This week PBS and Bill Moyers aired a piece through its partnership with Expose, the fine example of investigative journalism, originally reported by a Texas TV news crew. Already recognized with some well-deserved rewards, hopefully this story will gain more traction through the national airing on PBS. It is a story of failing public infrastructure, continued government deregulation and the corruption of public officials which drives this line in the wrong direction. Here is a link to the entire program as well as a video preview. I would love to see more public discussion on this one, as it is something not just affecting Texans, but people worldwide; how do we take back our public institutions which were designed to keep us safe and instead do the opposite. The trust was broken a long time ago and thanks to reporters like Brett Shipp and his Dallas-based crew of editors and producers, the public is informed of these promises to protect and serve.

Gas prices in various countries are affected by many factors including government subsidies, taxes, demand, currency valuation, etc. Oil companies would have you believe it is as simple as supply and demand and most of the mainstream media just nod in agreement without actually thinking about it. Pulitzer-Prize winning writer and former executive editor of the New York Times, Howell Raines, is one of those rare journalists who seems to actually report on how oil is priced and he has the ability and tenacity to actually ask the questions that need to be asked. In the August issue of Portfolio magazine, published by Conde Nast, Raines (or Mr. Raines, as I’m sure the Times would refer to him) points out how the mainstream media continues to get it wrong on its reporting of oil prices, and backs up this argument with real-world facts as to why you should do your own research on this one. Here is a small excerpt from his report, but please do yourself a favor and read the entire piece.

“When it comes to the cost of gasoline, who should we believe? Here are some nominees and their viewpoints:

1. The oil companies: It’s supply and demand at its most basic, just like your professor outlined in your freshman economics course.
2. The petro-toadies in Congress: All we have to do is open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the waters off Florida and California.
3. The Department of Energy: OPEC has to pump more, and we’ve got to allow more refineries by rolling back environmental restrictions.
4. King Abdullah: OPEC pumps plenty of crude but “despicable” oil-futures speculators in the West are driving up the prices due to their “selfishness.”
5. Senator John McCain: Exxon Mobil has done such a good job of demonstrating the magic of the marketplace that it deserves another $1.2 billion in tax breaks.
6. Senator Barack Obama: Impose a windfall-profits tax to remind American oil executives that price gouging can backfire politically.
7. About 90 percent of the print and TV reporters in America: See No. 1. It really is that ol’ devil supply and demand.
8. The White House: Never mind. Nobody’s home.”

Here is a list from 2007, courtesy of Wikipedia.org, comparing gas prices in various countries:

Why is it that a UK-based newspaper will report on corruption at the highest levels of the US government and our own citizens and journalists in the US will barely touch it! Have you heard the name Stephen Payne mentioned recently in the news? Well, if you responded no you are probably not alone.

Payne is the lobbyist who can introduce you to just about any senior member of the US government and give you a bit of one on one time for your cause… for a price, of course. Thanks to The Times for spearheading this operation to flush out yet another crackhead who thinks he’s helping his country. Now if only our corrupt “Justice” Department would do something to stop him. Here’s the video of this traitor selling access to our government to foreign agents. It is a bit hard to make out all of the details, so please do read the article in full.
Wanna Meet Cheney? Pay up!

Henry Waxman has decided to hold hearings regarding the Payne issue, but who knows if it will go anywhere…

Ken Silverstein, Washington Editor for Harper’s Magazine and acclaimed investigative journalist took his Memorial Day to write about one of this country’s decorated war veterans and how he has lost his way in serving the people, to instead serve private interests. Below is an excerpt from his blog, but please read his latest piece in Harper’s titled, “My lobby, myself: How John McCain’s hypocrisy is laundered as reform.”

“Over the past few weeks, the media has finally begun reporting the fairly obvious fact that there are a whole bunch of lobbyists working closely with the campaign of Senator John McCain. As a result, a number of lobbyists with embarrassing ties to foreign governments have been forced out of the McCain camp, like Doug Goodyear, whose firm lobbied for the Burmese dictatorship a few years back.”

Silverstein goes on to mention another worthy piece recently written by the Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear and Jeffrey H. Bimbaum about McCain’s man in Washington, the 30-year lobbyist Charles R. Black, Jr.