-Caveat Lector- >Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 14:31:00 -0800 >From: xxxxxxxxxxxxx >X-Accept-Language: en >To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >Subject: Re: Energy Chief Steps In > > >++One wonders if Bush would have beat up on Enron (or the >others), to force them to supply power. > >That's a cruel joke, right? > >Ha! > > >Enron CEOs are among Bush's biggest backers, his platinum >pioneers! > >They bought this election, and damn well want their money's >worth! >~~~~~~~ > >from the washington post: >Hired Guns Fuel Fundraising Race > >By Susan B. Glasser Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday , April >30, 2000 ; A01 > >.. >When Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed set up >shop as a consultant in 1997, Bush's political team, sources >said, helped Reed land a major account from Enron Corp., a Texas- >based energy company that has been the largest contributor to >Bush's campaigns over the years. With energy deregulation looming >in state legislatures and Congress, Reed's job was the same sort >of grass-roots politics he had been practicing for years. The >only difference was the client. >.. >~~~~~~~~` > > CounterPunch > edited by alexander cockburn and jeffrey st. clair > Shrub's Money Tree > > The media has widely reported that George W. Bush has put >together a startlingly successful money-raising machine. At last >report, Bush had pulled in more than $40 million. Much of the >money has been raised through a network of Bush allies called the >Pioneers. Each Pioneer pledged to recruit at least $100,000 for >the Texas governor's presidential campaign. Campaign finance laws >require candidates to disclose the names of individual >contributors, but not the names of the Pioneers, who promised to >bring in at least 100 checks for $1,000 each. On July 19, Texans >for Public Justice, a fiesty watchdog group in Austin, wrote Bush >demanding that his campaign release the names of the Pioneers. >Two days later Bush complied. Here's the list of names. > > Joe Allen Houston TX Attorney, Vinson & Elkins LLP > > Alfred Austin, Tampa FL President, The Austin Companies > > Joe Barton Ennis TX Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives > > Lee M. Bass, Fort Worth TX President, Lee M. Bass, Inc. > > George Bayoud Dallas TX former Secretary of State for Texas > > Louis A. Beecherl investor, Texas Oil & Gas; Beecherl >Investments > > Dennis R. Berman Dallas TX president, Denitech > > Wayne L. Berman, Washington DC Lobbyist, Berman Enterprises Inc > > Roland Betts, NY, NY Executive, Chelsea Piers Mgmt former >parnter with Bush in the Texas Rangers > > Teel Bivins Austin TX State Senator, State of Texas > > James Blosser Ft. Lauderdale FL Government Relations, Poole & >McKinley > > Michael Boone, Dallas TX Attorney, Haynes & Boone LLP > > Rudy Boschwitz, Plymouth MN Chairman, Home Value > > Katherine Boyd Burlingame CA owner, Katherine Boyd Interior >Decoration > > Dan Branch Dallas TX Attorney, Langley & Branch > > Stephen Brauer Bridgeton MO Executive, Hunter Engineering Co > > Nancy Brinker Dallas, TX housewife, Brinker International > > William Brisben, OH Home Builder, W. O. Brisben Companies > > Christopher Burnham, CT Asset Mgmt, Columbus Circle Investors > > Jonathan Bush, Killingworth CT Chairman, J Bush & Co Inc/Riggs >Bank George W. Bush's uncle > > William H. T. Bush St. Louis MO Chairman, Bush, O'Donnell & Co. > > Joe Canizaro New Orleans LA CEO, Joseph Canizaro Inc > > A. R. "Pete" Carpenter Jacksonville FL CEO, CSX Transportation > > Claiborne Carrington San Antonio TX > > Bill Ceverha Dallas TX State Lobbyist > > James Click, AZ Executive, Jim Click Automotive > > Herb Collins, Boston MA Chair, Boston Capital Partners > > Peter Coneway Houston TX Investment Banker, Goldman Sachs & Co. > > Jim Culbertson, Winston-Salem NC Executive, Financial Computing >Inc > > Robert Dedman Jr. Dallas TX CEO, ClubCorp International on >National Center for Policy Analysis's Board > > Bob Devlin Houston TX CEO, American General Financial > > Bill DeWitt Cincinnati OH Private Investor, Reynolds, DeWitt >Securities Company > > Jennifer Dunn, Seattle, WA US Representative, Congress > > Patrick Durkin Greenwich CT Managing Director, Donaldson Lufkin >& Jenrette > > Dick Egan Hopkinton MA EMC Corporation Contributions to Bush's >Gov. Races: $0 > > Gov. John Engler, Lansing, MI Governor, State of Michigan > > Marty Fiorentino Jacksonville FL VP of Communications, CSX >Transportation > > Tom Foley Greenwich CT Executive, The NTC Group > > Sam Fox St. Louis MO CEO, Harbour Group > > Jim Francis Dallas TX President, Francis Enterprises > > Bradford (Brad) Freeman Los Angeles CA General Partner, Freeman, >Spogli & Co. > > David Girard-diCarlo Philidelphia PA Attorney/ CEO, Blank, Rome, >Comisky, & McCauley LLP > > D. Stephen Goddard Houston Tx Managing Partner, Arthur Andersen >LLP > > Hank Greenberg NY, NY CEO, American International Group > > Adele Hall Shawnee Mission KS Hallmark Cards > > Tim Hammonds Washington DC president/lobbyist, Food Marketing >Institute > > Dick Heath Dallas TX CEO, BeautiControl Cosmetics > > R. Steven Hicks Austin/Dallas TX CEO, Capstar Broadcasting Co. > > Roger Hirl Dallas TX Pres & CEO, Occidental Chemical Co. > > Alfred Hoffman Ft. Myers FL CEO, Watermark Communities, Inc. > > Bob B. Holland III Dallas TX Senior VP, General Counsel, Triton >Energy > > R.D. Hubbard Palm Desert CA CEO, Hollywood Park, Inc. > > James Huffines Austin TX Investor, Morgan