OpEdNews - Page 4 of Article: More spending brings little change

Through their inside relationships with politicians, corporations determine how government will behave. Wielding the most cash grants the most access to the decision-makers. K Street lobbyists have hardly lost a beat since Bush left town; they've aggressively pursued the huge new Obama budget.

Lobbying dollars spent by corporations have been rising steadily for years. And why not? The return on investment--ROI--for spending aimed at landing Federal contracts and tax breaks has been quite attractive. Some of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States reside in the greater Washington, D.C. area where numerous government contractors reside.

The bailout exemplifies the synchronization of corporate and governmental interest, a culmination of decades of codependence. Government policy is being shaped to meet the needs of the banking industry.

Nowhere is the lack of accountability more evident than in our government's treatment of the investment industry. Companies like AIG get billions despite losing more. Meanwhile government funds are used for factories in Brazil (GM) or huge bonuses. No one is being held accountable for how we spend the funds.

Unfortunately our all--too-slow political cycle means that few politicians will be exposed to any political consequences for years. Few will lose their offices as a result of this subservience to industry. The time between the economic consequences and the next election is simply too long to hold politicians accountable. And even if the incumbents face an election, our two-party system limits real choice.

Big money politics denies political opportunities to candidates from outside the establishment. Winning elections, and rising to high office in the major parties usually requires support from major campaign donors who represent narrow corporate interests. If the candidate assumes office, this ongoing relationship evolves into an influence-peddling opportunity for the lobbyist.

Our representatives in government aren't our representatives but rather have come to represent the corporations that donate to their campaigns. Until we tackle our political problems at the systemic level, and abandon the charade that is our two-party system, we will lack representation.

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