Follow the Money
I would guess that many people in their mid-40s (myself included) learned how our government works not in civics class (who paid attention to that?) or from the inescapable Watergate hearings (which in 1973 dominated every channel—all three of them!) but from watching the Saturday morning Schoolhouse Rock shorts that were featured between favorite cartoons like “Tom & Jerry” and “Hong Kong Phooey.”
I’m just a bill.
Yes, I’m only a bill.
And I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it’s a long, long journey
To the capital city.
It’s a long, long wait
While I’m sitting in committee,
But I know I’ll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
I lost any last vestige of naïve idealism last night listening to Jackie Goldberg, who was once a high school civics teacher before entering politics. She served for eight years as a Los Angeles City Council Member and another eight years in the California State Assembly.
Ms. Goldberg, speaking at the “Blood Money: Campaign Dollars and Health Care Policy in California” forum held on October 18 at Pasadena City College, explained the legislative process in very simple terms. Legislators, she explained, represent their constituents. Unfortunately, the constituents they represent are not the voters of their districts, but the lobbyists. According to Ms. Goldberg, “90% of the bills were written by the lobbyists.” While many lobbyists advocate for causes that benefit California residents, the vast majority represent business interests whose deep pockets come in handy around election time (which today seems a constant endeavor). Goldberg, who describes herself as a “tough pol,” shed a portion of her idealism when a simple, common-sense bill she sponsored aimed at saving children’s lives couldn’t see the light of day because of entrenched corporate interests.
Panelist Susan Lerner, Executive Director of the California Clean Money Campaign, took it one step further by connecting the dots and dollar signs. Almost without exception, bills sponsored by corporate interests (and accompanying campaign donations) are those that are passed and those without are defeated (or, more commonly, are orphaned in committee).
I’m just a bill
Yes I’m only a bill,
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well, now I’m stuck in committee
And I’ll sit here and wait
While a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law.
How I hope and pray that they will,
But today I am still just a bill.
It should be no surprise, then, that the two greatest benefactors of health care industry largesse this year are Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. And even though the majority of Californians approve of health reform measures (a recent Field poll found that 69% of state residents favor health care reform and and a fast-growing 36% support single payer) that may make insurance companies irrelevant, they won’t go down without a costly fight. The panel, which also included representatives from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, the Center for Governmental Studies and Healthcare for All, concluded that meaningful health care reform that puts patients before profits may not be possible until the corrupting element of money is removed from the political equation.
But how I hope and I pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
