Monday, September 27, 2004
Invasion of the Bureaucrat Snatchers
The gravest threat to YOU personally, as an American, comes not from any inhumane law the GOP has strong-armed through Congress, including the Patriot Act; it stems from the deep drilling of personnel appointments the neo-cons have achieved within each and every federal agency over four years. Neo-cons have dropped tentacles deeply into the inner workings of the entire governmental machinery.2 comments
NYTimes: Agencies Postpone Issuing New Rules Until After Election
Neo-cons have placed apparatchiks in positions four- and five-deep at every agency in the bureaucracy. Not just the Secretary of each federal Department, but down on through the various Under Secretaries, and the hundreds of Assistant Under Secretaries and the thousands of people who report to them, throughout the bureaucracy. To do this, they've summarily dismissed experienced, long-time professionals—who have served administrations of both parties with distinction— and replaced them with young, upwardly mobile true-believers who will adhere precisely to the new party line. Not only do we lose the combined wisdom and experience of the former job-holders, these political robots will think of the good of the country and its people in exactly NO percent of the cases brought before them. Including your case.
Neo-cons realized that they didn't need the highly public wrangling that goes with passing legislation. They went right to the quiet source of real power in this country. Simply issuing new regulatory guidelines (or not) to get your way is faster, less public, less messy and much more effective.
These regulatory destruction efforts effect every, single aspect of your life: from food safety to consumer protections, to workplace safety, to selling off every corner of the environment, to your being paid time-and-a-half for working overtime, to banking protections, to controling gas and heating fuel prices and supply, to polluting your air and water, to rate hikes for EVERYTHING you buy, consume or use, including cable and cell and telephone service, to enforcement of civil rights laws, to your ability to afford to buy or rent a home, to further limiting how and from where information is conveyed to you (and by whom!), to how your schools are run and what is taught in them, to your ability to have your fair day in court, to your physical well-being and ability to get treatment, to your ability to raise a family, and your ability to afford and survive any possible retirement.
In short, every aspect of your life as you know it. And the upcoming presidential election will determine the on-going scope and power of all of these moves.
"Officials have decided to wait until after Election Day to respond to an appeals court decision that struck down rules that would make it easier for the largest media conglomerates to grow larger. And they are not expected to issue rules that will determine prescription rates and coverage under the new Medicare law until after the presidential election.
Both industry lobbyists and their critics say that the re-election of President Bush would probably lead to the adoption of some regulations favorable to industry and the rejection or watering down of others that industry considers objectionable. Consumer groups, environmental organizations and food safety experts, meanwhile, say that delays could lead to significantly weaker rules that could increase prices on some products, reduce safety and relax environmental protections.
While the delay of completing rules, known to lobbyists and policy makers as 'slow rolling,'' is common in a campaign season, some environmental groups and consumer advocates say this year is different.
'Generally, regulatory submissions often get pushed off in election years,'' said Gene Kimmelman, a senior director of public policy at Consumers Union.
'What is unusual this time,'' he added, 'is the clear pattern of holding back regulatory decisions that will benefit the largest industry players and will drive up prices and market place risks for consumers, ranging from telephones to drugs to the risks of contaminants of food. The pattern of slow rolling will ultimately benefit the largest players and hit consumers in the pocketbook.''"
You must be aware that THIS is where the decisions which effect YOUR daily life the most are made. In the shadows. NOT on CNN or on FOX.
THIS is where the fix is in.
posted by Gotham 1:07 PM
2 Comments:
Dude! An actual substantive post on the election in the blogosphere! Amazing!
By 
, at
October 01, 2004 11:18 AM
Thanks for the kind word.
By 
Gotham, at
October 02, 2004 8:10 PM
