There is already undeniable public demand for President Barack Obama to take a key action that would expose much of the “dark money” corroding our democracy. He can require every company that does business with the federal government to disclose its political spending with a simple executive order. Doing this, he’d be requiring all federal contractors — which includes 70 of the 100 largest corporations in the United States — to reveal how much they spend supporting or attacking candidates.
On a similar strain of big money buying supposed public servants — but right here in Alaska — could it be this is stopping the resolution of our budget catastrophe? Why aren’t our politicians re-instituting an income tax (we did have one 40-years ago) in combination with reneging on some of those Parnell instituted tax-breaks for Big Oil? This is the cut in “spending” we should be talking about. Tapping into the Permanent Fund earnings should be the last resort to resolve the budget crisis. How many pockets have Big Oil padded in our state House?
I would gladly sacrifice my Permanent Fund Dividend check if I knew it provided resources for the education of our children. I just find it very difficult to be conscious that my sacrifice is instead inflating the coffers for Big Oil CEOs and their executive bonuses … not to mention dooming our children to a suffocating and extreme climate tomorrow.
Surely, much of Big Oil contracts with the feds through the military bases here in Alaska. It would be quite helpful to know what politically-spending the consideration I tender to make Big Oil so “BIG.” It’s the “dark money” twisting politicians, over-compensating Big Oil that’s foreboding our children the “dark clouds” looming, lining, our horizon!
John S. Sonin,
Juneau