Replay: Live Chat with Bill Moyers

September 25, 2012

On October 1, just two days before the first presidential debate, Bill joined viewers and readers at BillMoyers.com for a live chat. He answered questions on money and politics, the upcoming debates, income inequality, voter disenfranchisement and other issues important to our democracy.

Replay the chat by pushing play in the window below.

Related Features

TAGS: bill moyers, live chat

Are you aware of our Comment Policy?

Joan Halgren
What incentive is there to vote in November when it seems that most of our lawmakers are only obligated and interested in meeting the needs of their largest campaign contributors? In other words, do votes even matter? Aren’t we being delusional about an essentially corrupt, dishonest electoral system? I’m truly disgusted and may not vote this time but I am signing petitions to curtail the impact of big money, and I hope we can right our ship before 2016 or sooner! Your views are appreciated on this troubling matter.
http://twitter.com/DavidAlGregory David Gregory
First, Thanks for coming back. We all missed your unique voice and guest selection.
I’m going to ask a question that sounds off at first, but could revolutionize the way we vote in all of our elections. I would like to see ‘none of the above’ included on all ballots from the primary to the general election.
Any candidate that lost to ‘none of the above’ in the primary or general election would be ineligible for that election cycle. It might just sober up the carnival of pandering, disinformation and obfuscation we get every election cycle.
Add instant runoff voting to that- replacing ‘first past the pole’ and our politics should get much more responsive.
My question is, what are the chances of such election reform becoming the law of the land?
Jan
Please address ALEC’s role in creating and spreading “parent trigger” laws. This is the subject of the Hollywood movie released on Friday, September 28, Won’t Back Down. This film promotes “the parent trigger” as though it is a real policy option, but there is no real public school where the parent trigger has really operated. It is a strategy to privatize public education.
Check out the investigation from the Center for Media and Democracy: http://www.prwatch.org/node/11763 .
Kelly Cuthbertson
Has ALEC been a player in the decades-long effort to defund public broadcasting? If so, would you please address their strategy and the current state of the ongoing effort to silence alternative political voices? Insights into specific efforts to shut-down your program(s), in particular, would be interesting to hear about.
Maureen
Could you discuss how PACs push ALEC-inspired laws to remove obstacles to markets in specific states, like Illinois, under the guise of education “reform”?
I am thinking of the PAC Stand for Children headed by Jonah Edelman. Republican billionaire Bruce Rauner invited Stand to Illinois as Rahm Emanuel announced his candidacy for mayor. Unusual for a GOP PAC, Stand gave money to support 6 winning Dem candidates for the state legislature. Dem. House Speaker Madigan then invited Edelman to name the members of the new Education Reform Committee.
Stand came to Illinois expressly to push through IL SB7. Only one legislator voted against it: Rep.Monique D. Davis, a former CPS teacher. She said did not want to dismantle a public school system that took 100 years to build.
SB7 weakened collective bargaining rights for teachers, and removed seniority and tenure in the hiring process, among other things. IL SB 7 was highly restrictive and coercive; it was laid the groundwork for the strike.
The resultant extreme over testing of even the littlest kindergartners (Reuters Stephanie Simon story this week) has begun to prove very lucrative to corporations like Pearson, Wireless Generation, and others. And since the tests will eventually be online, technology companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon also benefit.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/6481908-418/unions-pols-angry-about-advocates-boasts-that-he-snookered-them-on-school-bill.html
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1238351530 Zora Renee
In light of “all the money” being “gifted” silently to politicians via PACS exactly why do politicians continue to insult the American intelligence by inferring there is no quid-pro-quo involved, and how can WE as citizens start demanding an end to “Citizens United” along with publicly funded elections?
As for ALEC, I believe they are a 501(c)(3) corporation – how can we get the IRS to revoke their tax exempt status?
http://www.facebook.com/martha.ture Martha Elizabeth Ture
Where can we, the public center and left, get the funders to buy the full time air time and lobbyists to teach the rest of the American public the truth about so many subjects distorted by the far right, and to counter the effects of ALEC and the Koch brothers? Lots of money and a restoration of the Equal Time Provision is what we need. The FCC is unlikely to restore the Equal Time requirement. Who among the monied sees the necessity of spending their fortunes to combat ALEC et al and to promote the better vision?
BB in Texas
I have concerns that the electoral college is outdated. Why are we not demanding a popular vote presidential election?
http://www.facebook.com/stant1000 Adam Stant
Will you be covering the extensive ALEC alumni network?
Contrary to efforts to paint this as a GOP-only affair, the database of politicians with ALEC ties crowdsourced by CMD shows that a number of ALEC alumni in Congress are members of the Democratic party. (i.e. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), etc.)
State legislatures are the farm team of American politics. Arguably, this effort to “buy early and keep them bought” is an important part of what ALEC provides its corporate members. Privileged access to rising stars without pesky lobbying guidelines getting in the way. As a simply matter of fact, the breadth of the alumni network is staggering. The Obama administration’s current ambassador to China, Gary Locke has ties to ALEC that have largely been overlooked.
On a more mundane level, analysis of the last published membership lists from 1995 show that a number of the legislative members at that time went on to hold state executive posts directly responsible for regulating the same companies that ALEC brought them into a patronage relationship with. For example, Del. Jim Donelon (R-LA) listed as a member of ALEC’s Insurance Task Force in 1995, sitting with 7 representative of regulated insurance firms. Not only do these firms foot the bill for legislators (they actually pay all travel and accommodation expenses for legislators through “scholarships”) they vote as equals on these task forces. All the while these activities evade lobbying reporting requirements. Del. Donelon later became Insurance Commissioner for the state of Louisiana, a post which he still holds. Arguably, this creates the potential for a grave conflict of interest.
