Don't Ever Forget: Follow The Money

Report: Body scanner makers doubled lobbying cash over 5 years
By Diana Sweet
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 -- 12:32 am

Multimillion dollar government contracts don't just happen. Ask the companies with the big government contracts to supply Body-scanning machines to U.S. airports how much more they had to spend on lobbying on the Hill. Not only have they increased their lobbying efforts over the last 5 years, they're doing it with some very familiar names.

USA Today reports that the companies with the biggest government contracts for body-scanners doubled their lobbying cash over the last five years, and advanced their agenda with lobbyists Linda Daschle, a former FAA official and wife of former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, and former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

L-3 Communications, and lobbyist Linda Daschle, "reported lobbying on nearly two dozen bills, ranging from homeland security appropriations to military construction. Among the bills targeted by L-3 lobbyists: legislation proposed by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, that would limit the use of the scanners at airports as a backup measure only."

After passing in the House in 2009, Chaffetz's legislation languished in the Senate after an alleged failed attempt to ignite an explosive powder during a Christmas-time flight to Detroit.

Chaffetz acknowledges that the attempted bombing contributed to the bill's failure, but added "But I also routinely heard that 'Secretary Chertoff believes this is the right thing to do. Who are you to challenge him?' "

The internets are very useful for finding stuff like that.

that has changed

being perverted under newt gingrich. we used to have legislation to do something, then legislation to pay for that something. 2 separate things. gingrich threw that away, now we just have bills to pay for things. i mean, cut to the chase, right? it isn't about the goal, it's about who wins.

our tax dollars
:(

so they can make money. SCOTUS said so.

what to do, and THEN decide who got the contract. now we just award contracts, without any look at whether they are for things we need or ever want.