Posted by Rick Vandeven on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 10:13 AM:
Another important news story with local issues covered by non-local media. This article has been shared over 800,000 times on Facebook.
"Throughout Bill Emerson's 16 years of service in the House, his wife, Jo Ann Emerson, worked as a lobbyist for insurance and restaurant businesses. Once her husband died, Emerson took over his seat and in time served on a number of budgetary committees, including one in charge of both the Agriculture Department and FDA. Already, that's a lot of conflicts of interest, but this story has only just begun.
Now Emerson's two daughters are lobbyists -- one for General Motors and one for Monsanto. Combined, the two companies have spent more than $12 million lobbying Congress and have seen 25 bills that benefit them go through Emerson's committees. Moreover, Emerson herself has sponsored 17 bills that are friendly to GM and Monsanto's interests.
Representative Emerson claims to "never ever" discuss work with her daughters, despite that being a frequent conversation topic amongst most parents and grown children I know. For what it's worth, the always trustworthy Monsanto says, "Any employee of Monsanto may not lobby their own relatives... we understand that our policy is more than the law requires."
The good news is that Emerson will be giving up her seat in a couple of months. Except that it's not really good news, since the corruption just gets deeper. Despite winning her re-election bid in November in a landslide, she has lined up a job to lead the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a lobbying firm. It is speculated that she will earn nearly $2 million annually in this role. Although she won't yet be compensated by the lobbyists during her last weeks of Congressional voting, it seems fair to question her allegiance to the people given her upcoming professional trajectory."
The current practice of allowing professional lobbying promotes the corrupting of our politicians. And the rallying cry if it were banned would be that we are abridging their right to free speech.
Do you have a good answer?
PS: What happened to BC... did you take him out New Year's eve and give him too much white lightning?
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 11:10 AM
I was windering the same thing Wheels. You haven't heard from him either?
Jaw Breaker,
You forgot graft, cronyism, theft, lying, extortion, greed, and prostitution.
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 11:21 AM
Ever notice that when somebody posts something critical of the Emerson Machine, a mysterious new poster magically appears out of the vapor almost immediately, and defends her with the line "it is all in the past, nothing to see here, move along"? Do these folks work directly for the Emerson Machine, or has she contracted the Missourian to handle this?
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 11:29 AM
I still think a first step would be to restrict lobbying to within the district the politition was elected to represent. Then we would hear that giant sucking sound of polititions heading home where they could do less harm.
Maybe one of the big companies could have paid Nancy's jet expenses had that been in place.
I just hope they don't turn rural electric into federal electric.
-- Posted by Old John on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 12:33 PM
"I was windering the same thing Wheels. You haven't heard from him either?"
No I haven't heard anything, good or bad. Think we should put his picture on a milk carton?
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 12:56 PM
You guys be careful with the "REA". I was told that politically they are a sacred cow and not to be messed with.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 12:58 PM
Did he get banned?
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 1:11 PM
The REA? According to the Missourian they are a "non profit organization serving rural electric customers" or something Orwellian like that. Sounds like a good name for a dinosaur.
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 1:15 PM
I wouldn't think so.
I just went and looked. He still has a thread he started out there. That would be gone if he was banned. Anyway BC is a very unoffensive person, unlike one of his cousins. ;-)
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 1:20 PM
Rick V.
The REA's get special low interest money, which they have on occassion used to compete with private enterprise. They were created under some kind of act which was put in place to get electricity out into the hinterlands. The one I am a member of in Alabama is so damned efficient that it cost just under $35 per month to have a meter, 12 months out of the year and before you turn on the first light bulb.
Another thing, they do not fall under all of the PSC rules that private enterprise does either. Not sure exactly how the PSC comes into play with them.
Now we have government money putting fibre optic in so that the rural areas have low cost high speed internet. They should get this all in place, just about the time the whole world goes wireless.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 1:31 PM
Looks like most-all of the Missouri cooperatives are members, which suggests if one receives electric service from a cooperative, then one should be interested in the NRECA goings-on ...
-- Posted by fxpwt on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 1:49 PM
Mrs. Emerson has not officially resigned, and thus, the office has not been declared vacant, and thus, there have been no party nominating committee meetings called (such call must occur within 2 weeks of the declaration of the vacancy).
She is still an elected official, to my knowledge.
Isn't it disheartening to learn these sorts of things--the lobbying connections--about our government? It makes you just want to give up completely. Why don't they just bring on the military dictatorship/police state/martial law, and put us all in forced labor camps? Very discouraging!
-- Posted by Givemeliberty on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 4:10 PM
Hey BC! Happy New Year! I will call the hounds back now. Glad all is well.
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 4:12 PM
You have the lobbyists but you also have a congress that does not read the bills. They voted on the cliff deal 15 minutes after they got the final 2300 page draft in hand. That is BS!
-- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 5:30 PM
-- Posted by BCStoned on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 3:13 PM
Yes Happy New Year BC. Been wondering about you spending all this time at the farm. You didn't strike gold when you was digging your man cave did you?
