Another obscenity from our own US Congress

I found this earlier today:

130 Members of Congress Bought Stocks in Companies

A bit from the article:

Unwilling to impose rules on themselves that they have on others in government, 130 congressional lawmakers have invested in company stocks while making legislative decisions impacting the very same corporate interests.

Federal laws adopted by Congress forbid officials in the Executive Branch from trading stocks in industries overseen by their agencies. But the same restrictions don’t apply to lawmakers.

As a result, during a three-year span, representatives and senators, 68 Democrats and 62 Republicans, traded stocks valued between $85 million and $218 million in 323 companies registered to lobby on legislation that appeared before them, according to The Washington Post.

The Post found that more than 5,500 trades “intersected with legislation” that a company cared about.

We need to demand that our government representatives make this all illegal, folks. 

If we don't demand it, fight for it, if need be, it won't happen.

As I keep saying, we need to get our government back for us, the people, and not just for the wealthy and corporations.

Oh, and not for the government representatives themselves.

Here's yet another one, too: 

JPMorgan to Pay $410 Million in Enron-Like Scheme, but Admits Nothing while Execs Go Free

We need to stop tolerating this crap. We need to demand change.  Changes. For us. For the people.

Mayor seeks US Attorney assistance: to eliminate competition?

From the Kansas City Star today:
Mayor asks U.S. attorney to look at Port Authority

By DAVE HELLING and MIKE MANSUR

The Kansas City Star

Mayor Mark Funkhouser has asked U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips to consider assigning an investigator to examine the Kansas City Port Authority.

Funkhouser’s letter Tuesday to federal authorities came in response to an article Sunday in The Kansas City Star examining allegations of a potential conflict of interest involving one of the Authority’s attorneys, William Session.

And that's all well and good, since the Star's story Sunday on possilbe misdeeds by the Port Authority, especially as it involves this one attorney, at minimum, William Session.

But is the Mayor dog-piling so he can eliminate competition for the very office he's running for again, at present?

Is that possibly also true for other members of the City Council who are also running for the job of Mayor?

It certainly seems like a strong possibility and likelihood, folks.

Right or wrong be damned--these people want to clear a path for themselves, it seems.

Stay tuned.   This should get exciting.

Link to origninal story:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/14/2520406/funkhouser-asks-us-attorney-to.html

No ethics in Kansas government?

You know you have problems as a state if you don't even have rules regarding conflicts of interest and ethics regarding your representatives.

Such is the case in Kansas right now.

According to KMBC: "House rules don't spell out what constitutes misconduct worthy of a reprimand, censure or expulsion."

And yet House Speaker Mike O'Neal is "representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state."

Check that out--the House Speaker, whose job is to represent the State and the people in it, is also representing business groups AGAINST the State of Kansas, in a lawsuit.

And there's no rules against this seemingly crystal clear conflict of interest.

If you're a business that wants to file or has filed a lawsuit against your own state, can you imagine having any more preferred attorney representing you than the Speaker of the House of Representatives?

That is, if you can make that fly.

And/or there are no ethics rules against it in your state.

Notes to the citizens of Kansas:

1) You need conflict of interest rules for your legislators;

2) Your legislators should have written them a long time ago (again, quoting KMBC: "The House last appointed a committee to review a member's conduct in 1951.";

3) You need them quickly. Now would be a good time;

4) In words from the Broadway play "Avenue Q": "It sucks to be you".