SSX4life
Premium
join:2004-02-13
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| I hate corperations that lobby
It's not who has the best solution, who has the answer, or who is right, it is who has the largest megaphone to reach our legislators.
Money should not run politics, nor should corporations... it should be the average American individual who is able to run for government and win without needing XYZ amount of dollars to even attempt to win a seat in government.
Just my .02 cents.
And down with all lobbying! If they want something done so badly the perhaps they should stop throwing money at the situation and actually run for office (but again with no money backing their seat) |
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M1
@sbcglobal.net
 from:
Bit 
| Lobbying should be illegal
Lobbying should be illegal! I don't understand how a direct "bribe" is illegal but lobbying is?? WTF?? |
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cameronsfx
join:2009-01-08
Pensacola, FL
·Cox HSI
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| reply to SSX4life
Re: I hate corperations that lobby
said by SSX4life :It's not who has the best solution, who has the answer, or who is right, it is who has the largest megaphone to reach our legislators. Money should not run politics, nor should corporations... it should be the average American individual who is able to run for government and win without needing XYZ amount of dollars to even attempt to win a seat in government. Just my .02 cents. And down with all lobbying! If they want something done so badly the perhaps they should stop throwing money at the situation and actually run for office (but again with no money backing their seat) I agree. Lobbying should be a eliminated.
"Lobbying is the feces of a government without a course; moving according to the wind and not unto principles." -Ben Franklin should have said that. |
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TK Junk Mail
Go ahead, make my day
join:2006-07-30
Ocean Gate, NJ
4 edits | Llobbying is so bad
Lobbying is just bad. It is NOT part of our great democratic system. Heck, I'd even wager it's bad for our economy. |
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Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast
·Embarq
| reply to M1
Re: Lobbying should be illegal
 The reason that Congressmen and Senators can be bribed without sanctions, is that they write the laws allowing them to accept such bribes without punishment.
On the other hand Disc Jockeys suffered an inquisition at the hands of Congressmen and Senators when they accepted money to plug certain songs. These incidents were the Payola scandals of the 50's and 60's.
The solution would be to require all channels providing news to provide free air time for political campaigns. That air time would be provided at no cost to the politician, in consideration for the broadcaster not having to pay for use of the public airwaves. The same rules should apply to Cable News Channels.
Government officials should be subject to the same rules as Disc Jockeys. Prohibit them from receiving any campaign contributions. All campaign costs should be paid by taxpayer money. |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| reply to TK Junk Mail
Re: Is lobbying so bad?
said by TK Junk Mail :Is lobbying so bad? It is part of our great democratic system. Heck, I'd even wager it's good for simulating our economy. Tk, seriously? A corporation spending billions of dollars a year in nefarious ways and hiding it so it can't be tied back to the benefiting corporation, creating and funding astroturf organizations to outright lie to our government for the benefit of corporations.
Yes, in its current incarnation it is awful.
We need lobby reform, now. All one has to do is look at the control corporations have gained while allowing us to fall behind the rest of the world in every measurable statistic ... except consumer debt, to see it doesn't work. |
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neowulf
join:2000-10-20
Port Orange, FL
| reply to TK Junk Mail
As Ben Scott said in the story "If Comcast decided to get in front of the 435 members of the House, they could do that in a week. I don't think I could do it in a year."
When lobbying is no longer democratic and is based purely on corruption and greed, used by big corporations as a way to squash both consumers and the little start-ups. So yes lobbying in how it is used is bad.
If anything lobbying is De-stimulus as it takes away from innovation and competition. Most of what these big Telecoms lobby is for protection from new laws that benefit consumer rights, new regulations that would effect their bottom line negatively, and protection form competition such as local city network projects. |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
|  said by neowulf :As Ben Scott said in the story "If Comcast decided to get in front of the 435 members of the House, they could do that in a week. I don't think I could do it in a year." Very, very, good point. |
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Bit
Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000
·VOIPo
·Cox HSI
2 edits | reply to TK Junk Mail
Yes it's bad. It's bribery and precludes legislators from representing their individual constituents.