Keegan; Bank of Dallas > > Gaylord Hughey Jr. Tyler TX Attorney, Hughey Oil Company; Potter >& Gunn Atty. > > Robert Woods Johnson New York NY CEO, Johnson & Johnson, Inc. > > Thomas Johnson Austin TX Exec. Director, AGC (Associated General >Contractors) of Texas > > Walter Johnson Houston TX President & CEO, Southwest Bank of >Texas > > Don Jordan Houston TX Exec., Reliant Energy > > Shelly Kamins Washington DC Chairman of GOPAC; Investor, Blum >Frank & Kamins > > Stephen Kass Burbank CA > > Richard & Nancy Kinder, Houston TX Chairman & CEO, Kinder >Morgan, Inc. Former CEO of Enron > > Dorothy Koch, Bethesda MD George Bush's sister > > Michael Kojaian Southfield MI President, Kojaian Mgmt Corp > > David Laney Dallas TX Attorney, Jenkins & Gilchrist > > James Langdon, Washington DC Attorney, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & >Feld > > Frank Lavin, Canton OH Banker, Citibank > > Kenneth Lay Houston TX CEO, Enron > > Howard Leach San Francisco CA President, Cypress Farms Inc > > Steve Letbetter Houston TX Executive, Reliant Energy > > Tom Loeffler San Antonio TX Attorney, Arter & Hadden ex-member, >U.S. House of Representatives, Appointed by Bush to Univ. of >Texas Board of Regents > > John Mahaffey Springfield MO President, Mahaffey Enterprises > > Thomas Marinis Jr. Houston TX Attorney, Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P. >Sits on board of dirs. at Phoenix House > > Robert Martinez Tampa FL Managing Dir.-Gov't Relations, Carlton >Fields Law Former Governor of Florida > > Dean & Andrea McWilliams Austin TX Spokesman for TX Sen. Mike >Galloway, State of Texas > > David A. Metzner McClean, VA Lobbyist, American Continental >Group clients include Lockheed Martin and Gov. of India > > Vance Miller Dallas TX CEO, Henry S. Miller Co. > > David Miner Cary NC State Representative, State of North >Carolina > > Philip Montgomery III Dallas TX Owner, P.O.B. Montgomery & Co. > > Charles Nash Austin TX Owner - Car Dealer, Chuck Nash Chevrolet > > James Nicholson Detroit MI President, PVS Chemicals > > Dennis Nixon Laredo TX Banker, International Bancshares Corp. > > Alan Novak Coatesville PA Attorney, Conrad O'Brien Gellman & >Rohn > > Erle Nye Dallas TX CEO, Texas Utilities Appointed by Bush to >Texas A&M Board of Regents > > Joseph O'Donnell Cambridge MA CEO, Boston Concessions Group, >Inc. > > Joseph O'Neill III Midland TX Managing Partner, O'Neill >Properties > > Bill Owens Denver CO Governor of Colorado, State of Colorado > > Marshall Payne Dallas TX Investor, Cardinal Investment >Corporation > > Robert Pickens Dallas TX Investor, Self-employed > > Don Powell Amarillo TX President, The First National Bank >Appointed by Bush to Texas A&M Board of Regents > > Heinz Prechter Southgate MI Chairman & CEO, ASC, Inc. former >Chairman of Pres. Bush's Export Committee > > Mercer Reynolds Cincinatti OH Private Investor > > Dub (A.W.) Riter Jr. Tyler TX Managing Partner, Pinstripe >Investments Appointed by Bush to Univ. of Texas Board of Regents > > Raul Romero Houston TX CEO, S&B Infrastructure Appointed by Bush >to Univ. of Texas Board of Regents > > Evans Rose Jr. Pittsburgh PA Attorney, Cohen & Grigsby > > Rusty (Edward) Rose III Dallas TX partner, Cardinal Investments >former Bush business partner > > Tony (A.R.) Sanchez Jr. Laredo TX CEO, Sanchez-O'Brien Oil & Gas >Oil, Land, Banking magnate. Appointed by Bush to Univ. of Texas >Board of Regents > > Nicholas Sarafy Brownsville TX Business Executive, Performance >Testing Services > > William Scherer Fort Lauderdale FL Attorney, Conrad Scherer & >James > > Bud (Allan) Shivers Jr. Austin TX consultant/investor, Waste >Recovery Inc Texans for Lawsuit Reform spokesman > > James Simmons Paradise Valley AZ Owner, James P. Simmons & >Associates > > Alex Spanos Stockton CA Owner, San Diego Chargers > > Manuel Stamatakis Wayne PA Founder & CEO, Capital Management >Enterprises > > Craig Stapleton Greenwich CT Executive, Marsh & McLennan >Companies > > Peter Terpeluk Jr. Washington DC Lobbyist, American Continental >Group > > Jack Vaughn Dallas TX Owner, Vaughn Petroleum > > Roger Wallace San Antonio TX Consultant, PSI > > Frederick L Webber, Alexandria, VA CEO/president/lobbyist, >Chemical Manufacturers Association > > Ron Weiser Ann Arbor MI CEO, McKinley Associates > > Mrs. Jimmy Westcott, Dallas TX Westcott Communications > > Robert Whilden Jr. Houston TX Attorney, Vinson & Elkins > > George Williams Houston TX Investment Banker, Williams Partners >Inc > > Roger G. Williams Dallas TX Attorney, Wilson Williams Molberg & >Mitchell > > Bob Wright Harlingen TX President, Wright Way Construction > > Charles Wyly Jr. Dallas TX Executive, Sterling Software > > Dr. Zach Zachariah Sea Ranch Lakes FL PhysicianCounterPunch 3220 >N Street, NW, Suite 346 >Washington, DC 20007 1-800-840-3683 email: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >© Copyright: 1998-1999. All rights reserved. > >The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 21, 2000 > > An elite group powers Bush's juggernaut > > You have to raise $100,000 to become a member. So far, 203 >people have done so. And their numbers are growing. > > First of two articles on fundraising in the race for president. > > By Josh Goldstein and Robert Zausner INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS > >Texas businessman Jim Francis was bass-fishing one day in 1998 >when the idea struck him: Why not assemble a group of political >money-raisers and reward those who reached a certain level - say, >$100,000 - with