Guardian UK: Only in Alaska

[marmar]

Only in Alaska
While Alaskan officials preach low taxes and fiscal restraint, they continue to dip the till filled by taxpayers of other states

Ian Williams
guardian.co.uk, Friday October 31 2008 19.00 GMT


The jury's finding on Alaskan senator Ted Stevens brings the conviction rate among US senators to 5%, which, if all the perps were incarcerated, would be even higher than the imprisonment rate for the hoi polloi in the country they have been ruling. However, Stevens is unlikely to go down for his sins. And there should be a lot more than five senators in the penalty box.

The sins for which the jury convicted Stevens seem very minor in the scale of things. Accepting a quarter of a million dollars worth of home improvements from an oil contractor in a fit of absentmindedness actually pales in comparison with his real depredations whose nature only differed in degree from his colleagues in the Congress.

It is very difficult for Europeans to understand why it is perfectly fine to do hugely expensive political favours, of the kind that festooned the $700bn bail-out bill, in return for contributions to political campaigns, but it is beyond the pale to accept a few personal sweeteners to enhance home comforts. They both smack of bribery and corruption.

When Clinton took $500,000 from the CEO of Chiquita Brands and within weeks launched a hugely expensive trade war with Europe over Caribbean bananas, British negotiators were bemused when their American counterparts disclaimed any connection between the two events. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/31/ted-stevens-alaska-senate-corruption

[BrklynLiberal]

1. K&R for later.