The only people who should be permitted to contribute to campaigns are individual registered voters who are legal residents of the districts those politicians represent. Bribes Contributions from corporations, consumer groups, unions, those living in other areas all should be banned. Their membership are free donate as individuals, but these lobby groups who don't vote should have no influence over our political process. California is a prime example of how these groups, particularly the public employee unions, have taken over government. Yesterday's special election is the only time I can remember them being defeated at the polls and it only happened after the state has been destroyed by their greed. Usually the propositions these groups get on the ballot and spend tens of millions to advertise on TV (usually with lies and distortion) pass with flying colors much to their financial benefit. And these measures are one of the reasons we are over $20B in the hole despite record treasury revenues.
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POKE 65495,1 |
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tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Floral Park, NY
| Lobbying to what end?
Why is it that these two companies are spending big bucks when they are in the process of screwing the consumer in it's broadband services and lock out competitors?
An end to this capping crap must end. You must compete--REALLY COMPETE or risk your duopoly markets to be split wide open! |
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tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
Premium
join:2008-01-16
Chandler, AZ
·Cox HSI
·Callcentric
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·FrontierNet Intern..
| reply to Matt
Re: Is lobbying so bad?
said by Matt :Tk, seriously? sorry to burst your bubble, matt, but this isn't the real tk that we have all come to know and despise. it seems that when the former tk changed his name to TKJunkMail , this troll swooped in and stole his name, seemingly to do just as he has done here.
it seems as though we have replaced someone with shillish beliefs and replaced him with someone who shills for shillings sake.
as much as i cringed when reading some of TKJunkMail 's responses, i always appreciated the fact that he had *much* more couth and was often, a little more subtle about his shillish ways. this poser is just way too on the nose. kinda depresses me actually.
q.
--
"...if I in my north room dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself..." |
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axiomatic
join:2006-08-23
Tomball, TX | Just imagine...
Just imagine what 10 to 15 Million could do for upgrading the core network versus lobbying?
Just sayin'... |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| reply to tubbynet
Re: Is lobbying so bad?
said by tubbynet :said by Matt :Tk, seriously? sorry to burst your bubble, matt, but this isn't the real tk that we have all come to know and despise. it seems that when the former tk changed his name to TKJunkMail , this troll swooped in and stole his name, seemingly to do just as he has done here. it seems as though we have replaced someone with shillish beliefs and replaced him with someone who shills for shillings sake. as much as i cringed when reading some of TKJunkMail 's responses, i always appreciated the fact that he had *much* more couth and was often, a little more subtle about his shillish ways. this poser is just way too on the nose. kinda depresses me actually. q. Color me guilty. I thought the post was a bit brief and lacking a certain slant to the right that usually accompanies Tk's posts.  |
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SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17 | reply to TK Junk Mail
If you can vote, you should be able to lobby. Corpoations cannot vote. |
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hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH | reply to SSX4life
Re: I hate corperations that lobby
You can win a seat in the gov't. Local Government or even State Government. It's only the large seats in DC that need the $$$$$$. |
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Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | reply to axiomatic
Re: Just imagine...
What a waste, all the money that has been spent on lobbying could have been used to either improve services or paid out as dividends to shareholders. |
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cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA
| reply to axiomatic
i also hate the whole lobbying (and corporate 'donations') thing. i'm amazed that many people/companies moan and complain about taxes, but don't care they send truck loads of money to a select few indiviuals.
i think it would be awesome if that money was put some good use like: R&D, health care, fiber deployment, infrastructure upgrades/upkeep, and many other. |
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cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA | reply to TK Junk Mail
Re: Is lobbying so bad?
so explain how giving millions to a select few people (trying not to call politicians for what they are) is good for the economy? |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
|  Old story posted on Sunday
Story posted here and here on Sunday:
»Comcast ramped up lobbying effort last few years ....
»Comcast's lobbying budget soars |
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Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
1 edit | reply to cornelius785
Re: Just imagine...
There's an idea, a 100% tax on corporate lobbying expenses. If they're so willing to send the money towards DC and our state capitals at least we should assure that half the money ends up in the treasury. Just to be fair a 100% tax should also be put on similar expenses by unions. |
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