| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Michelle Malkin" |
| Date: |
16 Jan 2006 01:22:23 PM |
| Object: |
If We Can Beat The Mob, We Can Beat Delay-Style Politics |
Jan. 12, 2006, 8:39PM
If we can beat mob, we can fight DeLay-style politics
Experience in Las Vegas similar to D.C. corruption
By SEN. HARRY REID
In 1977, I was appointed chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. It was a
difficult time for the gaming industry and Las Vegas, which were being
overrun by organized crime. To that point in my life, I had served in the
Nevada Assembly and even as lieutenant governor, but nothing prepared me for
my fight with the mob.
Over the next few years, there would be threats on my life, bribes, FBI
stings and even a car bomb placed in my family's station wagon. It was a
terrifying experience, but at the end of the day, we cleaned up Las Vegas
and ushered in a new era of responsibility.
My term on the gaming commission came to an end in 1981, and when it did, I
thought I had seen such corruption for the last time. Unfortunately, that
has not been the case. It is not quite the mafia of Las Vegas in the 1970s,
but what is happening today in Washington is every bit as corrupt and the
consequences for our country have been severe.
Our nation's capital has been overrun by organized crime - Tom DeLay-style.
The gangsters are the lobbyists, cronies and lawmakers who have banded
together and abused their power to serve their own self-interest. The
casinos are the Capitol, which has had its doors thrown open for special
interests to waltz in and help themselves, and the victims, of course, are
the American people.
There is a price to pay for the culture of corruption, and we can see it in
the state of our union.
Consider the state of our economy. On one side is Big Oil, which reaped $100
billion in profits in 2005. On the other side are middle-class families.
Their wages are declining at the same time they are paying more for gas,
heat, education and other needs.
Take the state of health care. On one side are the HMOs that benefited
greatly from a $10 billion slush fund in the Medicare bill. On the other
side are seniors who face gaps in their coverage and the high cost of
prescription drugs.
And then there is our national debt. On one side are the special interests
and the multimillionaires who have received tremendous tax breaks over the
last five years. On the other side are our children and grandchildren who
will pay for these tax cuts when they inherit billions in debt.
In our country today, we are seeing what happens when lawmakers and
lobbyists conspire to put the needs of special interests before the needs of
the American people. We have a country that grows more dependent on foreign
oil each day. We have cronyism like that exposed by Hurricane Katrina, and
we have a national security policy that does a good job of protecting
Halliburton's bottom-line but not a good enough job protecting the American
people.
I believe that together, America can do better. We can have a government
that puts the American people - not special interests - first, and it all
starts with cleaning up Washington.
Honest leadership should not be a partisan goal. It is the key to a stronger
union. When leaders put America's interests ahead of their own
self-interest, there is no limit to how far America can go. We can make
progress is so many areas, including energy independence, affordable health
care, retirement security and tax-relief for the middle class.
In 2006, it is time to make sure lawmakers always put progress before
politics. This will require some painful but necessary steps designed to
root out corruption and cronyism in our government and to put an end to the
quid-pro-quo politics that gave rise to Jack Abramoff.
Our first order of business must be reinvigorating the enforcement of
government ethics rules so that people know there are consequences for
breaking the law. Second, we must fix the revolving door that shuffles
officials and staff between government and K Street.
Third, we must reform the gift and travel rules that fostered pay-to-play
politics like we've seen in the Abramoff affair and the K Street project.
Finally, we must shine a bright light on the relationship between lobbyists
and lawmakers. We need disclosure rules that will tell constituents who
their lawmakers are meeting with, what lobbyists are asking for and what
gifts and perks they are giving.
I support these steps not because they are good politics in an election year
but because they are the right steps to take in response to the corruption
we have seen in Washington. I know there are some people who think cleaning
up Washington is a lost cause and that corruption and government will always
go hand in hand. To these individuals, I say you are wrong.
If we could kick the mob out of Las Vegas in the 1970s, we can change the
culture of Washington and give America a government as good and honest as
the people it serves.
Reid, D-Nev., is the Senate minority leader.
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Michelle Malkin (Mickey) aa list#1
BAAWA Knight & Bible Thumper Thumper
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