Monday, August 12, 2013

Hey buddy, can you spare a few bucks? Checks accepted, cash preferred.


So why is Rep. Andy Barr (R, KY) all smiles?  Because *cha ching* he was one of the lucky congressional Freshmen who was appointed to serve *cha ching* on the House Financial Services Committee *cha ching*.  Screw the lottery.  This is where the REAL gold mine is!

This is the committee, along with the Senate Banking Committee on the other side of the Capital, that oversees all of the banks, insurance companies, etc.  And these are the committee members who both party's look to to bring in the Big Buck donations.  And right now they're delivering like FedEx....$9.4M just this year so far.

This is such a desirable committee to serve on that it has been increased over the years from 44 to 61 members, which required a whole new tier of seats to be installed in their meeting room.

So how do they raise so much money, you ask?  They're "good listeners".  In exchange for patiently listening to the bankers tell them how badly they want certain new rules written, or NOT to be written, the banks shower them with campaign contributions.  

Example:  Rep. Barr heard them say how much they wanted to keep a certain federal tax break that saved them $500M a year, so he introduced a bill that would put it out of reach of reformers.  

And when the do-gooder's put into the Dodd-Frank Banking Reform Bill a requirement that banks do more thorough checks on applicants they made mortgage loans to to make sure they could make the payments, they "casually mentioned" how much it would cramp their style (read: hurt their profits), and Mr. Barr introduced legislation that kept that pesky 'ol rule from being enforced.  

Yep, not much gets by the Honorable Representative Andy Barr (R, KY).  He listens really well!

And if you think I'm just picking on Republicans and that Democrats are above all this, I have some beautiful oceanfront property in Kansas I'd like to sell you. 

After the recent election Democratic Party leaders gave a PowerPoint presentation to their newly elected members urging them "to spend as much as four hours a day making fund-raising calls while in Washington, and an additional hour of 'strategic outreach' holding breakfasts or 'meet and greets' with possible financial supporters.  That adds up to more time than these first-term lawmakers were advised to spend on Congressional business."  (NYT)

The sad thing is, nothing I've mentioned here gets even a raised eyebrow in Washington.  This is just business as usual.

It seems the financial interests are very well represented in Washington.  My question is, who is looking out for ME?  Everyone agrees Washington is a nasty cesspool and that everyone there is a crook....except for their representative, "and he's a really good guy!"  

And the mugging continues.

S


16 comments:

  1. As they say, money talks, BS walks.

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  2. There you go again Scott, picking on poor politicians and those poor bankers!

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    1. They might have been poor back home, but in Washington they're now lighting cigars with $100 bills.

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  3. Remember Scott how they're always "fighting for You in Warshington". My wife hasn't voted in many years so as not to encourage the sob's. And you think I'm cynical. :)

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  4. Remember Scott how they're always "fighting for You in Warshington". My wife hasn't voted in many years so as not to encourage the sob's. And you think I'm cynical. :)

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    1. I saw a bumper sticker that said, no joke: "Don't vote. It'll just encourage the bastards" Was that her? :)

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  5. Trouble with plurals today: Robert's comment repeated, Scott's use of an apostrophe to make a party plural. Tsk, tsk.

    I read that article too and it made me as sick and angry as you, Scott.

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    1. I just thought Robert was really worked up over this and wanted to make sure he made his point. :)

      It was a tough call Bruce. I thought in this instance with "party" used as a noun, ex: "party's fun raising" would be the appropriate plural. If it were more than one party, as an event, then "parties" would be correct. No?

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  6. I think he's talking about this phrase: both party's look to... In this case you're talking about both parties...

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    1. Oh, and I want to know where Mr. Smith is - THAT's the guy we need in Washington!

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  7. Mrs. C. and I have a few bucks to spare and we've always fancied some ocean front property. Can you post a picture of your beautiful oceanfront Kansas property and how much you want for it?

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    1. You've heard of San Simeon? My place looks just like it. The price is $2.5M, or $100 cash. :)

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  8. Pixel Peeper's to-do list:
    1. Throw up
    2. Send Rosetta Stone, the English version, to Mr. Lowandslow so that he can learn how to form the plural for "party."

    ;-)

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    1. But I talk real good! I don't need no Rosey Stone.

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