$500 Million Bipartisan Corporate Welfare Giveaway Hidden in Fiscal Cliff Deal

[Lucille]

"I've never been more proud of a boss than I am of Senator McConnell right now."
--Jesse Benton (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?400106-Benton-I-ve-never-been-more-proud-of-a-boss-than-I-am-of-Senator-McConnell-right-now)

Bill Moyers: The Senate's $500 Million BiPartisan Corporate Welfare Gift to Amgen
http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2013/01/bill-moyers-senates-corporate-welfare.html


Mitch McConnell Republican from Kentucky, Max Baucus Democrat from Montana, and Orrin Hatch Republican of Utah.

U.S. Rep. Peter Welch on Amgen’s Sweet Senate Deal
http://billmoyers.com/segment/u-s-rep-peter-welch-on-amgen%E2%80%99s-sweet-senate-deal/


A recent article (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/opinion/amgen-gets-a-gift-from-congress.html) in The New York Times reported on a cost-control exception provided to Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology firm. According to the report, the sweetheart deal — hidden in the Senate’s final “fiscal cliff” bill — will cost taxpayers half a billion dollars. Bill talks to U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) about the bi-partisan bill he recently sponsored to repeal that giveaway, and the political factors that allow such crony capitalism to occur.

“When there is this back room dealing that comes at enormous expense to taxpayers and enormous benefit to a private, well-connected, for-profit company, we’ve got to call it out,” Welch tells Bill. “Those members of Congress who are concerned about the institution, about our lack of credibility, about the necessity of us doing things that are in the public good as opposed to private gain, we’ve got to call it out.”

Funny how this guy was fine with Barry's Big Fascist Medical System (http://welch.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1140&Itemid=57) though.

I want politicians to choose and make it known publicly. Either you're a corporatist, or you're not. Pick one, and be that.

Vid at the Moyers link.

[Lucille]

More corporate welfare, courtesy that loathsome little fascist worm Harry Reid:

Harry Reid Picking Winners In Fiscal Cliff Deal
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-01-29/harry-reid-picking-winners-fiscal-cliff-deal


Buried deep in the bowels of the much-heralded last-minute fiscal-cliff deal, that saved us from a fate worse than death and raised taxes on 77% of Americans, was a quiet little provision, inserted at the last minute, that sharply slashed Medicare payments to brain-tumor radiation provider Elekta by 58% while leaving its main competitor Varian's payments unchanged. As the WSJ reports, the provision was put through by none other than Harry Reid - who has a 'deep relationship' with Varian (the winner). Whether crony capitalism is alive-and-well is up for debate - as Varian suggests this 'levels the playing field' but it is the fact that Varian beefed up its outside lobbyists to 18 (from 10) and the provision was not added until the last day suggests this stinks. Once again, it appears, our government is picking winners - and losers (with Elekta as a foreign company unable to participate financially in American elections). As the WSJ notes, the insert looks like the kind of provision helping a specific company or industry that lawmakers have repeatedly vowed to halt. Nonetheless, even in the budget bill tackling the so-called fiscal cliff, lawmakers found time to craft such provisions.


The New Year's Day legislation that averted tax increases for millions of Americans brought an unwelcome surprise for Elekta AB, a Swedish maker of radiation tools designed to battle brain tumors.

A provision, inserted at the last minute, sharply cut Medicare payments for the company's product while leaving unchanged those of its direct competitor, Varian Medical Systems Inc., VAR -0.18% of Palo Alto, Calif.

The insert looks like the kind of provision helping a specific company or industry that lawmakers have repeatedly vowed to halt. Nonetheless, even in the budget bill tackling the so-called fiscal cliff, lawmakers found time to craft such provisions.

Mr. Reid has a deep relationship with Varian. About nine years ago, he secured federal funding for Varian to work with the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, according to Oliver Hemmers, the center's director. The project looked at technologies that could X-ray cargo shipments as part of antiterror efforts.