The current debate on health care reform in Congress--especially, it seems, the debate over the "Public Option" (the ability to choose a government-run health insurance plan, as just one option for health insurance)--is about more than just health insurance. The question is, WHO OWNS OUR GOVERNMENT? Or more precisely, WHO DO OUR ELECTED LEGISLATORS REPRESENT? Do they truly represent their constituents--the citizens of their states and districts--or do they owe their loyalty, at the beginning or the end of the day, to the for-profit corporations and industry lobbies which give them--or their political group--money and perks to support their reelection campaigns, or lucrative jobs after they "retire from public life"? Some folks put it another way: "Is our Congress for sale?" We don't know the answer to this question, but we believe it is vital to the issue of the survival of our democracy. Here are some good sources to help you explore this question, by "following the money" from both sides: who has benefited from large contributions from corporate interest groups, and--on the other end--how much are corporate interest groups spending on influencing our elected representatives? OpenSecrets.org The Center for Responsive Politics and the project focused on tracking the growth of health sector contributions to Congress, Diagnosis: Reform Given that the latest polls show that over 70% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, support the OPTION for a public health-insurance plan (not that they will use it, but that they think it should be an available choice), you may want to check on where Congress stands - overall and by Sen./Rep. [Looking for more sites] And as we come across articles which seem useful -- for the facts they have pulled together or the discussion of this issue -- we will add them below. Please keep US informed if you come across facts or errors (and be sure to provide your sources). And we welcome your constructive comments. |
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Who Owns Our Government? |
