Not that they would want me or vice versa (remember that old Groucho Marx joke about not wanting to be a member of any group that would accept me?) but the following is why I will never even attempt to join the ‘organization’ as any sort of an elected official of the California Democratic Party.
AT&T raises suspicions, funds with Nunez speech
By Samantha Young
ASSOCIATED PRESS
May. 03, 2006
SACRAMENTO – The Democratic Party raised nearly $2 million during a Pebble Beach fund-raiser this weekend with the help of AT&T, a company that stands to benefit from cable legislation advocated by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.
Nunez, D-Los Angeles, headlined the “Speakers Cup” event at a Monterey County golf resort where lobbyists and business executives paid between $10,000 and $45,000 for a weekend outing with state lawmakers. The event raised $1.7 million for the Democratic Party, said Kathy Bowler, the party’s executive director.
The event is among the most lucrative fund-raisers for the party and has been sponsored by AT&T for several years. This year’s event came a month after Nunez introduced legislation that would allow telecommunications companies to get into the cable business.
AT&T is one of the bill’s most active supporters and has been running television advertisements in recent weeks supporting competition for cable franchises.
Theis Finlev, a policy advocate with the campaign watchdog group California Common Cause, said the event illustrates “an uncomfortable nexus of policy and campaign contributions.”
“No one is alleging there’s anything illegal going on,” Finlev said. “It’s about the faith and confidence citizens have in their elected officials.”
Nunez’s bill would allow companies such as AT&T and Verizon to bypass the time-consuming process of obtaining local franchise agreements now required of cable companies.
Nunez spokesman Steve Maviglio defended the fund-raiser, saying it is an annual Democratic Party event.
“This fund-raiser has been held for nearly a decade and was planned more than a year ago,” Maviglio said. “The notion that the speaker is supporting this bill for any other reason than it is good public policy that will save California consumers $1 billion is absurd.”
AT&T spokesman H. Gordon Diamond said critics are “trying to make a connection where there isn’t one.”
To read the rest, go here:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/politics/14488302.htm
Those of you wishing to do so can certainly make the point of how change within the Democratic Party may never come about if everyone possessed my attitude–I can’t argue with that.
I understand that any viable political entity needs donations. But isn’t this just the flip side of the brothel-like relationship between K Street and the Republicans in DC? Corporate executives want what is only favorable for their business entities. Those who want ‘helpful’ legislation grease the palms of those willing to introduce and support such, bills which are not necessarily what is best for the common good.
Democrats can and should do better. The Democrats I support do. No, they aren’t perfect, they certainly do stumble and fall at times, but they come down on the ‘right’ side given the choice between a corporate/government oligarchy and supporting what is best for the average individual.
I support the commonweal. Often, this doesn’t necessarily financially benefit me in immediate or tangible ways but it makes for a fairer and more praiseworthy society. An actual civilization, one I want to inhabit.
