We've just completed the latest data on companies bankrolling the '05 Coronation on the 20th. There are more than a few surprises on the list. The biggest one is additive, though, because it just emphasizes how pitiful "campaign finance reform" is. We have campaign finance reform, and we have over $17,000,000 in executive contributions tracked. An end to soft money, yet we've conservatively tracked $49,866,298 in...uh...soft money, aka 527 groups. And nearly eight million bankrolling the Coronation (in that case, shouldn't the whole thing be free of charge for all Americans to get in to, and not just be a form you have to fill out and see if you are on the "list"?)
What needs to happen is two things. One, getting the money out needs to be taken seriously. It's easy enough to track down using IRS databases on EINs, SSNs, etc., where the money comes from (the IRS does it, why can't the FEC?)
With a newfound ability to link contributions to the actual business doing them, not some grotesque mis-spelling of it, then let's try limiting the
total contribution of an organization and its executive/board to at least equal to, if not less than, the total of all of its employees' contributions. (Hint: this would take the amount of money in politics down to spare change) Or only apply that amount towards the campaign, and let the overflow go into something useful like functioning voting machines.
Then let's actually get the average American back into politics. Get them to put $20, or $50, into the process when they can by giving them candidates to get excited about. If people realize they do in fact have some financial power against the companies they work for, that might help.
My 2c.
Here's the '05 Inaugural contributors from
http://www.cobb24.com/?template=inaugural
Corporations you might run into every week (details/brands at http://www.cobb24.com/): |
AFLAC Incorporated Ticker: AFL Contribution level: $100,000
Altria Ticker: MO Contribution level: $250,000
Ameriquest Mortgage Corporation Ticker: Contribution level: $1,000,000
AT&T Ticker: T Contribution level: $250,000
Bank of America Ticker: BAC Contribution level: $250,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Ticker: BMY Contribution level: $250,000
ChevronTexaco Ticker: CVX Contribution level: $250,000
Coca-Cola Ticker: KO Contribution level: $100,000
Dell Computer Ticker: DELL Contribution level: $250,000
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company Ticker: Contribution level: $100,000
ExxonMobil Ticker: XOM Contribution level: $250,000
First Data Corporation Ticker: FDC Contribution level: $250,000
Ford Motor Co Ticker: F Contribution level: $250,000
General Motors Ticker: GM Contribution level: $100,000
Goldman Sachs Ticker: GS Contribution level: $100,000
Home Depot Ticker: HD Contribution level: $250,000
HSBC USA Ticker: HBC Contribution level: $25,000
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Ticker: Contribution level: $25,000
KB Home Ticker: KBH Contribution level: $100,000
Las Vegas Sands, Inc. Ticker: LVS Contribution level: $500,000
Marriott International Ticker: MAR Contribution level: $750,000
Microsoft Ticker: MSFT Contribution level: $100,000
New Century Financial Corporation Ticker: NEW Contribution level: $100,000
Oracle Corporation Ticker: ORCL Contribution level: $100,000
Pepsico Ticker: PEP Contribution level: $100,000
Pilot Corporation Ticker: Contribution level: $100,000
Qualcomm Inc Ticker: QCOM Contribution level: $100,000
Reynolds Plantation / Linger Longer Development Co. Ticker: Contribution level: $100,000
SBC Ticker: SBC Contribution level: $100,000
ServiceMaster Company Ticker: SVM Contribution level: $25,000
Southern Company Ticker: SO Contribution level: $250,000
Time Warner Ticker: TWX Contribution level: $250,000
Trammell Crow Residential Ticker: Contribution level: $100,000
TRT Holdings Ticker: Contribution level: $100,000
Tyson Foods, Inc. Ticker: TSN Contribution level: $100,000
United Parcel Service Ticker: UPS Contribution level: $250,000
UST Inc Ticker: UST Contribution level: $250,000
Waste Management, Inc. Ticker: WMI Contribution level: $100,000
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Ticker: WCG Contribution level: $100,000
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Some more hits from our investor's database (register at http://www.cobb24.com/ to see full details on these companies) |
Computer Associates International, Inc. Ticker: CA Contribution level: $100,000
International Paper Company Ticker: IP Contribution level: $100,000
Occidental Petroleum Corporation Ticker: OXY Contribution level: $250,000
The Boeing Company Ticker: BA Contribution level: $100,000
Union Pacific Corporation Ticker: UNP Contribution level: $100,000
United Technologies Corporation Ticker: UTX Contribution level: $250,000
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-doug