The network extends not only to the legislative and executive branches, but also into the judiciary, where ALEC alumni have found their way onto a number of state Supreme courts. For example, the former state Sen. Robert Cupp, listed as a member of ALEC’s Business and Labor Task Force in 1995, is currently a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court up for re-election this year. Given the “special relationship” ALEC creates between public and private members of its task forces, this begs the question whether Justice Cupp should recuse himself where cases dealing with his benefactors come before the court. More galling still is the simple fact that the lack of reporting requirements surrounding ALEC, means that any conflict of interest would likely go unnoticed unless someone is actively investigating.
The single most frightening aspect of the ALEC network is the prospect that legislation drafted by corporate lobbyists is being introduced by ALEC’s legislative members are their own, with no disclosure of its origin, can be sheperded into and out of committee by ALEC members among the legislative leadership and committee chairs, be signed by a governor with ties to the organization, and if challenged tried before a court in which those sitting on the bench again are beholden to the organization. In the end, this is a prospect which is an inevitable possibility in our pluralist system of government. Yet, it only seems reasonable to ask that where this possibility exists, the public be granted a right to know through full disclosure, but without the ability to facilitate contact between officeholders and lobbyists outside of reporting requirements, it seems like the value of ALEC as an organization would largely disappear.
aliasalias
Is ALEC involved with the lobbying going on behind closed doors for the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade deal being negotiated, which has been described as ‘a power tool for the 1%’ ? What has been leaked about the deal looks like it’s right out of ALEC.
innovant
When i read that the fellow in china that has perhaps 200,000 or more employees assembling apple computer parts, i wonder how many other corporations are having foreign corporations assembling the products they sell to the american people?
the reason for the economic downturn is because all those jobs that others enjoy, provide the products that we purchase. our choice has been appropriated by the corporations. the corporations justified the off shoring of manufacturing, under the auspices of lower consumer pricing, lower consumer costs came at the expense of a lower standard of living. we’ve been duped into thinking that credit, or rather profits before they are earned, was the way of portraying prosperity, when there was none.
but as we see today, this model has undermined our economy entirely, and holds us as slaves to an every dwindling american pie. all this talk about spending and taxes is nonsense. taxes are generated from income, with no income, how can there be taxes?
so if anyone wants to ‘create jobs’, well then, let’s restore what we had and force any corporation that wants to sell products to the american people, to have them made in america, entirely.
this is the way it was before we got sold down the river by lawmakers, lobbyists, corporations, the same folks that fashioned corporations to be held as persons, that don’t have to pay as much tax as the common working man; on the basis of the difference between wage, and investment, the latter requiring very little effort, the former requiring much, and the trend has and is to require more and more effort, for less in return.
needless to say, things are skewed, along with the destruction of the planet, not so promising. i wish the learned lawyers in the field would write such laws that prevent any product from being sold in the u.s. that hasn’t been made here.
i’m not say that only u.s. companies are allowed, people of all nations are welcome to open their factories here, under our standards. we should as a people have a ‘standard of excellence’, where all products meet our standards, where oil companies provide full service, or they are not allowed to act as one. where cable tv operators cannot charge monthly premium rates for only three months of original programming. where the larger viewing screens that we purchase, invites more and more banners streaming across the screen, reminding me of what channel i’m watching, and what’s coming up next for the next two weeks, and all this while i’m trying to be entertained, my purpose in the first place for purchasing the viewing screen, where when we call in for customer service, for a vendor generated error, we are forced to listen to ads, enter long strings of numbers, invited to take surveys.
bill, things are out of control in many ways. we must collectively stop the bleeding in the short term, by passing emergency legislation banning all imports, period. as i said, anyone is welcome to apply and receive permission to build facilities and manufacture products. now that will create jobs. any other discussion is a digression,a diversion, a deflection, a ruse to further advance the model of greed, regardless of cost, even to doom. thank you for allowing a place to voice such opinions. ‘if the park shuts down, the amusements rides won’t operate’
CCB
What is A.L.E.C.’s role in trying to privatize public education into charter schools?
SueZbell
Re: Motto: “In God We Trust”.
Remembering that most Americans seem to prefer and most polititions and political leaders say we “MUST” ( and we do seem to) have the most powerful (and expensive) military in all of human history, my question is “WHAT” do we, as a NATION — NOT as individual people, but AS A NATION — for WHAT do we “trust” in “God” ?
SueZbell
Could you discuss what the FED (federal reserve bank) actually is — who owns it — who profits by it.
SueZbell
I agree. The US post office staff will need something to do to take up the slack in snail mail as a result of the increase in e-mail. Voting there for president and vice president– preferably separately and NOT as a “ticket”, having the census merged with the staff of the postal service as a part of a new “US Public Office which could/should also include a NEW “US National Treasury Bank” for cash and debit card only transactions, w/ATM in each building that survives the upcoming cuts — one account per US citizen w/secure photo ID ATM card that could also be used w/fingerprints for voting. Short term, “pork barrell projects” on a national scale to merge all offices in each county and parish into one building (except the largest cities in each state) AND having room in each for other federal offices to SHARE office space (not unlike a circuit judge sometimes in one county and sometimes in another) but with separate file and storage rooms for security reasons. By diversifying the US Postal Service and merging it and other officeds into a US Public Office there could be substantial long term savings in maintenance, staff, and security costs. Why should taxpayers be forced to secure and bail out mega for-profit banks that defy efforts to regulate them? Why shouldn’t we just leave them as loan companies to succeed or fail on their own merit and have a banking system that is secure and THE ONLY ONE TAXPAYER INSURED that serves our citizens w/any fees being for costs only — not for multi-milliion compensation, salary, bonus, benefits, golden parachutes, etc. Surely there are enough failed banks in every state to have the infrastructure in place already to have “home banks” in each of the major cities of each state.
SueZbell
Are the efforts of ALEC part of “How the GOP Became the Party of the Rich” (Rolling Stone NOV 2011)? and how the wealth divide in this nation is ever increasing?
SueZbell
What would be required for “issues” to be on the federal general election ballot every other November as members of the House are up for re-election? (such as electoral college; abortion and/or contraception (separation of church and state etc). and most importantly, to give the PUBLIC a veto to nullify laws and/or court rulings the public finds objectional, i.e.: Patriot Act; indefinite detention, “Citizens United”, Kelo vs. City of New London, etc…….
