PRESIDENT BACKS BIG DONORS OVER 50 MILLION CONSUMERS
As president, George W. Bush is charged with protecting consumers from being bilked. But yesterday, the president decided to side with four major campaign contributors against 50 million American consumers in a court case that could force serious increases in phone bills all over the country.
As the New York Times reports, the president sided with four large telecommunications companies in a federal court case about consumer protections. Instead of defending government regulations that prevent price gouging on phone bills, the White House and its Solicitor General, Ted Olson, opted to drop out of the case. The decision by the president "substantially reduces the chances that the Supreme Court will accept the appeal". The decision could affect 50 million customers nationwide.
The president and the Solicitor General have a substantial interest in helping the four companies who benefit from their decision. The four companies have given the Bush-Cheney campaign more than $173,000 since 2000: Verizon has contributed more than $85,000 to the Bush campaign, BellSouth more than $44,000, U.S. West/Qwest more than $34,000, and SBC Communications more than $10,000. Meanwhile, Olson was previously a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; a law firm that represents telecommunications companies.
Daily Mislead article
As president, George W. Bush is charged with protecting consumers from being bilked. But yesterday, the president decided to side with four major campaign contributors against 50 million American consumers in a court case that could force serious increases in phone bills all over the country.
As the New York Times reports, the president sided with four large telecommunications companies in a federal court case about consumer protections. Instead of defending government regulations that prevent price gouging on phone bills, the White House and its Solicitor General, Ted Olson, opted to drop out of the case. The decision by the president "substantially reduces the chances that the Supreme Court will accept the appeal". The decision could affect 50 million customers nationwide.
The president and the Solicitor General have a substantial interest in helping the four companies who benefit from their decision. The four companies have given the Bush-Cheney campaign more than $173,000 since 2000: Verizon has contributed more than $85,000 to the Bush campaign, BellSouth more than $44,000, U.S. West/Qwest more than $34,000, and SBC Communications more than $10,000. Meanwhile, Olson was previously a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; a law firm that represents telecommunications companies.
I just happen to think we are all doing this whole thing bassackwards. Most people are trying to make ends meet or get a little ahead, but how? By working for wages in a system that benefits a very few at the expense of the many. Our system is geared to maintain itself. Most societies seem to be the same. Just with different economies and governments. As far as economies go, capitalism is the worst where the people are concerned. It's a form of institutionalized and legal theft. Whatever profit a company makes is money it is stealing from the workers. If a worker creates X number of dollars of income for a company, then after capital costs necessary to keep the business going, the income which is the result of worker production, belongs to the worker. Technically, any company that makes a profit is stealing the fruit of the laborers.
It seems to me that a society should be created where the institutions, the commerce, and especially the government should exist for the maintenance and benefit of the people. Instead, we have a society where the people exist for the maintenance of the institutions, and actually have to fight and organize and sue for their own interests.
Totally backward.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
