vote, your voice to have influence with your congressman. If this scandal does not result in the necessary lobby reform to return the influence of our vote then it probably never will. It is up to us to press this moment to get congress to push through real lobby reform.
The sad truth is that so many in Congress have become like little suckling pigs to the mothers milk of wealthy corporate lobby money. They have little personal constitution or discipline of their own but they are accountable for their condition because they have reaped what they have sown. They have been shamed when this scandal first broke in January and they were apoplectically falling all over themselves promising real tough lobby reform under the exposure and light of the media.
Now the even more shameful has happened. They have reneged on those promises and believing that you are distracted by other issues they have thrown your way like immigration they have tried to pass a milk toast lobby reform bill that really changes nothing. They think you are not looking.
If real lobby reform cannot be passed, if the influence of money cannot be reduced then your vote will have little influence. Maybe that's the way you like it, not having influence with your vote. Are we really that lazy that we are going to sit back and refuse to press this moment, to put pressure on our media and congress? If so then your voice will have no impact, your vote will have no influence. You like it that way. You love to say "I don't vote, it doesn't matter anyway".
Or...you can write your congressman, call your congressman, e-mail your congressman. Write the media, call the T.V. stations. When they call to survey you tell'em lobby reform is at the top of your list, that the volume of your voice, the integrity of your vote is fundamental to all our founding fathers died for and you want it back...NOW.
The Abramoff scandal or "K" street scandal which is the biggest expose' of congressional lobby corruption in history illustrates this clearly. Do you want your vote, your voice to have influence with your congressman. If this scandal does not result in the necessary lobby reform to return the influence of our vote then it probably never will. It is up to us to press this moment to get congress to push through real lobby reform.
The sad truth is that so many in Congress have become like little suckling pigs to the mothers milk of wealthy corporate lobby money. They have little personal constitution or discipline of their own but they are accountable for their condition because they have reaped what they have sown. They have been shamed when this scandal first broke in January and they were apoplectically falling all over themselves promising real tough lobby reform under the exposure and light of the media.
Now the even more shameful has happened. They have reneged on those promises and believing that you are distracted by other issues they have thrown your way like immigration they have tried to pass a milk toast lobby reform bill that really changes nothing. They think you are not looking.
If real lobby reform cannot be passed, if the influence of money cannot be reduced then your vote will have little influence. Maybe that's the way you like it, not having influence with your vote. Are we really that lazy that we are going to sit back and refuse to press this moment, to put pressure on our media and congress? If so then your voice will have no impact, your vote will have no influence. You like it that way. You love to say "I don't vote, it doesn't matter anyway".
Or...you can write your congressman, call your congressman, e-mail your congressman. Write the media, call the T.V. stations. When they call to survey you tell'em lobby reform is at the top of your list, that the volume of your voice, the integrity of your vote is fundamental to all our founding fathers died for and you want it back...NOW.
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