SueZbell
I like it.
SueZbell
The future of the US Supreme Court is at stake so the future of our very FREEDOM is at stake.
Do we want to live where individual liberty is denied women w/regard to medical and/or reproductive decisions? (is hair color/style and clothing next because some offend the evangelical zealots?)
Do we really want to deny indidvidual liberty and equal right under law to those that choose a lifestyle choice that offends the evangelical zealots?
Or would you actually prefer the pseudo theocracy currently being pushed, state by state, by the moneyed investor employer seller class, who are the actual owners of the GOP brand, as enticement and consideration for the evangelical zealots going to the polls and voting Republican — even though the current majority religion might not always be the majority religion and, therefore, not having separation of church and state might well mean that the “traditions” of OTHER beliefs could be foisted upon your decendents with the full force and power of government?
http://twitter.com/Prof_W_ Prof W
Could you please address how ALEC legislation promotes double standards in education, as evident in how public schools, teachers and colleges of education have had more and more regulations thrust upon them, in the name of accountability, while charter schools are virtually unregulated, may employ untrained and uncertified teachers and create their own teacher training and credentialing programs that train people in a single teaching method. Such programs espouse a draconian militaristic, boot camp approach to teaching and learning, for low-income urban students of color, not the rich progressive education you see in successful suburban schools, which smacks of racism. Please talk to Diane Ravitch!
http://twitter.com/Prof_W_ Prof W
Parents are now beginning to recognize the ALEC agenda to privatize public education that is now in place across the country. How do you recommend people take action against ALEC initiatives in their states? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zuIS0MnNgU&noredirect=1
Keith
Could you explain why tobacco companies are always at the center of reactionary, right wing front groups like ALEC?
Harvey Harrison
I have been deeply moved by Michelle Alexander’s book – “The New Jim Crow”. What organizations are you aware of that are taking action on this matter?
Harvey Harrison
harvey@dwx.com
D. Grec0
Having spent an inordinate amount of time with the 1% in my life I am always amazed by their sense of entitlement even though they rail against everyone else’s perceived or imagined entitlements. I don’t see this changing anytime soon at the election box as both parties are 100% wholly owned subsidiaries of big business. I viewed OWS as the first shot over the bow. Do you see a time in the near future where the American masses take back control of their country and make it represent the masses rather than a narrow wealthy interest group?
D
Anyone in Wisconsin who is breathing and moderately aware, knows of the Koch Brothers, the main funders and inspiration behind ALEC. However, over the past year, a fairly significant number of corporations have left ALEC. I wonder if part of your show can focus on how and why corporations leave ALEC and how that occurred.
As an aside to Maureen. Milwaukee was the beginning of the voucher/private charter movement. IT goes back at least 30 years. This summer, American Federation for Children (same sources as ALEC and Stand for Children), attempted to influence 6 Democratic primary elections in Milwaukee. All their candidates lost. In fact lost badly. The most significant being Jason Fields, a 4 term state representative (darling of the voucher movement) who lost to a 25 year old community organizer who very specifically ran again Fields for his voucher/school privatization support. He lost 68% to 32%.
Rhett Rebold
I shot a video of Jeff Clements discussing his “Corporations are not People” book on Sept 13th at Busboys and Poets in DC (with a forward by Bill Moyers). He covers much of what is in his very fine book in the 20 min video. Could this be a resource for you? If so share and share alike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Punau3q5SEg&feature=player_detailpage
Robin
Bill, I wonder if you caught the stories about NFIB Exposed. I first caught it on HuffPo + then looked at NFIBexposed.org They’re similar to ALEC, but fronting a “Small Business” veneer. They seem pretty disgraceful as well.
adownriverdiva
The issue is how to get the ALEC bills that have already been passed repealed, nullified, undone and never allowed to be used again? And the legislators that sponsored and passed these bills have to be held accountable too!
This needs to be done in all 50 states. ALEC does not run this country, nor shall it’s bills, ideas and wants be our priorities!
mary.francis
What do you plan to do about Climate Change? Will you put a price on carbon? When? How much?
Fee and Dividend is one strategy which puts a fee on carbon as it enters the economy and
then gives 100 percent of the money collected to American citizens as
rebates. The fee starts at $15 per
ton of carbon and rises by $10 a year for the next seven years. The
effect of the fee will be to gradually make carbon-containing fuels
(coal, oil and gas) and products made using those fuels more expensive,
enabling alternative energy resources to compete. Meanwhile, the effect
of the monthly rebates to American households would be to shield
ordinary citizens from the financial stress that rising fuel prices
would otherwise cause.
See the CCL website: http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org
http://www.pacificfreepress.com Chris Cook
I’m reading Greg Palast’s ‘Billionaire Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps.’ The book outlines the deliberate undermining of the American electoral system by Karl Rove and his GOP faction. Palast also details ways this was done in 2000, 2004, and 2008. Why is the judiciary not prosecuting? And why is the media largely ignoring this issue?
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
Mr. Moyer:
I so appreciate your life’s dedication to bringing important issues to the public. I’ve been following ALEC and I don’t know what to do! I’m an old protester: Vietnam war, birth control rights for women/Wade vs. Roe, Civil Rights and recently OWS. This is almost overwhelming which my wise mind tells me that direction and organization is what I need. Any suggestions for me/us?
Anonymous
Please describe the mental process by which you decided to return to public tv after being removed because of your hosting of Judge Goldstone (before his recantation) on the condition that you refrain from any critical reporting about Israel.
Hadashi no Ray
Bill, I have often wondered how well-informed US Presidents have been about the effects of nuclear weapons on people, e.g., Do Presidents know what specifically happened to the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Do they know how many had died by the end of 1945? Or are Presidents protected from this knowledge. I know Carter and Nixon both visited Hiroshima but not as US Presidents. How knowledgeable are they? Do you think that Obama understands? Have you read, “A Workable Moral Strategy for Achieving and Preserving World Peace: A strategy that can create over 500,000 American jobs”?
