Lobbyists Hiring the Homeless

[HamiltonHabs32]

Run time: 01:44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGIAP7G0LSg   Posted on YouTube: July 19, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 19, 2009 By DU Member: HamiltonHabs32 Views on DU: 1045

 
To stand in line for them at Capitol Hill..

--From YouTube--
Step 1: Be a giant energy company. Step 2: Pay homeless people to camp out in line for energy hearings, blocking environmental groups from attending. Step 3: Continue to pollute and profit.
--/quote/

[wundermaus]

1. Lobbyists paying homeless to stand in line...

to make more homeless...

Priceless!

[Tx4obama]

2. One way to put a stop to this is to

put one of those wrist bands (that you get in order to get into concerts) on the people that get into line and then let only the folks in that have the wrist bands on that have not been tampered with.

From CNN:

" .... the practice is flawed; an environmental group was shut out of the hearing."

" .... Critics see the practice as just another way lobbyists are buying influence on Capitol Hill. In 2007, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri introduced legislation to ban the practice of line-standing. "

[stlsaxman]

6. I'm proud of our Claire!

"In 2007, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri introduced legislation to ban the practice of line-standing. "

this practice is so wrong.

[targetpractice]

3. This story was mind fuck for me...

This process is shameful from a big picture perspective...

However, I couldn't help but feel empathy for Oliver Gomes and his eagerness. His insight regarding how change in the world is channelled through Washington D.C. and his pride that he was part of the process was moving... Especially, his willingness to spend some of the money he made at the thrift store to make himself "presentable."

I'm stunned.

[raystorm7]

4. The big picutre is, he's getting used to screw the rest of us and himself in the long run =/

[SoDesuKa]

5. New Haven Fire Fighters

I wondered how the New Haven fire fighters showed up at the Sotomayor hearing looking so rested and refreshed. They'd gotten a good night's sleep while some homeless person waited on line for them. They were there to support Frank Ricci's defense of "fairness." Somehow I suspect that the firefighters didn't even pick up the tab for the linewaiters. Some Republican fatcat did!

[Tx4obama]

7. Huh?

The line-waiters are not standing in line for the WITNESSES that our on the WITNESS LISTS OF THE HEARING.
They are standing in line for the 'public seats'.

The Fire Fighters were INVITED to come to speak at the hearing and they were on the WITNESS LIST - they did not have stand in any line to get in.

[SoDesuKa]

8. Ricci and Vargas

Ricci and Vargas testified, but about ten of them had seats at the hearing. Is it customary to seat the whole gang when a witness testifies? This is a factual question, and I'd be surprised if you're correct that they were all invited. If so, who invited them?

[Tx4obama]

10. I am correct.

From: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/16/news/new_haven/a1_--_soto_ricci.txt

"Ricci and 13 of his colleagues, all in uniform, and their attorney, Karen Torre, attended the third day of hearings at the invitation of Republican members of the Judiciary Committee."

[Tx4obama]

11. Also...

The extra seats the are offered to the 'general public' (those seats that people stand in line and wait to get) are the seats at the back of the room, not the seats up front.

[tooeyeten]

9. unreal

the hypocrisy.