Bernie Sanders letter to the NY Times...

[kentuck]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/opinion/l24finance.html?ref=opinion

“A Finance Overhaul Fight Draws a Lobbying Swarm” (front page, April 20) reported that huge amounts of money are being spent as “1,500 lobbyists, executives, bankers and others” are doing everything they can to weaken the Senate financial reform bill. No kidding!

Every American should understand that the challenge we’re dealing with in the Senate is not whether Congress can regulate Wall Street, but to what degree Wall Street regulates Congress.

To pave the way for the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act and the deregulation of financial services, the financial industry spent some $5 billion over a 10-year period in lobbying and campaign contributions. In 2009, as it geared up to fight serious Wall Street reform, the finance, insurance and real estate sectors spent $334 million on lobbying alone.

The American people are profoundly disgusted by the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street that plunged this country into the worst recession in 80 years. They cannot understand how bailed-out Wall Street executives get huge bonuses, while workers lose their jobs and homes. It makes no sense to them that small businesses are unable to get the loans they need to expand and create jobs, while trillions are available to bet that the foreclosure crisis will continue to get worse or that the price of oil will skyrocket.

Now is the time for the Senate to say no to big money, and yes to the American people.

Bernard Sanders
U.S. Senator from Vermont
Washington, April 20, 2010

[SpiralHawk]

1. "'Yes to the American people.' WTF? How un-Republicon." - Republicons (R)

[mstinamotorcity]

2. Wall Street

The only thing they keep hammering over and over is this type of class warfare never works. They are doing everything including telling the American people that somehow these are the super smart individuals who must make the enormous bonuses or they will go somewhere else. My problem is, if they are so smart, why the need for TARP. And if the executives will leave if they cannot get those big bonuses, I say they haven't done a good job so far whats to make the American people believe that they are the best. Four words to you - See ya later,Bye.
Far as I am concerned they should go to jail and revoke those bonuses and pensions too. And no I don't care if they don't get their's when so many have lost every cent they own and are homeless due to no fault of their own.

[truedelphi]

3. Despite his "I" moniker, a lot of the time I feel that Sanders is

The Only Real Dem in the Senate. At least that is the way it is if the Old Style values of Democratic Party are considered.