special recognition, perhaps a title? > >His fishing buddy, George W. Bush, liked the idea. Thus was >spawned The Pioneers. > >It is this group of Americans, now 203 strong, that catapulted >the Bush-for-President campaign to a new apex in political fund- >raising, a money harvest that has reached $83.5 million and >enabled Bush not only to forgo federal matching funds in the >Republican primaries, but to get a financial head start on >Democrat Al Gore. > >The money raised by the Pioneers helped Bush turn aside all his >GOP rivals in the primaries, including John McCain. It has >allowedBush to keep his campaign throttles open, airing >commercials in crucial states even after he had the GOP >nomination sewn up. > >"This appears to be an unprecedented effort," said Fred >Wertheimer, the former Common Cause president who helped shape >the post-Watergate laws that govern today's campaigns. "It is a >fund-raising machine that is going to break all records." > >The Pioneers are now switching gears to raise money for >Republican Party coffers; they led the effort that collected >$21.3 million at one Washington gala last month. > >To recruit Pioneers, the Bush campaign reached out to governors, >corporate executives, lawyers and lobbyists, to the candidate's >business associates, friends and family, to his father's old >White House confidants. The Pioneers list is like a string that >runs from one contact to another as it tracks Bush's resume - >from Yale to the oil business to baseball's Texas Rangers to the >governor's mansion. > >It runs from Ohio power company president Anthony J. Alexander >and New York brokerage executive Patrick J. Durkin to former >Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and Jets owner Robert Wood >Johnson 4th; from Gov. Ridge and Philadelphia lawyer David F. >Girard-diCarlo to San Francisco venture capitalist Howard H. >Leach and a Fort Lauderdale cardiologist named Zachariah >Zachariah. > >Each raised at least $100,000 for Bush; a few raised a million. >And this is not the "soft money" that companies and interest >groups can give in unlimited sums to the parties. The Pioneers >raised "hard money," from individuals, who by law can give no >more than $1,000 to a campaign. That means each Pioneer tapped at >least 100 people. > >The money still streams in, with 14 new Pioneers inducted last >month. And Bush still spends it. > >Efforts to obtain an interview with Bush for this article were >unsuccessful, and his campaign declined to describe what it >called "strategic decisions" on spending. But spokesman Scott >McClellan said, "We intend to maximize our resources toward voter >contact in key battleground states." > >By contrast, Vice President Gore - no slouch in the money game - >stopped his primary fund-raising at $32 million. That was because >in the primaries, Gore, unlike Bush, chose to accept public funds >and the spending limits that go with them. Both Gore and Bush >will use taxpayer money - $67.6 million - in the fall campaign. > >Many Pioneers prefer not talk publicly about money-raising. "I >don't particularly like seeing my name in the paper," said >Clifford M. Sobel, chairman of Net2Phone and lead Pioneer in New >Jersey. > >Others seem to revel in it. > >"Anybody who made money and came up the hard way ought to give >money to politicians," and thus participate in the democratic >process, said Peter F. Secchia, a Pioneer who runs Michigan-based >Universal Forest Products, with 5,000 employees at 75 plants. >Secchia met Bush during his father's 1988 presidential campaign. > >President Bush later named Secchia ambassador to Italy. > >Wertheimer and other critics argue that big money - especially >when the "soft money" is counted - makes a mockery of the law's >$1,000 donation limit, and gives people like the Pioneers too >much sway over elections and elected officials. > >"By the time they are done," Wertheimer says, "the Pioneers will >dramatize just how dangerous the current corrupt campaign-finance >system is to our democracy." > >But even if they seek favors some day from a Bush White House, >Pioneers see their cause as noble. They say they believe in the >candidate. > >"This is a guy who has very strong feelings about things as I >do," said Raul R. Romero, who immigrated to Texas from Panama 30 >years ago. "He truly believes in leaving nobody behind, in his >message of opportunity for all." > >Romero is also among many Pioneers whose businesses are affected >by decisions in Washington or Austin, where Bush will remain >governor if he does not defeat Gore. Romero heads S&B >Infrastructure, which has done $13 million in engineering work >for the State of Texas since 1997. > >He said that work was less than 3 percent of S&B revenues, and >has nothing to do with his having raised more than $300,000 for >Bush. > >Romero, who was Gov. Bush's unpaid commissioner of general >services from 1995 to 1997, said that raising the first $100,000 >for the presidential race was a breeze. "The phone was ringing >off the hook," he said. "People were saying, 'Raul! I want to >help!' I became a Pioneer in the first six weeks." > >Among the 68 Pioneers in Texas are energy executives with a stake >in the state's deregulation of electricity under Bush. Eighteen >others are at firms that have done work for the state - more than >$20 million in the last three years. One Houston law firm that >has two Pioneers has seen its share of Texas bond work grow by >millions since Bush took office. > >Pioneer Charles M. Cawley heads