Matthew Wion
Mr. Moyers, I’m a Philosophy Professor at a number of Community Colleges in Northern Illinois. Income Inequality and the corruption of our democracy by the moneyed interests are major themes in many of courses. I know that I reach some of my students. They awaken to these issues, and these deep threats to all of us enter their conscience. But I confess the pace of social change disturbs me. The plutocratic power running our country just seem to keep winning on nearly every level. How, in the face of that, do you keep your faith in progress, how in the face of it, do we keep hope for a better world alive?
David L
How is it, that within so much noise concerning the deficit, the exponential expansion of militarism is so rarely cited in the major media?
I think I know, but would be very interested in your assessment in this regard.
And thanks so much for making a comeback!
Hans F. Schweinsberg
What is being done to reduce
the
Violence Containment Spending
which
is
US$2.16 Trillion each year
in the U.S.A. ?
A 5% reduction in Violence
Containment
spending for five years
would provide the capital to rebuild the nations
levees systems, update the
energy infrastructure and
complete
the upgrading of the
nation’s school infrastructure.
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/info-center/violence-containment-spending/
Full Report
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Violence-Containment-in-the-US-Report.pdf
Randy
Your news show is the only place on Television where people can be educated on true politics and government in today’s America. If one does not get it after years of watching the Moyer Show, then they never will. It has been discussed — how do we fix it but we just find ways to talk around it and say it is too hard. It may be hard but it is also necessary so the question is — when do we start working on that Constitutional Amendment to remove politicians from the money by requiring full and total public finance of our national campaigns? There is no other way and most of us need to understand this. We can talk about the court and we can talk about letting in all the light, but none of this actually gets anything done and we all know it. So lets get going with the Amendments to actually fix it. Time is running out.
Lou
Are you at all aware of Dr. Steven M. Greer and of his “Disclosure Project”" Dr. greer is a retired emergency room physician from North Carolina who–besides his mission to force our government to disclose what it really knows about UFO’s–has also been uncovering a lot of evidence about the power elite in this country–with very credible witnesses–and how they are controlling much of the media–and how it is against corporate interests (especially the petroleum indistry) to even acknowledge their existence. If you want to look into this, just go to http://www.disclosureproject.org
Lawrence
Mr. Moyer:
Where does one concentrate one’s focus on presenting a speech about banned books? I am a middle age college student who knew nothing about banned books. I selected this topic for an informative speech.
Maryanne MacLeod
I read the following below quote and ask why nothing has changed in our political discussion.. I also read that the hot topics in the 1896 election were government regulationscontraception, abortion, gay politics, voter rights, and social justice. Why is nothing changing and improving???
The class I represent care nothing for
politics… but touch the question of the tariff, touch the issue of the income
tax, touch the problem of railroad regulation, or touch the most vital of all
business matters: the question of federal regulation of industrial corporations
and of the people amongst whom I live my life. Then they become immediately rabid partisans …It matters
not one iota what political party is in power or which president holds the
reins of office. We are not politicians
or public thinkers, we are the rich, we own America, we got it, God knows how,
but we intend to keep it if we can by throwing all the tremendous weight of our
support, our influence, our money, our political connections, our purchased
senators, our hungry congressmen, our public speaking demagogues, into the
scale against any legislature, any political platform and presidential campaign
that threatens the integrity of our estate. In Thomas
Cochran and William Miller – The Age of Enterprise.
Thank you,
Steve Gray
Mr. Moyers,
I watched your piece on ALEC and was immediately intrigued when you mentioned that while the majority of the legislative members are Republicans, there are a few Democrats. Who are they? Do they ever propose model legislation with “success?” Are there true non-parisan efforts by members of ALEC from both parties to bring forth legislation that helps big business? If so, in addition to the disgusting efforts of this organization to secretly change our laws to their members’ advantage, I would be even more disgusted that members from both parties could work easily together for corporate gain and not do the same in the U.S.Congress on behalf of their constituents.
Norman T
Bill,
As I watched your interview with Kathleen Hall Jamieson for the second time while taking notes, I realized that it is the “scholars” such as she, that are such a huge part of the problem in the US. I know that is a rash claim, so let me go right into it. Jamieson claimed on your interview that, “these candidates tend to act on what they tell you they’re gonna act on. Or, at least they intend to try.” Now Bill, juxtapose that statement with one that Chris Hedges made in an article published this same week. Chris has also been on your program, and should be on more often. Chris Hedges wrote, “There is hardly a campaign promise from 2008 that Obama has not broken. This list includes his pledges to support the public option in health care, close Guantanamo, raise the minimum wage, regulate Wall Street, support labor unions in their struggles with employers, reform the Patriot Act, negotiate an equitable peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, curb our imperial expansion in the Middle East, stop torture, protect reproductive rights, carry out a comprehensive immigration reform, cut the deficit by half, create 5 million new energy jobs and halt home foreclosures.” I do not need a fact checker to show me that Hedges is spot on and that Jamieson is living in a fantasy world.
Bill Moyers asks Jamieson, “Do you think voters expect honesty?” And Jamieson refused to directly answer the question.
Jamieson then goes on to say that, “If we give up on the idea that campaigns need to adhere to a standard of facticity and we cynically say that they all lie all the time and we just have to get used to it, we may as well give up on journalism, which is the custodian of the knowable and accountability which is journalism’s function.” What a load of BS. Is facticity even a word? Especially when a few minutes later she responds to a question of yours by answering that she is, “ashamed of journalists for not holding the candidates so accountable that that level of knowledge was pushed up regardless of what the candidates were saying”. Further, someone who holds a charlatan such as Bill Clinton up as a model of truthfulness loses all respect from me, especially as being a recognized “fact checker”.
