In the Public Interest

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-the giant government sponsored housing finance corporations-apparently haven’t lost any of their political clout despite the front page stories about their accounting scandals and mismanagement. Members of Congress issued a blizzard of press releases of the standard “shock and dismay” variety last June when Freddie Mac’s top executives were forced to…

“Americans are in love with their cars” is a badly overworked phrase, but it is a cliche that rings the cash registers at car dealers to the tune of $650 billion dollars of new car sales annually. That’s why many consumers are so vulnerable when they roam the car lots. Suddenly, they just have to…

If Sam’s Club can negotiate for lower pharmaceutical prices, why can’t Uncle Sam? Because the approval by the Congress of a new pharmaceutical benefit for Medicare was saddled with a legal provision that prohibits the U.S. government from using its considerable consumer market power to negotiate for lower prices on medicines. Our country already is…

The only remarkable thing about the 2003 energy policy bill greasing its way through Congress has been the energy of the avaricious lobbyists for the oil, gas, coal and nuclear corporations. But then there were tens of billions of dollars in it for them in tax escapes, loan guarantees, and outright subsidies along with weaker…

The only remarkable thing about the 2003 energy policy bill greasing its way through Congress has been the energy of the avaricious lobbyists for the oil, gas, coal and nuclear corporations. But then there were tens of billions of dollars in it for them in tax escapes, loan guarantees, and outright subsidies along with weaker…

The word “chaos” cannot do justice to the omnibus energy legislation properly mired in something called the House- Senate conference. Inside tyranny by the Republicans and the outside full nelson grip on Congress by the oil, gas and coal corporations are driving the Democrats to think about Filibuster. And deservedly, the bill merits defeat. In…

It was a dinner gathering to remember. In a historic Washington, D.C. building there was assembly with such variety of talents dedicated to saving our awfully overburdened oceans that Blue Frontier director David Helvarg remarked “there’s rarely been so much marine talent gathered in one place, since Jacques Cousteau dined alone.” The dinner was the…

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the giant housing finance corporations — have been garnering a rash of unwanted headlines as the gangs who can’t add straight. First it was Freddie Mac which had to admit it had understated its income by a mere $4.5 billion. Even in the financial stratosphere of these government-sponsored enterprises,…

Modern societies specialize in a dazzling number of indicators that mark the ups and downs of various activities, especially economic, health and audience ratings. But when it comes to signs of societal decay that cannot easily be reduced to numbers, there is a void. So let’s look at four “decays” that are trending downward. Gluttony…

The past three years have demonstrated a disturbing trend: when tragedy befalls our country, we can count on the Republican leadership to capitalize on another opportunity to push its extremist agenda and reward its big business allies. In the aftermath of the crippling northeastern blackout in August, Congress has been working feverishly to pass an…