Delaware-based MBNA, a credit- >card giant. The company has interests in Texas, where it employs >2,000 people, and in Washington, where it has backed a bankruptcy >bill that would make it harder for cardholders to beat past-due >bills. > >MBNA is the biggest "bundler" of money for Bush: its employees >and their families have given a total of about $250,000, federal >records show. > >A key to forming the Pioneers was Bush's personal touch. > >At meetings in Austin last spring, he pitched himself to groups >of 25 to 30 potential allies. > >"I was impressed with how he expressed himself," said Manny >Stamatakis, a Wayne businessman and GOP fund-raiser who had just >met Bush - and walked away a future Pioneer. > >The campaign keeps the Pioneers tightly structured. All get four- >digit tracking numbers, and monthly printouts updating them on >what they have raised, and from whom. > >Among the Pioneers: > >Politicians. Three governors - Ridge, John Engler of Michigan and >Bill Owens of Colorado - are on the list. > >Ridge handed Bush the keys to his fund-raising machine, a turbo- >charged model that has raised $26 million since 1993 for Ridge's >gubernatorial runs. The four Pioneers in the Philadelphia area >are Ridge recruits. "Ridge asked, and I said yes," said Girard- >diCarlo, whose office wall has a Bush photo with this handwritten >note: "To David, Thanks for the leadership." > >Ridge even loaned Bush his driver, Leslie Gromis, who ran Ridge's >1998 reelection campaign. Pennsylvania has raised more than $2 >million for Bush so far. > >"We're running it almost like a Ridge campaign," said Gromis. >"Same apparatus and same structure, the same people involved." > >With this twist Pennsylvania law does not limit what you can give >to state campaigns; federal law limits you to $1,000. "So," >Gromis said, "we had to reach beyond our normal fund-raising. We >got new people. And people who were used to giving, you had to >convince them to raise money." > >Likewise, Engler's Michigan machine. "We just kind of kicked in >the governor's fund-raising organization," said his press >secretary, John Truscott. "These are very loyal, very good people >who have helped raise money for the governor for a number of >years." > >Michigan's 12 Pioneers helped raise about $3 million. They >included sunroof-maker Heinz Prechter, and State Sen. Glenn >Steil, whose company makes plastic hangers. > >Steil signed up for several reasons. "I'm a friend of John >Engler's to begin with," Steil said. He also told of meeting Bush >in Texas, and liking his "compassionate conservatism" theme. >"When he came out with that, it rang my bell." > >Texans. While University of Texas teams are the Longhorns, the >school's governing Board of Regents, all Bush appointees, could >be dubbed the Pioneers. Five of nine regents are Pioneers; a >sixth, Donald L. Evans, also heads Bush's campaign. > >Two Pioneer regents are on the board of the University of Texas >Investment Management Co., an entity formed with Bush's backing >in 1996 to manage the college system's $9 billion in assets. > >UTIMCO has been criticized for choosing some investment partners >that have ties to Bush, but says politics played no role in its >decisions. Its first chairman was Dallas billionaire Thomas >Hicks, who bought the Rangers in a 1998 deal that made Bush >millions. Hicks and his brother Steven, a Pioneer, gave $146,000 >to Bush's Texas campaigns. > >UTIMCO placed $96 million with an investment firm founded by >Texas billionaire Sam Wyly. Wyly and his Pioneer brother, >Charles, made news this year in the GOP primaries when they spent >$2.5 million on TV ads attacking McCain. > >UTIMCO also hired Vinson & Elkins, the Houston law firm where two >Pioneers work. > >Since Bush took office, the Vinson law firm's share of Texas bond >counsel work has risen about 40 percent, according to information >supplied by Thomson Financial Securities Data, which tracks bond >deals. The governor does not award this work, but helps appoint >boards that do. > >The Vinson lawyers could not be reached for comment for this >article. > >As a presidential candidate, Gov. Bush points out that he >deregulated Texas' electricity market. The legislation backed by >Bush froze electric rates at 1999 levels until 2002; it promised >competition among providers and an eventual 6 percent rate cut >for consumers. > >Several Bush financial backers benefited from deregulation, too. >Enron, the Houston-based global energy company, gained entry into >Texas' lucrative retail electricity market. Enron chairman >Kenneth L. Lay is a Pioneer. > >Lay recently was host to Bush in the company's box for the >Astros' home opener in Houston's new stadium - Enron Field. > >A key to deregulation's passage was the backing of two power >companies - Texas Utilities and Reliant Energy. The bill >supported by Bush ensured that utilities could bill their >customers to recover billions spent building nuclear power >plants, so-called "stranded costs." > >By the time Bush signed the deregulation bill last June, the men >who head Texas Utilities and Reliant had signed on as Pioneers. > >Lobbyists and lawyers. Eight Washington lobbyists are on the >list, including heads of utility, chemical and food-industry >trade groups. > >Stephan M. Minikes' firm represents the City of Cleveland and the >Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., the Internet brokerage >E*Trade Securities Inc., and the Seagram Co., Ltd., the liquor, >movie and music conglomerate. > >James C. Langdon