Christopher Lasch, professor of history at the University of Rochester (1932-1994) in “The Lost Art of Argument” made clear nearly two decades ago that serious public debate was all but gone. Here we are nearly a generation later, where studies have shown that most children cannot discern between advertising and news. It should come as no surprise that, predictably, words have lost their meaning. That truth in politics is at an all-time low, that trust in institutions has evaporated, that the rule of law has virtually ceased to exist. We now have leaders who only represent those moneyed interests who put them in power. If we truly had any semblance of democracy, what could explain the rapid transfer of wealth and income to the top 1%? This is a serious question. We have a certified disease called hoarding disease whereby mostly elderly people save everything from newspapers to broken tools. We find it acceptable to apply this diagnosis to most anything except money. Someone who has accumulated and hoarded hundreds of millions of dollars, we publicly celebrate. Yet, if it were hundreds of thousands of newspapers we would have them psychiatrically evaluated. Isn’t there something wrong with all of our thinking? I mean, it’s clear that the money supply is relatively finite, as are our world’s resources. And, money represents ownership of a finite pie. Is it really such a game that because someone is greedy, someone else should starve? Yes, it is that simple. In my eyes, we should celebrate the newspaper hoarder and institutionalize the money hoarder. We have simply confused the matter because we are unwilling to set reasonable limits on ownership, or the hoarding of money, in the way we do for speed limits on the highway or ownership of nuclear bombs by individuals. We now live in an age where economic disparity is as great as it’s ever been. How can this be a democracy? It is not. As Chris Hedges says in so many words, it is a sham. Fact check that.
Bill, I appreciate your show, your views, your efforts, your insights. The solutions to our problems, at this point in time, it should be clear, are not in the mainstream. As in dealing the with advanced stages of cancer, it is a radical solution that is necessary. Have you Bill Moyers, honestly embraced this truth?
Sincerely,
Norman Trabulsy Jr.
http://www.pacificfreepress.com Chris Cook
Spot on Norman, and well presented. I’m a big fan of yours Bill, but this pussy-footing around is more than disappointing.
714Day
Thank you for hosting this forum. How do we discover which bills and/or propositions on the ballot in our own states are ALEC generated? I find Proposition 32 in California, for example, highly suspect.
Name Withheld
I am a former Washington think tank fellow who specializes in gang violence. As a direct result of my work in urban neighborhoods, I have lost nearly all the civil liberties we assume to be the birthright of American citizens. My colleague lost his life, and his older brother stands with me in trying to tell our story.
While I have many unanswered questions, I have reason to believe the root of the problem is overzealous homeland security provisions that have effectively reclassified gang violence as “domestic terrorism.” I do have a powerful indication by way of my U.S. Attorney’s Office that the problem is federal (a possibility that is supported in plausibility by veteran New York Times reporter David Unger who confirms in his newest book that “many of the abusive practices discovered and condemned in [the Church Committee] reports have been revived since 9/11” (The Emergency State, p. 154).
My question: Is this a development your staff is monitoring? I will talk to anyone who will listen, but I have learned to place a premium on the historical memory of older statesmen who remember the Church Committee. Junior congressional staff, opinion writers, and most constitutional law professors dismiss my credibility because they erect an unreasonable standard of proof that is better suited to conventional crime than to cases involving counterintelligence. The greatest surprise for me in this story is, not that the abuse happened in the first place, but that virtually all the watchmen on the towers are wearing blinders.
In the darkest times, I have drawn rare encouragement from your understanding that democratic governance is perpetually fragile. I began life in Washington as a political conservative, at a succession of right-wing think tanks, but I consider you the one most indispensable voice in public life today. For your courage and humanity, my deepest thanks.
My temporary address is: auto69901402@hushmail.com
angle
the Koch Bros. finance the T-party. Why does the T-party allow him to be their spokesman? Are their goals & values similar?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1348553589 Michelle Michon
Please interview Paul Sadler. There has been media bias and inequal coverage of the candidates. Paul Sadler would be good for our future in Texas. Ted Cruz would devastate it. We need your help Mr. Moyers!
harry ashburn
dear bill; please man-up before you fade away, and tell us the truth you know about the JFK assassination! its always later than you think! thank you .. fellow texan harry ashburn
“If you ignore EVERYTHING Jesus tells you…. you’re not REALLY a Christian… You’re just a Texan! ” -bill maher
Pat B.
You had a writer on your program who told how the political campaigns manipulate the Presidential Debate Commission limiting what topics can be asked. It’s critical that this information be more public with debates starting.
http://www.facebook.com/jason.a.brice Jason Brice
Mr. Moyers. Let’s talk about drones. Can any Nation State that is blind to the evil of droning people be allowed to exist?
Barbara Bergen
I am deeply concerned about ALEC. I am an attorney who has worked on public policy issues for many years and would like to get in touch with ALICE. I can’t seem to find them on the internet and am hoping you can help. I think I could be of value to them.
spicer
The Health Care Act was something I have long been FOR. I remain hopeful that, as
transitions from state-run care for the poor to a broader federal system, those the Act was meant to serve are not unwittingly disposessed of their access to healthcare, due to hardships caused by changes to access to transportation.
It has come to my attention that the poor who depend on agencies for transport to their medical appointments now find themselves in lengthy waits for scheduling through large “transportation brokers”. 30-minute waits are common, where 3 to 4-minute waits were experienced with local organizations previously used. Clients of these local organizations may still use them – for grocery errands, etc., but are now FORBIDDEN from using them for medical purposes. Even if “denied” payment by Medicaid for their transportation, these patients must STILL use the “transportation brokers” to book their transportation to their doctor visits.
To make matters worse, patients who HAD transportation to Medicaid “exempt” care, such as basic dental care – are now finding they have NO way to their appointments – as Medicaid inter-agency restrictions boot many out of their previous means of transport.
Steven Preiss
I have difficulty accepting the president’s decision to execute Bin Laden, and the assertion that in doing so that he has been “brought to justice”. Brought to justice means trying an accused person in an established court of law, not summarily executing someone based on assumed guilt.
