Everyday I wake up wondering what it will take for the majority to recognize who is screwing them. This diary is immediately inspired by Roseeriter's Class Warfare diary referencing Bill Moyers and the Republican Party's systematic promotion of corporate tyranny. Here is where we start to fight the power with the people on our side.
My issue is this: Who isn't sick of having to pay charges they don't even know are accurate because not answering the phone is the foundation of contemporary corporate business strategy (my HMO is practically a classification state requiring over an hour on hold with three different offices to collate data for ONE VISIT TO ONE CLINIC!)? How many millions of Americans in both parties are tired of getting ripped off by routinely "mistaken" bills they get from their cell phone providers every damn month? Who don't answer the phone when you are actually home from work? This issue should have the tidal political force of the don't call lists with more systematic consequences for corporate cronyism.
How many millions are absolutely livid about trick, secret charges from scheister corporations with secret billing deadlines you are supposed to be morally corrupt for not divining with ESP? Credit rating blackmail that means we all routinely pay fraudulent charges because of the credit report gestapo that enforces for the corporate scam artists?
I say we start a campaign demanding corporations have a minimal transparency in their billing procedures. That they pay double in penalties for any false charges they are proven to have levied on their customers (this would come to tens of billions a year with cell phone companies alone) with routine audits by independent regulatory agencies (because self-regulation by scam artists IS NOT WORKING!). That corporate demands for payment be routinely suspended until they deign to actually communicate with the customers they are trying to screw by providing a minimal customer to customer service staffing level. That damaging credit reports and collection agency action be routinely suspended until the company meets minimal standards and review of the accuracy of their billing (Talk about tyranny of the IRS! The private sector credit report Gestapo makes the IRS look like amateurs when it comes to lack of due process. We currently have almost no rights concerning abuse of credit rating blackmail). Who couldn't favor these common sense demands FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY beyond professional corporate hitmen like POWERLINE?
The current laws are codes of scam artist protection EVEN BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEW CHAPTER OF LOAN SHARK PROTECTION in the latest bill!
Can I get a witness?