Jr., whose family has deep Democratic roots in >Texas, is a partner in the Washington law firm Akin, Gump, >Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Langdon, who represents multinational oil >and gas companies, has an office next to President Clinton's >friend, Akin partner Vernon Jordan. > >Langdon, who has known Bush more than 30 years, organized a >Washington event that raised more than $2 million for Bush. > >Friends and family. Bush's younger sister Dorothy B. "Doro" Koch >and uncles Jonathan and William H. Bush each raised enough money >to become Pioneers. So did cousin Debbie Stapleton and her >husband, Craig, an executive with the insurance broker Marsh & >McClennan. > >Another Pioneer, Joseph I. O'Neill 3d, whose fortune is in oil >and gas, introduced Bush to his wife, Laura, 23 years ago. > >California Pioneers Ronald P. Spogli and Stephen B. Kass attended >Harvard Business School with Bush. Spogli's business partner and >fellow Pioneer, Bradford M. Freeman, is Bush's California finance >chairman. > >Roland W. Betts and Thomas R. Kuhn were Bush's classmates at Yale >in the 1960s. Kuhn heads the Washington-based Edison Electric >Institute, the lobby for electric companies. > >In 1989, Betts, Bush and others got together and bought the Texas >Rangers. Bush likes to joke about how they traded slugger Sammy >Sosa. But in 1998, when the team was sold, Bush made $15 million >on his investment of $606,000. Two of his Rangers partners, Betts >and Edward Rose, are now Pioneers. > >Bush previously had tried to follow his father's footsteps in the >Texas oil business. He founded Arbusto Energy Co. (named for the >Spanish word for bush) in 1977 and raised about $4.7 million from >investors. > >In 1984, Arbusto was sold to a company run by Ohio investors >Mercer Reynolds 3d and William O. DeWitt Jr. Bush became part- >owner of that company. Now, DeWitt and Reynolds are Ohio >Pioneers. > >Dad's pals. Seven Pioneers served in President Bush's >administration. > >Washington lobbyist Wayne Berman was assistant secretary of >commerce. Former Florida Gov. Robert Martinez was Bush's drug >czar. Secchia was his envoy to Italy. Elaine L. Chao was his >Peace Corps director. > >Former U.S. Rep. Tom Loeffler (R., Texas), now a lobbyist, is a >Pioneer who raised money for the elder Bush's campaigns and >helped run Team 100, a group of 250 "soft-money" donors who each >gave the GOP $100,000 or more in 1988. > >Another Team 100 alumnus is the Jets owner, Johnson, who got to >know George W. Bush at the 1996 GOP convention in San Diego. > >Last spring, Johnson was among those who trekked to Austin to >hear Bush. And to become his Pioneers. > >"Most of the people were sufficiently infatuated with Bush's >accomplishments and his potential," Johnson recalled. "It wasn't >like anyone had to sell becoming a Pioneer. People volunteered." > > >Josh Goldstein's e-mail address is [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Inquirer news researchers Frank Donahue, Marla Otto and Michael >Panzer contributed to this article. > >Tomorrow: Gore's top fund-raisers. > >© 2000 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. > > Sunday, July 9, 2000 > > Governors meet (without public) > >The states' elected leaders convened at Penn State. Invited to >hobnob were major donors - only. > > By Ken Dilanian > >INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU > >STATE COLLEGE - If you're interested in public policy, the place >to be over the next three days is Pennsylvania State University, >where the National Governors Association is holding its annual >summer meeting. > >Forty of the 50 governors are expected to show up, as are >President Clinton, retired Gen. Colin Powell, and Federal Reserve >Chairman Alan Greenspan, to discuss how state governments should >react to the information-age economy. > >But before you rush over to offer your thoughts on, say, Internet >sales taxes, know this: You wouldn't make it past the driveway. >The gathering at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel is >closed to the public - most of the public, that is. > >Besides government staffers and journalists, one group - >lobbyists from corporations and law firms that donated up to >$150,000 for the privilege - is allowed inside to hobnob with the >governors. > >The NGA, a nonpartisan group based in Washington, argues that >security concerns make it impossible to allow open access. But >members of the public and public-interest groups also are barred, >largely, from paying the mandatory $700 private-sector >registration fee and submitting to security clearance. > >That's the way it has always been, NGA spokeswoman Christine >LaPaille said. > >"This is not a convention; this is not a conference," she >explained. "This is a business meeting of governors. It's not a >meeting that allows input from anyone who wants to give input." > >Unless, that is, they are corporate sponsors - and critics say >that sends an unsettling message. > >"Talk about an investment," said Larry Makinson, executive >director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington- >based watchdog group that tracks money in politics. "This is a >golden opportunity for these companies to rub shoulders with the >CEOs of virtually every state in the union." > >Thirty states are headed by Republican governors, 18 by >Democrats, and two by members of independent parties. All make >decisions of keen interest to major corporations. > >Those representing companies that have paid, most of