Fran Longmire
Please address the issue of voter suppression. Although few Americans know it, there is no right to vote for all citizens in the U.S. Constitution. It is contained in some, not all, state constitutions. Do you think that an amendment to the U.S. Constitution would help? What are the chances of its passing?
crazy alice from sherman tx
it would seem that a 1985 action could be brought against ALEC for conspiring to deprive citizens of their constitutional right or privilege to vote by imposing conditions based on the pretext that voter fraud is rampant. it would have to be a civil action but it might work. there is a lot of conspiring going on at
ALEC!
Quepos
Any possibility of overturning Citizens United? How?
Paulen
Mr. Moyers,
First, I’d like to thank you for being one of the few to address issues which have a significant impact on our lives. I have never voted before by choosing the “lesser of the two evils,” but that is where I find myself now. There are other individuals who I could vote for who represent my beliefs, yet I realize that if I vote for one of them, it only empowers the greatest evil. I voted for O’bama 4 years ago, but had my “hopes” smashed when it became apparent that he was courting Wall Street, Big Agriculture and privatization of schools, among a host of other evils. Through the past four years, the rise of the use of drones and the continued erosion of our constitutional rights have added to my huge disappointment in his presidency. My only selfish consolation is that I’m not a young person.
How can we, people who are scraping to get by, fight all of these issues?
Dana Meyer
AARP reports that no questions about Social Security or Medicare are on the agenda for the first presidential debate. Since it’s my understanding that this debate is to focus on domestic issues, it’s hard to believe that Jim Lehrer isn’t just itching to ask about these timely topics. Do you believe Mr. Lehrer should ask about them? And…if they truly are NOT on the agenda, does this mean that someone with a hidden agenda is hoping to keep the candidates from addressing such a volatile subject? Would surely appreciate your take. Thanks for being willing to take our questions.
Anonymous
Let’s talk abut the LACK of Honesty in this election! .And why aren’t the GRADUATING CLASSES every 6 months (or less) given recognition in the high unemployment! ANd why do SPECULATORS make the food and gas prices rise! AND MOSTLY, what can we do to get our POLITICANS back to representing the PEOPLE’S causes and NOT THE Lobbyists!
http://www.facebook.com/mary.matzek.37 Mary Matzek
The hoarding of money? Money is power. The hoarding of power? Try and touch that and someone will kill you, for real. Thanks for an alternative idea. We are all disconcerted by events, but giving up mentally is what you are doing. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. (Truman) That is what Bill is doing, and I am doing and everyone collectively is doing. Trying our best to foment or formulate change. Stay with us, Norman. You are a valuable player.
http://www.facebook.com/mary.matzek.37 Mary Matzek
Check into Common Cause and Public Citizen. They are pursuing the Ammendments. Your voice is needed there.
http://www.facebook.com/mary.matzek.37 Mary Matzek
By having a free channel for campaigns and elections with factcheckers working on the program. No set up questions as in our debates.
Hank
Mr. Moyers, many people think Citizens United is a core issue we need to address. Congress has a 90% disapproval rating while spending 30-70% of their time dialing for dollars and become beholden to the funders. What if we the people demanded more from Congress and asked them to sign a pledge to overturn CU and commit to Public Financing? Could this work if it were publicized? I’m only a citizen, but I setup a site, http://www.congresspledge.com to do just that, but I’ll need people to put call or email to put the pressure on.
Norman T
Mary,
I appreciate your response, but nothing you just wrote made sense to me. I am calling for a complete revolution in the way we think. What I am saying is that nothing you are doing, or thinking, or what “everyone collectively is doing,” as you say, is making any difference. We are worlds apart Mary, is my point. You, Bill Moyers, and lots of other decent, well-meaning people are all part of the mainstream. Nothing, absolutely nothing can change from this sort of thinking. As Einstein said, “”We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we
created them.” Until we decide to get radical in the way we think Mary, crazy radical, the rich will continue to amass more and more money, and exert more and more control over humanity and the earth’s resources. Pretend it’s the game of Monopoly Mary, All the hotels are owned by one player and all of the best property by that same person. Your roll of the dice, Mary. Good luck. Keep dreaming. Being realistic isn’t “giving up mentally”. I’m really not trying to be mean, Mary. I just find that 99% of Americans simply don’t have a clue.
Chrisanthy LaBua
Why aren’t there any more journalists like Bill Moyers?
Linda Dybwad
Did your report on ALEC leave out any democrat or independent politicians that are associated or using that system or is it the truth that only Republicans use ALEC?
Norman T
Rhett,
I watched your video. Thanks for posting it. Jeff Clements is right on about overturning Citizens United and Montana’s lead in saying corporations are not people. Furthermore, there are many corporations that should have their corporate charters revoked. Monsanto comes to mind, as do most of the defense contractors, among many others.
http://twitter.com/KaylaWildflower @KaylaWildflower
Bill, I just found your show recently on PBS and have watched the last several episodes & love it. Is the hashtag #BillMoyers & how can we get more people watching this vitally important educational show?
Jason
Thank you for allowing this information to see the light of day on a national level. This hopefully will bring attention to the true issue that is holding our democracy back and is needed, campaign finance reform.
S. Mayerson
11/20/11 Grover Norquist was interviewed by Steve Kroft in which he said he offers aspiring candidates/politicians for government offices, from Congress to local state and city positions, large sums of money from unidentified sources and other assistance in their campaigns, if they sign the pledge. If they do not sign it Norquist tells the politician he will go to his opponent who will sign the pledge, and give the support to him. The pledge is to never raise any tax or close any loop hole without lowering tax rates. The only source of revenue for the federal government is in the power to tax. See U.S. Constitution Art. I sec. 8 (1). It seems clear to me that people elected to Congress are expected to use their individual, honest and best judgment in a manner to protect and preserve the United States and the Constitution as the crises and circumstances facing the country at any given time may require.
Specifically, that duty is imposed on elected officers by the oath they are required to take as set out in 5 United States Code, sec. 3331 as follows: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter so help me God”.
As late as 1938 there were between 5 and 8 other countries stronger than the United States in military power. And we had not been in constant wars, both hot and cold, for several decades.
