A shortish post today, but it has substance (I hope)! I did an interview with Dan Newman who is the executive director of Maplight.org. What’s Maplight you ask? It’s a database that clearly shows the connection between money and politics in California. Feeling like a yawn is coming on? You shouldn’t because it may surprise you when you go to their site and watch their demo to see how the money flows to elected officials when a vote is coming up on the floor of the Senate or the Assembly. At the very least, it’ll make you shake your head an grow more cynical. At best, it’ll make you a more active citizen and push for things like public funding of elections. Let’s hope it brings out the best in you! 🙂
As I was doing the interview with Dan, I was trying to remember a quote from Tocqueville as he was talking about shining a light into the inner workings of lobbyists and politicians, but I couldn’t get it right, so I didn’t even attempt to paraphrase. But when I got home, I looked it up and here ’tis:
“…[I]n countries where associations are free, secret societies are unknown. There are factions in America, but not conspirators.”
Right…I wonder if we could exhume that old French guy (and that would be Tocqueville) and just showed him the connection between money and politics on Maplight if he would say something like “Ooooooh, pardon my French but I f*cked up.”
Listen to the interview HERE
And remember to visit the snarky extremely knowledgeable bunch of music bloggers I get together with at Kurt’s Krap to discuss “The Week In Rock, 1981-1991. Ready? Set? CLICK HERE! Â
–PK
Next up: Friday’s Mix Six.
Ml
March 22, 2007 at 8:20 amACK! It’s all about the money and NOTHING about the people. Things like this just makes me want to go out there and kick some ass!
J
March 22, 2007 at 9:54 amI cannot believe how jaded and cynical real life is making me. It’s depressing sometimes.
Andrew Cory
March 22, 2007 at 10:35 amThat’s my boss! 🙂
(I got the internship)
ploop
March 22, 2007 at 12:26 pmI wish I was suprised by reading this, but I’m not. It makes me want to go right round there and lay a turd on their desks.
I think I could be a regular maplight visitor though!
lalunas
March 22, 2007 at 12:48 pmThis reminds me the song Liz Minnelli and Joel Grey sang in the Movie Cabaret, Money Money Money it is so funny in a rich man’s world.
Gina
March 24, 2007 at 11:34 pmGreat interview, Py!
Py Korry
March 25, 2007 at 1:29 pmThanks Gina! And Ploop…good luck with your, um, efforts.;-) And thanks for commenting.