whom have >titles like "director of government relations," are getting >front- >row seats at this weekend's discussions on topics ranging from >online privacy to abandoned-mine cleanup. > >They also will be able to socialize with the governors and their >families tonight during what Gov. Ridge's public relations team >calls "a night of high-energy, Pennsylvania- style hospitality" >to be capped by a Kenny Rogers concert. The event is open only to >conference attendees. > >The governors' business guests come in two categories. There are >100 companies that have joined the NGA's Corporate Fellows >program, paying $12,000 in annual dues. (Those dues are not >directly underwriting the Penn State meeting, but company >lobbyists are allowed to register and attend.) > >And there are direct sponsors of the meeting, a group of about 70 >companies that kicked in up to $150,000 apiece. > >The corporate-fellows program, founded in 1988, "promotes the >exchange of information between the private sector and governors >and stimulates discussion among the corporate fellows on new >trends and factors that affect both businesses and government," >according to the NGA Web site. > >Dues from corporate fellows go to a nonprofit arm of the NGA >called the Center for Best Practices, which hosts seminars and >publishes policy papers. Corporate fellows "join forces with >other corporate fellows, governors and their staff . . . through >projects and forums on topics affecting both the private and >public sectors." > >So why does the NGA solicit private-sector input mainly from >corporations? What about unions, think tanks and environmental >groups? "As industry leaders, corporate fellows have unique and >critical experiences, perspectives and expertise," the Web site >says. > >Spokeswoman LaPaille said the NGA does invite representatives >from similar government-oriented organizations, including the >National Conference of State Legislatures and the U.S. Conference >of Mayors. > >But "we don't let protest groups in," she said. > >The issue of corporate sponsorship "always comes up," LaPaille >said, "but it's absolutely overplayed." > >Others have a different take. > >"This says that if you've got money, you've got the ear of the >folks at this important conference," said Diane Renzulli, >director of state projects at the Center for Public Integrity, a >Washington watchdog group. "Who gets shut out? Those without >money." > >The same sentiments were heard yesterday from more than 100 >protesters who descended on Penn State for a rally next to Beaver >Stadium. The demonstrators - representing a variety of causes, >from ending the death penalty to curbing corporate power - were >turned away without incident when they tried to approach the >entrance to the conference center, which was blocked off by state >police. > >"With all these governors not listening to us, we wanted to come >and make our voices heard," said Sarah Fro, 18, of Detroit, a >Swarthmore student and member of the Philadelphia-based >Kensington Welfare Rights Union. > >The 100 corporate fellows make up a commercial who's who, from >Aetna to Wal-Mart. Most of the firms - listed on the Web at >http://www.nga.org/CorpFellows/ CorpFellowsCompanies.asp - either >do business with state governments or are heavily regulated by >them. > >With the governors increasingly tackling technology issues, >computer and Internet companies are heavily represented. These >include America Online, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard >and Oracle. > >Also on the list are such chemical makers as DuPont and Monsanto, >such drug companies as Astra-Zeneca and Merck, such energy >companies as Enron and ExxonMobil, and such airlines as Delta and >US Airways. > >There is also a tobacco company, Philip Morris, which joined the >rest of the industry in late 1998 in settling a lawsuit by a >number of states that had alleged fraud. > >The NGA has released what officials are calling a partial list of >the donors who supported this weekend's meeting. The 70-odd >corporate entities contributed amounts ranging from $500 for >local small businesses to $150,000 from four cochairs: Penn >State, the Centre County Chamber of Business and Industry, Bell >Atlantic, and the Pittsburgh-based law firm of Kliett Rooney >Lieber & Schorling, which lobbies in Harrisburg and Washington. > >Some companies, including Philip Morris, have joined both groups. >Among them is Unisys, the computer maker based in Blue Bell. > >"Most of [the donors] do business with government, both federal >and state," said David Pingree, vice president of government >relations for the company, which put up $12,000 to be a corporate >fellow and $25,000 to sponsor the Penn State meeting. "I don't >think very many people are involved because they think it's a >charity." > >Two years ago, Pingree told the Associated Press that his firm's >contribution amounted to "a business investment" and "one way of >protecting and assuring you continue to be a player" in the >public sector. > >"It's not like you get a lot of personal time with any >individual," Pingree said Thursday. "At the same time, >relationships are built." > >Ridge's spokesman, Tim Reeves, said that the governor had worked >hard to persuade the NGA to hold the conference in Pennsylvania >and that he sees the gathering as a great way to showcase the >state. Ridge makes no apologies for not sticking taxpayers with >the $1.5 million bill for the conference, Reeves added. > >"Once you've decided to raise private