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Thanks, Jackie
If you are like most people, you hear, and perhaps voice, a lot of
complaints about politicians. Some people grieve about the tax'n'spend
folks. My friends are more likely to complain about John Ashcroft and other
folk they see as those who would create vast deficits both in our civil
liberties and our national debt. A lot of people hate the trend for
politicians to gather in a lot of money from corporate interests, then
pander to guess who? It's barely possible your own interests and the
interests of those who buy and pay for the politicians happen to coincide.
My solution to politicians who are bought up by corporations, unions and
distant rich folk I arrived at years ago. Allow no contributions, nada,
zilch, except by registered voters from within the district concerned. I
once proposed that to a candidate from a minor party and discovered that
she hated it. Her fellow party members MUST be allowed to back her
campaign, she said. So her selfish interest and short sight would have
prevented her from backing my plan, even though she complained bitterly
about the special interests who backed her opponents in the major parties.
Generalized dislike of politicians has brought us term limits, which has
ended the legislative career of our brilliant former state senator, now
judge, Quentin Kopp. It will end the legislative career of Senator Jackie
Speier in 2006.
While members of the assembly are term limited, lobbyists are under no such
restraints. They're experts at persuading members of the state legislature
to capitulate to the special interests, which is why it took four years to
pass Senator Speier's privacy bill. Her persistence, her skill and her
guile all were needed to push through a bill that should have been a slam
dunk if politicians weren't under such pressure from the financial
institutions that make so much money by robbing you of your right to
privacy.
Jackie Speier, who has taken real bullets on your behalf, took a lot of
criticism for pushing through her privacy bill. Even so, she did not accept
my suggestion, that those financial folk who so insist on destroying your
right to financial privacy should be forced to have their nude photos and
those of their families exposed on the Internet. Quid pro quo. I think
those who would destroy my right to financial privacy deserve to have their
personal privacy invaded.
I wrote to those members of the Assembly who disgraced themselves by not
voting yes during a recent committee showdown. Those who responded to my
letter gave pretty lousy excuses for their vote, or lack of vote.
Then the bankers, faced with an initiative that would be worse than any
bill, suddenly capitulated. They gave in, and suddenly almost every
Assembly member changed his mind.
Thank you Jackie. Thank you, Thank you, Thank You. With the privacy bill
you justified the faith I've had in you your whole career. Pacifica, which
provided you the margin of victory you needed in 1986, should be most proud
of you today. If you haven't already told her your opinion, do so. Her
Capitol address is Senator Jackie Speier, State Capitol, Sacramento 95814.
She deserves your accolade. Write especially if you've ever criticized a
politician. When a politician does something wrong, or fails to do the
right thing out of fear or out of weakness, they should be criticized. But
when a politician, in the heroic shadow of the martyred Leo Ryan, persists,
cajoles, jawbones and comes out with a sweet victory for the common citizen
like you and me, it's time to say it. You done good, Jackie. I for one,
appreciate it.
Paul Azevedo can be reached by e mail at Paul@thereactor.net.
Check The Reactor's website at www.thereactor.net.
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