Why is the CEO of Ebay running for Governor during the same election as the legal gunslinger from Facebook running for Attorney General in California? And while I like him, Gavin Newsom running for Lt Governor within the same race makes me nervous because his prinicpal investor in nearly all of Gavin’s businesses is and heir of the oil tycoon Getty family. Not screamin Illuminati yet, but the middle class voters, who can barely keep the mortgage and sold one of the cars already, should be paying attention.
Or does noone remember what happened when George W appointed Mike Leavitt Secretary of Health and Human Services (using the CDC’s Emergency Response Gulfstream III as a company car)? And just before the meltdown, appoint the CEO of Goldman Sachs Secretary of the Treasury? Gale Norton Secretary of the Interior, who in turn opened up swaths of pristine Alaskan country to oil drilling. Wall Street shark Steve Preston for Secretary of Small Business Association? I wish I was making this up.
I know, I know, we were too busy controverseying over the War to pay attention to what’s going on at home. Til the bubble burst. Our President’s message at the start of our crisis? “Spend, baby, Spend!” No talk of industry reform, or of accountability. There were unregulated corporate bailouts. There were relaxations of emissions and environmental standards. And there was an irreparable shakedown of the comfortable middle-class. The poor were screwed, but they’ve been used to it. The rich, well, they got richer.
Is Corporatized California going to be a good thing? For Californians? Will our duly-elected officials streamline the bloated bureacracy? Will they make public education a priority? Or are we getting vending machines in cafeterias and name-branded school equipment? Hey, next thing you know, they’ll do something really retarded like trying to turn car license plates into moving billboards.
Chan, I really enjoy your writng, whether it is politically oriented or just random thoughts. It gives me encouragement to know that there are people that are deep thinkers and care about the things that matter. I would love to sit down with you over a couple of drinks some time and have a rambling discussion on whatever matters to us and some of the things that do not matter but we find amusing. Just nothing work related because i tend to leave that stuff at the door when i leave. Great stuff, i will come back and read some more at another time when i am not so tired!