Is the pledge to never increase revenue for the government regard;ess pf meed amd circumstances a rejection of the power to tax vested in the Congress under Art. I, sec. 8 (1)?
Is such a rejection a mental reservation with a stated purpose of Evasion that the Congress person swore not to have when he/she took the oath of office? Thus, is the congress person’s oath a lie, and his/her admission to the Congress fraudulent, and subject to some discipline?
The crime of bribery of a public official is set out in 18 United States Code, sec. 201.
Is Norquist’s offer to provide money to a candidate for office in exchange for the candidate’s “pledge” to vote against specific legislation that has surely come before him during his tenure a bribe accepted by the candidate/politician when he/she signed the pledge? In that interview Norquist boasted that no Republican has voted to raise a tax to increase revenue to pay the nation’s debts since 1998 and been returned to the office in the next election. He even displayed a frame of photographs and named several Congress men who “broke the pledge” and were defeated in their next primary race by a different candidate/politician who Norquist promoted.
I am several generations older than the advent of technology and therefore inept in the use of this computer. I spent 4 hours earlier writing a more detailed explanation of my theses and details of constitutional provisions–and then lost the whole thing because I couldn’t figure out how to send the message. If it goes through this time, please make allowance for any spelling, grammatical and spacing errors.
Lorraine
The issues we face in the U.S. are numerous – but this evidence of the take over of U.S. politics by powerful corporations with the help from US legislators is a critical issue to address. Surely, corporate influence in our political process effects everything from our political candidates, elections, wars, environmental policy, foreign and domestic policies, down to the “debate” on the clear evidence concerning climate change! We owe our deepest gratitude to those who provided the information and those responsible for creating and broadcasting the “United States of ALEC.” Armed with this new evidence, our job as citizens is to help spread the word and get involved or let the corporations strip us of our democracy.
Lynn
Mr Moyers,
Your program on ALEC was extraordinary and so well timed. I learned through the interactive portion of your website that a local state senate race includes an ALEC member. From what I learned about ALEC this evening it’s hard to accept that ALEC membership is honorable. Clearly what’s needed is for ALEC to lose it’s tax exempt status and adopt the public face of what it truly is: a lobbying organization. And I need to button hole that senate candidate when he knocks on my door asking for my vote!
Thank you for all that you do. I know many people who watch your show here in Maine and know that it is journalism they can trust.
Laurel
Kathleen Hall Jamieson has identified the issues and presented them, not dispassionately, but skewed by perspective that I must believe is hers. Her commentary places more weight behind certain possible outcomes based on certain conditions. I’m disappointed that Mr. Moyers, whom I consider to be an American treasure, is allowing her to frame a set of conservative parameters for the debates. I didn’t expect this to be her job; rather, to even-handedly present the existing conditions and, when presenting survey results, to clarify the basis for participant answers. I think, in this instance, she failed to rein in her personal bias and failed to provide the service we were led to expect from her and her organization.
Mark
I recently read “White House Burning” by Simon Johnson and James Kwak. It is a balanced discussion of the National Debt and deficit that should be read by all informed citizens. Could you schedule the authors to be interviewed on your program? It would be of great value to your audience.
Joel Michello
Mr. Moyers,
I would like to to discuss polls. I don’t know anyone who would answer a polling call or do an online one; we are all too busy. So, who is answering these poll calls? I have an idea; lonely, uninformed people, (probably watch Fox News all day), who have nothing better to do than talk to strangers who fein an interest in their opinions. A little jaded on my part, but I spend a lot of time keeping informed and have sent many serious emails to my elected representatives and the media; never getting a reply, other than a form letter. The media is constantly siting a poll and I am sure pay for them dearly. Who is doing the fact checking on the pollsters to make sure what they are saying is in fact a representative sample? Why does the media not question the veracity of the pollsters like they do the politicians?
Thank you sir for your response in this matter and for all you have done to inform the public over the many years of your career. You are one of the good ones.
Joel Michello
Virginia Beach, VA
J
Mr. Moyers…I wish to add my voice to the many who so value and appreciate your good efforts over the years to bring thoughtful, informative conversation and meaningful debate to the many important issues that have faced our nation and our world. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue doing
My question is a simple one, and one that I find absolutely amazing to even consider, let alone ask. Do you believe America is at risk of becoming a fascist country ?
MarieInSanDiego
Mr. Moyers,
Thank you for hosting this forum and for of the in-depth explorations you take on all issues, always challenging us to think.
I am looking forward to any suggestions you might have for many like me. At 75 I am involved with a grassroots organization of volunteers from their 20s on up. We are excited about launching a new radio station shortly, KNSJ 89.1FM in San Diego, CA which will be non-commercial, community-based and community-involved focusing on social justice at the local level. With your vast experience in media do you have any suggestions for grassroots projects like ours to get exposure? We are providing a venue for voices not generally heard on commercial radio. I know there are many groups like ours around the country made up of enthusiastic volunteers whose goals are to provide thoughtful informative discussions with diverse opinions as well as cultural programming like Moyers & Company and your Journal and all of us would welcome any suggestions and insights you might have.
mcav
Dear Mr. Moyers:
I am very concerned about your health and would like to know how you stay so healthy and so sharp!
I also would like to know more about not only the price of our military but the full range of offices, bureaus, departments, etc. that fall under the military umbrella. What percentage of our GDP and what percentage of our employment is due to the military? Budget discussions are incomplete without public knowledge of this “branch” of government and welfare seems cheap compared to defense spending.
Thank you and take care of yourself!
George
Your dedication to exposing and explaining abuses of our political and financial system is an inspiration. What do you consider the most useful and important action(s) that the ordinary citizen can take to counter these abuses so deeply entrenched and supported by money and power?
http://twitter.com/AriannaEditrix Arianna
If you contact Occupy DSM (Des Moine) they’ve got a VERY inclusive lists of not only “who is ALEC?” but the lableing, actions and education that went on about the ALEC issue not only in Iowa, but all over the US. They used to paper who WalSmarts with row after row of postits asking “Who is alec?: and the conversations exploded around DSM watercoolers and playgroups and farms for MONTHS.
