Robert Ariail for April 02, 2013

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    chazandru  almost 11 years ago

    The US Legislature…best gov’t money can buy.^Behind the NRA guy is a Union Rep, and behind him is an Oil/Coal company lobbyist, and behind him is some folks from the Banking(too big too fail or prosecute) lobby, and behind him is some folks representing the pharmaceutical industry, followed by Corporate Agriculture and the Dairy association, and the line goes down the street and around the corner.^Meanwhile, across the street, people who used to make clothes; who fought our wars; who thought they had safe pensions in secure financial institutions; who made furniture, computers and electronics; who just graduated college and others…going down the street and around the corner…are looking for jobs and a hopeful future.^But the congressmen are ignoring that side of the road. Even though it’s THAT side of the road that IS America.Respectfully,C.

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    chazandru  almost 11 years ago

    If you noticed, I did put union reps in the line, ScottPM. I also agree there are many liberal lobbyists though they don’t have pockets as deep as the ones I did mention. As far as your example of a liberal lobbyist goes, I have nuanced disagreement with your target.^The gov’t has invested in new technologies and innovations for decades and our nation benefited greatly. Colleges received fortunes in grant money to research projects in which the gov’t had an interest and increased our technological advantage over other nations. ^ I am angrier about the bad bets bankers made in financial tools and the BILLIONS wasted in lost pensions and 401ks than I am that Solyndra did not live up to potential, especially since some of that failure came from a reluctance on the part of R’s to help Solyndra get off the ground they way they have helped oil and coal companies with subsidies. Had Solyndra not been a competitor to oil/gas/coal and if the owner had been more friendly to the R’s, the company would have been given much more support. By subsidizing the installation of their solar products on gov’t projects and buildings, Solyndra and like companies could have succeeded.^I spent three weeks in Germany and saw green energy AT WORK. They saved their environment by investing in their green energy infrastructure. The difference between Germany in 1974 and 2008 is AMAZING!^We in the USA are poisoning our air and water and the summer smog alerts will be part of our weather reports in another couple of months. Children who live down wind and down stream from industrial centers who benefit from poorly budgeted regulation suffer more autism, asthma, and other illnesses.^I wish Solyndra had succeeded. If it had, our nation would have benefited just a little bit more from the green energy created and the jobs created.^Thank you for the reply, Scott. I do agree that there are liberal lobbyists who do not benefit our nation, but I believe US solar panel and wind engine makers would be good for us, our economy, and the world.Respectfully,C.

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    edward thomas Premium Member almost 11 years ago

    The small town of Chesapeake in Ohio has been bought and the people moved by AEP due to the decades of pollution from the nearby power plant. Solyndra was also handicapped by our letting the Chinese get ahead of us on solar technology, then undercutting our prices. Solyndra couldn’t compete in an unfair market. Wonder how much contaminated Chinese drywall is still getting here?

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    edward thomas Premium Member almost 11 years ago

    New book, “Sideswiped”, by convicted Congressman Bob Ney. He details how Speaker Boehner told him to quit his 2006 re-election campaign, in exchange for a job “with comparable salary” (lobbyist?), and help with his defense fund. None of this materialized.

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    ARodney  almost 11 years ago

    Oh, for Pete’s sake. Solyndra? Still? The Federal government has a better record than any private venture capital firm in its investments in green energy. Several hundred successes and two failures. I fail to get angry. Bain capital has a much worse record (though, of course, they profit even if the company is driven out of business, so there’s no incentive to succeed).

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    disgustedtaxpayer  almost 11 years ago

    as if the Liberal and Leftwingers do not give checks to politicians!!!Hollywood Lefties, $millions; Unions, 99% Left-Socialist, checks PLUS election day workers….Greenies give and get federal handouts; CEOs give big checks and get “access” to the White House….-the NRA is a genuine grass-roots organization; many members and growing; upholding the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment, fighting to prevent Congress from passing laws that trim or nullify gun/ammo rights of the People!Go! NRA!

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    jimeguess  almost 11 years ago

    I notice that not one cartoonist depicts a check coming from George Soros … but he spends tons of money ‘fixing’ congress.

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    Mickey 13  almost 11 years ago

    “Congress must depend on them to hear all sides of every issue.”

    Very true. Information is one thing. It’s when those big checks follow the information I get a little leery of their intentions…

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    Uncle Joe Premium Member almost 11 years ago

    “The General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of Congress, said today that ‘’damage, theft, vandalism and pranks did occur in the White House complex’’ in the presidential transition from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush. The agency put the cost at $13,000 to $14,000, including $4,850 to replace computer keyboards, many with damaged or missing W keys.”Another factual failure, ansonia. In a typical show of Republican fiscal responsibility, the investigation cost far more than the alleged vandalism.“The GSA report finds that nothing unusual had occurred during the transition from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration. “The condition of the real property was consistent with what we would expect to encounter when tenants vacate office space after an extended occupancy,” the GSA report finds.”http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/19/us/white-house-vandalism-caper-was-overblown-a-report-finds.htmlhttp://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bernard_ungar_1

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    jimeguess  almost 11 years ago

    Right!

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    jimeguess  almost 11 years ago

    Right!

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    edward thomas Premium Member almost 11 years ago

    Today the NRA testified before Congress touting its plan to put armed security in every school. According to news reports, it cost $1 million to fund an “independent” study that came to their(pre-determined?) conclusion. They said it would cost $800 K-1million to train teachers and/or staff. Hmmm. WHERE and WHO is supposed to fund this? If they give THAT much of a damn,call on their members to donate $ to fund this, instead of calling on the hated Fed’ral Gub’mint to do this!

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    edward thomas Premium Member almost 11 years ago

    Yeah, Ansonia. Like Conservatives don’t? Rush Limbaugh, “Shut Up! Shut Up! Shut Up!” Direct quote. How’s about “Love It or Leave It”? Certain parties, on both sides, don’t care about the truth, or even finding the truth. Truth and facts are apolitical. Opinion is not.

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