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 5:41 PM
There was also a lot of pork in the cliff deal. Why was money given to the Fishing industry in AK?
-- Posted by riregrist on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 5:44 PM
You got to love all of these so called "Not for Profit Groups".
-- Posted by swampeastmissouri on Sun, Jan 6, 2013, at 6:52 PM
REA was put into place with an executive order from FDR. Customers for electricity at the time were too far and too few to justify private companies a profit so government allowed folks to form coops to do it themselves via the offering of low cost loans. All was well with that idea until the federal government started making rules and regulations and got the coops hooked on free money from the Dept of Agriculture.
-- Posted by Old John on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 12:54 AM
Passing along a great family tradition, use your connections for family and friends. It's the American way.
-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 5:58 AM
The "critical need" for rural electricity was a crisis that was not allowed to go to waste, and was used as justification for a massive expansion in government.
Now that everyone has electricity (at least, those who want it), the REA should disappear. That would be a step in the right direction.
The next "critical need" may be the need for broadband in the "critically underserved" areas. That's my prediction, anyway. Some talking head or government "expert" will start yammering (maybe they already are) about how people can't get any internet service out in the boonies, what inequality there is, etc. This urgent demand will be the excuse for something on the scale of another federal executive department, with its own cabinet officer, and everything.
Government is like a monstrous multi-headed hydra.
These people think we're all stupid. Everything they say, write, and do is an egregious insult. There is no consent being given for any of what they are doing by the governed. As I said, it's very disheartening.
-- Posted by Givemeliberty on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 7:07 AM
Sounds like a pretty significant pay raise to me. I would be out of there in a heart beat. Plus a whole lot less hassle and people complaining about your every move. Yeah I know I would be gone.
-- Posted by Mowrangler on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 8:10 AM
I don't blame Emerson for leaving. I don't blame lobbyist for lobbying.
I do blame politicians that listen to lobbyists and vote their interests when they conflict with the interest of individual citizens.
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 9:36 AM
"I do blame politicians that listen to lobbyists and vote their interests when they conflict with the interest of individual citizens."
Wow! After all these months, a contribution that actually makes sense. Congratulations.
-- Posted by commonsensematters on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 9:43 AM
Wow! After all these months, a contribution that actually makes sense. Congratulations.
-- Posted by commonsensematters on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 9:43 AM
While I do not agree with your statement... how much longer do we have to wait for something intelligent out of you Common??
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 9:51 AM
The next "critical need" may be the need for broadband in the "critically underserved" areas. That's my prediction, anyway. Some talking head or government "expert" will start yammering (maybe they already are) about how people can't get any internet service out in the boonies, what inequality there is, etc. This urgent demand will be the excuse for something on the scale of another federal executive department, with its own cabinet officer, and everything.
-- Posted by Givemeliberty on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 7:07 AM
Liberty,
I believe if you check, this is already underway right in SEMO. Part of the Stimulous I believe. I think there are crews at work now installing fibre optic for that purpose and as told to me, cutting gas lines, phone wires etc. in wild abandon.
Shoould be up and running just about the time the world goes pretty much wireless.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 9:56 AM
Wow! After all these months, a contribution that actually makes sense. Congratulations. -- Posted by commonsensematters on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 9:43 AM
Wow! After all these months Common you made a contribution that actually makes sense. Sounds like you are starting to move from the "dark side" into the enlightened. Congratulations for finally agreeing with something to the right of Marx and Lenin.
There might be hope for you yet!
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Jan 7, 2013, at 11:14 AM
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Another important news story with local issues covered by non-local media. This article has been shared over 800,000 times on Facebook.
"Throughout Bill Emerson's 16 years of service in the House, his wife, Jo Ann Emerson, worked as a lobbyist for insurance and restaurant businesses. Once her husband died, Emerson took over his seat and in time served on a number of budgetary committees, including one in charge of both the Agriculture Department and FDA. Already, that's a lot of conflicts of interest, but this story has only just begun.
Now Emerson's two daughters are lobbyists -- one for General Motors and one for Monsanto. Combined, the two companies have spent more than $12 million lobbying Congress and have seen 25 bills that benefit them go through Emerson's committees. Moreover, Emerson herself has sponsored 17 bills that are friendly to GM and Monsanto's interests.
Representative Emerson claims to "never ever" discuss work with her daughters, despite that being a frequent conversation topic amongst most parents and grown children I know. For what it's worth, the always trustworthy Monsanto says, "Any employee of Monsanto may not lobby their own relatives... we understand that our policy is more than the law requires."
The good news is that Emerson will be giving up her seat in a couple of months. Except that it's not really good news, since the corruption just gets deeper. Despite winning her re-election bid in November in a landslide, she has lined up a job to lead the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a lobbying firm. It is speculated that she will earn nearly $2 million annually in this role. Although she won't yet be compensated by the lobbyists during her last weeks of Congressional voting, it seems fair to question her allegiance to the people given her upcoming professional trajectory."
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/4-congressional-relatives-who-are-well-paid-lobbyist...
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