Well, since
groups such as “Americans for Free Choice” and the Chamber of Commerce are so concerned
about corruption, I thought I would help them out by pointing out that in fact,
it’s not the labor unions that are corrupt. It’s their friends in corporate America who
seem to be in the most trouble recently for corruption. And since these
business associations are so interested in pointing out corruption, I thought
we could give them a hand and point out where the real corruption is occurring.
(Unless
this campaign isn’t about corruption at all? Unless it’s really about trying to
increase profits by attacking working families and unions?)
Below is my list of
corruption. Feel free to add your own.
Bernard
Maddoff – Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities stole $50
billion
"It may be the largest fraud in the
history of Wall Street. Madoff is charged with stealing as much as $50 billion
-- in part to cover a pattern of massive losses as he cultivated a reputation
as a financial mastermind and prominent philanthropist."
Siemens – German Industrial Giant – fined 1.4 billion
"US authorities said
Siemens had used slush funds, off-book accounting and delivered suitcases full
of cash to bribe officials to secure contracts in Argentina, Bangladesh, Iraq and Venezuela."
Micheal Wade – US Defense Contract – Serving 2.5 years in
Jail
A former defense contractor who gave more than $1 million in gifts -- including
cash, home furnishings, a Rolls-Royce and an antique commode -- to then-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham
(R-Calif.) was sentenced yesterday to 2 1/2 years in federal prison.
Let’s not
forget our old favorites:
Enron – 34 Criminal Defendants, 18
Guilty Pleas
WorldCom – (from 2002) Clinton,
Miss.-based WorldCom
has teetered on the verge of bankruptcy since revealing on June 25 that it had
incorrectly accounted for $3.8 billion in operating expenses. The admission
cast WorldCom into the top tier of scandal-ridden companies alongside Tyco
International, Global Crossing, Adelphia Communications and, of course, Enron.
More on
anti-EFCA Campaign-
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/pro-business_group_sinks_over.php
Siemen’s - http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081215/bs_afp/germanyuscrimecorruptioncompanysiemens_081215211254
Micheal Wade
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121501410.html?wprss=rss_politics
More on
Maddoff - http://www.startribune.com/nation/36113589.html
The Fall of
Enron - http://www.chron.com/news/specials/enron/
WorldCom - http://money.cnn.com/2002/07/19/news/worldcom_bankruptcy/