funds," he said, "you're >not going to find 6,000 people to write $25 checks. That's just >not reality. The folks who are interested in donating are the >folks who are interested in and involved in government." > >As for the issue of access, he asked: "Can you imagine telling >your sponsors that they're not welcome to attend?" > >Moreover, Reeves said, there was a chance for members of the >public to interact with the governors. This weekend's events >included an "evening under the stars" in downtown State College. >Hosted by the NGA, it was open to all comers. > >As for the corporate donations, Reeves said, Ridge would never be >influenced by them. > >"We make policy decisions," he said, "on the merits." Ken >Dilanian's e-mail address is [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >©2000 KnightRidder.com > >On the Outside Looking In as Tom DeLay Whips Up Some Fundraisers > >By Dana Milbank Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, August 2, >2000 ; C01 > >PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1 –– There are 15,000 reporters here for the >Republican National Convention. Tom DeLay's goal is to avoid them >all. > >Dozens of politicians will take a turn at the podium this week, >but DeLay, the usually garrulous House majority whip, won't be >among them. Republicans are hosting hundreds of bashes and photo >ops, but the dozen events DeLay hosts or headlines will all be >closed to the public and the press. > >Not that this is surprising: As George W. Bush unveils a new and >diverse Republican Party, the GOP convention is all sweetness and >light, while DeLay, known as "The Hammer," is neither. He >unapologetically packs cocktail parties and golf outings with >cigar-smoking lobbyists, whose money provides perks to Republican >congressmen and keeps them in power. "That's what politics is >about," he says. > >Problem is, in this post-McCain era, influence peddling has >become gauche. Just this week, Maryland's House speaker canceled >a golf tournament for lobbyists, and this week Colin Powell >blasted "affirmative action for lobbyists." In such a hostile >environment, DeLay must protect his donors and members of >Congress from those pesky reporters who tend to see him as an >extortionist for conservative causes. > >"Reporters are frustrated screenwriters," explains Jonathan >Baron, DeLay's spokesman. "He fits a part." Specifically, the >part calls for wearing a black hat and a painted-on mustache. > >So far, DeLay has done a good job of avoiding 14,999 of the >reporters here. But I am determined to watch him where he sleeps, >where he eats, where he works, where he plays and, mostly, where >he fundraises. > >Putting the ARM On > >Political conventions are all about money. This one looks like a >tag sale. "Comcast/ Proud Host/ Republican Convention," says the >sign on the convention arena, visible a mile away. Then there are >the events: Rep. J.C. Watts is brought to you by DaimlerChrysler, >the New York delegation comes courtesy of Merrill Lynch, House >Speaker Denny Hastert is provided by Morgan Stanley, Rep. Bill >Archer is sponsored by the Spirits Wholesalers of America, and >the Commerce Committee is made possible by the American Chemistry >Council. > >DeLay outdoes them all. He has raised nearly $1 million from >undisclosed sources to lavish on Republican members of Congress >during the convention, allowing them to have chauffeured cars, >concierge service, hospitality lounges and more. > >I begin my effort to participate in such events on Sunday night >at a downtown reception for the Texas delegation, at which DeLay >is to be named "Man of the Year" by space contractors such as >Boeing and Lockheed. A sign tells guests that the gathering is >sponsored by Citigroup, Coastal Corp., Enron Corp., El Paso >Energy and Reliant Energy--a bank and four energy companies. The >event, like all DeLay events this week, is officially closed to >the press. But a staffer allows me to enter, along with a few >other journalists. It is a mistake that will not be repeated. > >The spread is rich: cheeses, sandwiches, sweets and top-shelf >booze. The banner on the stage is for DeLay's PAC, ARMPAC: >"Americans for a Republican Majority. Tom DeLay, chairman." Other >PACs disguise their purposes with vague names like "American >Renewal" or "Hope, Growth and Opportunity," but not DeLay. ... > >~~~~~~` > >washingon post august 3: > >An analysis of Federal Election Commission records shows 45 >people or companies that have given at least $250,000 to the >Republican National Committee for this election. They include >AT&T Corp., Philip Morris Cos., Bell Atlantic Communications >Inc., Microsoft Corp., TXU Corp. (formerly Texas Utilities) and >USX Corp. (formerly U.S. Steel), and wealthy individuals such as >California investor Charles R. Schwab, Missouri real estate >developer Sam Fox, San Diego Chargers owner Alex G. Spanos, Enron >Corp. Chairman Kenneth L. Lay, and Charles and Sam Wyly, the >Texas businessmen who helped fund commercials backing Bush during >the primaries. > >~~~~~~~~ > >nyt august 2: > > > The party's platinum-level sponsors are the Republican >Regents, a group of 139 people and corporations that party >officials say have each given at least $250,000 in soft money >since January 1999. Two-thirds of the Regents are individuals, >the rest are corporations. According to Federal Election >Commission records, the select membership includes Lawrence >Kadish, a New York real estate developer; Kenneth W. Lay, the >chairman of