 
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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cameronsfx
join:2009-01-08
Pensacola, FL
·Cox HSI
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| 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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| hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH | 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 $$$$$$. | |
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SSX4life
Premium
join:2004-02-13
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: I hate corperations that lobby said by hottboiinnc :You can win a seat in the gov't. Local Government or even State Government. It's only the large seats in DC that need the $$$$$$. Still doesn't make it right, fair, or even within the scope of the founding fathers ideals.
Yes I understand that the U.S. govt. gives a candidate $$$ if they choose to run for office, but we both know that the amount from special interest groups FAR out weighs that.... and even with new laws on the books about donations you know that this doesn't even do much to combat special interest groups donating money.
My point still stands that lobbying for a buisness is different than lobbying for user. The user does not stand to profit from new laws on the books that they pushed for, the buisness is in the market of making money and is specifically designed to do just that.
Look at the case of Judges that take campaign contributions -»www.npr.org/templates/story/stor···01368723 . The law is blind, but this is causing problems as well!  | |
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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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| Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast
·Embarq
| 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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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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Matt
Gone playing Dragon Age Origins
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| 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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Matt
Gone playing Dragon Age Origins
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| 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 GOLFnSUN , 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 GOLFnSUN '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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neowulf
join:2000-10-20
Port Orange, FL
| 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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SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17 | If you can vote, you should be able to lobby. Corpoations cannot vote. | |
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| cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA | 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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Bit
Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000 | Make that a 360
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POKE 65495,1 | |
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GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ | Re: Is lobbying so bad? said by Bit :Make that a 360 LOL. He can't make up his mind. | |
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| Asmodeus
join:2004-05-26
Spring Valley, CA
| Lobbying has been going on for ages and ages. It's about getting your grievance or position heard. I hate the current state of lobbying as it's exercised in our legislatures nationwide, but it isn't illegal nor should it be. The rules on lobbying should change, but as long as money equals free speech, then forget it. | |
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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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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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| Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | 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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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| Re: Just imagine... said by Sammer :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. No, you see, they don't have enough money to improve services and upgrade their networks.
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell | |
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| cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA
| 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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| | Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
1 edit | 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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| | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | Re: Just imagine... Capita/ol idea! | |
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tcuserz1
@Level3.net | sad Maybee if they spent all that money on infrastructure upgrades, then they wouldn't need lobbyists to fend off competition | |
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SSX4life
Premium
join:2004-02-13
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: sad said by tcuserz1 :
Maybee if they spent all that money on infrastructure upgrades, then they wouldn't need lobbyists to fend off competition
Such a concept I know! Kinda like GM lobbying for 30 years NOT to upgrade their cars MPG and sell big, heavy, and cumbersome cars only to go bankrupt and have us bail them out due to their stupidity when it comes to lack of innovation and overproduction of brands that don't sell (not to mention outdated business practices) ....
I totally agree with you on that one. | |
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i1me2ao
Premium
join:2001-03-03
TEXAS
·Comcast
| all it would take is ceos getting together and saying we will no longer supply you with endless streams of cash to elected officials. they are eleteced to serve the public and should recive nothing but there over priced wage. but the sheeple are too stupid to do anything but decide which lcd tv they want..
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calling a illegal alien undocumented is like calling a drug dealer a undocumented pharmacist | |
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JamesPC
join:2005-10-12
Orange, CA | Karl We need to tell the people the system sucks. | |
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Telecom Giant Lobbying Budgets Soar
Re: Is lobbying so bad?
Old story posted on Sunday