Enron Corporation; Jerrold Perenchio, the chairman of >the Univision television network; and Alex Spanos, a developer >and investor based in Stockton, Calif. > >~~~~~~~ > >9/2/00 arianna huffington in the contra costa times: > >.. >So Wednesday, when the president, with his drug czar in tow, was >in Colombia for a five-hour visit to symbolically hand a gigantic >check to President Andres Pastrana, it would be have been really >useful for Gore and Bush to tell us how their drug-war policy >would differ from this administration's. > >How much of his own man is Gore really? And how much will Bush be >influenced by Enron, his 10th-biggest backer, which has major oil >interests in Colombia? It's time for the candidates to be pulled >back from pontificating on "military preparedness" in general and >forced to address specifically their own preparedness to engage >our military in the Colombian army's counterinsurgency campaign. > >~~~~~ > >Delay's RMIC: from WP: 9/2/00: > >The report marks the first time the Republican Majority Issues >Committee (RMIC) has been required to reveal how it raises and >spends its money. The group is one of several political advocacy >organizations--dubbed "527s" for the section under which they >fall in the tax code--that were allowed to operate in secrecy >until Congress passed a law this summer requiring them to file >disclosure reports. >.. > >The committee's largest donors included Amway co-founder Richard >DeVos Sr., who gave $150,000; Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lay, >who donated $50,000; Texas home builder Bob Perry, who gave >$50,000; Houston apartment developer Michael Stevens, who >contributed $50,000; and Christian broadcasting magnate Edward >Atsinger Jr., who gave more than $23,000.... > >DeLay has actively wooed donors on the RMIC's behalf, and several >of the group's most generous backers have supported the whip's >individual campaign as well as his leadership political action >committee. Enron executive Joseph Sutton gave $25,000 to the RMIC >and $1,000 to DeLay, for example, while Perry donated a total of >$7,000 to DeLay's committees this year. > >Gary Ruskin, director of the Congressional Accountability >Project, said the new report highlights the rationale of this >year's campaign finance reforms. "Sunshine is a good > >~~~~~ > >Nov. 5, 2000 > >nyt: > > Without deregulation, J. P. Morgan, PaineWebber and >First Boston might all still exist as free-standing firms. Old- >line energy companies would not be looking enviously at the >market capitalizations of Enron and AES, two companies that did >not exist in 1980. AT&T almost certainly would not be ripping >itself apart for the second time in 16 years. > > "As regulation fades away, you have a lot more >opportunities, but you also have a much more intensely >competitive environment," said Daniel Yergin, the chairman of >Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a consulting firm, and the >co-author of "The Commanding Heights," a book about markets > >~~~~~ > >see http://www.tpj.org/reports/gusher/top80.html (the governor's >gusher$) >and in particular: http://www.tpj.org/pioneers/kenneth_lay.html >and >http://www.tpj.org/pioneers/pete_coneway.html and >http://www.tpj.org/pioneers/richard_kinder.html >and >http://www.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/staplesfisher.html >and >http://www.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/dereg.html >and >http://www.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/tlrcornyn.html >and >http://www.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/bankroll.html >and >http://www.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/tlrkings.html > >and > >miami herald nov. 3: > > The biggest single donor to McCollum's effort is Enron Corp., a >Texas-based energy conglomerate that also has been a leading >contributor to George W. Bush's presidential campaign. Enron >executives had contributed $17,998 to McCollum's campaign through >Sept. 30. [fortunately mccollum was beaten in florida) > >and: > >http://www.sfbg.com/News/34/49/49enron.html > >which says: >Early last October, every member of a ninth grade girls track >team and the freshman the football team at suburban Houston's >Deer Park High School's north campus returned from practice >reporting severe breathing problems. That day Deer Park >registered 251 parts of ozone per billion, more than twice the >federal standard, and Houston surpassed Los Angeles as the >smoggiest city in the United States. One of the biggest sources >of Deer Park's pollution is a plant owned by Enron, Houston's >wealthiest company - and the single largest contributor >($555,000 and counting) to the political ambitions of Texas >Governor and Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush. >Kenneth Lay, the chief executive of Enron, has personally given >over $100,000 to Bush's political campaigns, more than any other >individual . . . Enron is best known as the largest buyer and >seller of natural gas in the country. Its 1999 revenues of $40 >billion make it the 18th largest company in the United States . >. . Texas activists say that this tight connection > between Bush and Lay bodes ill for the country, if Bush is >elected. > Andrew Wheat, from Texans for Public Justice, a campaign finance > advocacy group in Austin, compared the symbiotic relationship >between Enron and the Governor to "cogeneration" - <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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