See what they can do for you.
http://twitter.com/AriannaEditrix Arianna
Hey sister in the streets, and awful of of us “lostsouls” are still out here and fighting. Believe it or not, it not lost souls, it’s lost skills i.i. people to people skills. Please check my post to 714Day about a really clever way to get ALEC. If I find my copy of the list I’ll post it myself.
http://twitter.com/AriannaEditrix Arianna
As the daughter of a 3 war fighter pilot and sister of a LERP/Special Forces Ranger and knowing and working with this type for most of my career in nursing as well as on other issues was what made me choose hopspice finally. I cannot bear the thought that “video games are used as recruitment tools and boys of 18 are pushing a button to drop a bomb/s 1000-10000 K with accuracy for the “drone” being 90% ? on even hitting a specific person/target but the chance bystanders will become vicitimw is about 80% or so. Women, have we bred this generation who kills at one remove with not only impunity for murder of innocents but does not Know the cost of the suffering they inflict. It all comes down to this, if “they” get one on us, “we” have to target them back” but, if we didn’t think we had to constantly Prove we’re the biggest power structure around , I believe we could LONG do without drove attacks. Also, I cannot fathom how the people doen’t go crazed with them over them all the time. THAT is inhumane.
http://twitter.com/AriannaEditrix Arianna
Peabody Coal and BoA just gave out public radio/TV stations here over a million dollars so they could move from nearer downtown to the “Grand Center” a city rehab. gentrify, aristocratic entertainment area. I’m now supporting a small station at a college in CA as the one here I can’t trust anymore, though they do still carry Mr. Moyers shows. There was a college station here, but it was “acquired” along with the move so mid-state has no effective voice now.
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
I had the same difficulty. I found it by putting in the search engine:
ALEC meet Alice
http://www.acslaw.org/acsblog/alec-meet-alice
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
Have heart Randy, there are more sights for truth. I do not own a tv BUT I can view most all shows.
http://www.DemocracyNow.org
Matt Taibbi/Rolling stone (google address)
http://www.rt.com
Thanks for being here.
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
Mr. Moyer will probably have much more info but I’d read that many of the big Corporations left ALEC after the luxury of operating in secret ended which I believe came about this year.
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/federal-reserve-bank-ownership/
Hope that helps SueZbell
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
A thought? We ARE the Nation. One person at a time. That is exactly why OWS was a positive thing; people united.
People must put aside differences and unite w/the one common goal: Representation of all citizens; standing up to government.
http://twitter.com/lOstsOul_rembrD lostsouls remembrd11
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/07/02/9246/alec-faces-new-challenge-tax-exempt-status
Kate Storey
I am unable to view today’s chat however I would like to know who are the big guys behind ALEC and more about its history. Maybe that would be another great Moyers & Co. show. Keep up the great work!!!
Carrie
This court case about the NDAA Military detention of citizens seems really relevant to our civil liberties. http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8888
I respect your take on things – where do we stand ???
Mike D
Dear Bill,
Your excellent tripartite series on the State of the Union – Judicial – The 1% Court, Political – Super PACs, and Legislative – the U.S. of ALEC shows why the debates starting October 3rd are a dog-and-pony show, an irrelevant distraction. This rapacious, immoral system is clearly beyond fixing.
The real debate happens Monday October 1st on billmoyers.com. You’ve had the gamut of truth-tellers on your program and their vision along with that of your audience needs to coalesce towards the alternative – a new dawn.
Factchecker
Just watched the Fact checker session. As usual,you were extremely courteous and journalistic.
I did have a problem with the false equivalency of the worst Romney ad lie versus the worst Obama ad “lie”. The Romney lie is based on misrepresenting the Obama administration on a verifiable position re work and welfare. The Obama ad is more difficult to verify since Romney takes self-contradictory and conflcting positions on many issues. I saw him , on a show with Mike Huckabee,say that he would support a personhood law. This would make abortion a crime regardless of rape, incest, health of the mother. It would also criminalize several forms of birth control. Even if , in trying to pander to women, he takes a contradictory position, Romnney has not recanted his position with Huckabee when he was pandering to the religious right. As regards Gore, the Fact checker bought into the misrepresentation by the media that Gore presented himself as inventing the Internet in a scientific context. He did indeed help invent the internet in the political context but since the media seemed to like to trivialize him by mockery, they used a distortion of his claim as a gotcha. Don’t forget that Gore won the popular vote, and was later show to have been cheated out of an electoral count victory in Florida by Republican malfeasance. The corrupt and partisan Supreme Court gave the Presidency to George Bush. The result, at least one illegal and unjust war and financial disaster for the country.
Patrick McCormack
2 Points Bill
#1 Time is Money, and Money is Speech, therefore Time is Speech. I sent 3 certified letters to one of my Senators. NO response !! Citizens should receive equal TIME to that of the money (speech) of special interest, and Lobbyists. It is OUR Constitutional right. (Time is Speech), and our free speech is being stifled.
#2 The restructuring of lobbying: Lobbying began in a time when communication was difficult over long distances, so lobbying served a great purpose. Today IS the age of efficient communication, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Texting E-Mail,etc,etc,etc. The role of the Lobbyists is outdated and unnecessary. Free speech, to assemble, and to petition the government are the rights of each citizen, as stated in the Bill of Rights. It does not state anywhere that ‘Third Party Representation’ is a right. Every citizen can and should lobby for themselves with our new effective means of communication. Lobbying as it exists should end! ONE PERSONONE VOICE. ( Democracy is saved. Your Welcome. LOL) Thanks Bill !
Citizen Sane
Thank you for this forum. What civil disobedience can help pave the way for an Amendment to overturn Citizens United? I don’t think we can count on a new court to overturn the decision, so it is up to us. What direct actions do you think would be most beneficial to the cause? Should we be focused on the TV stations that make money from the ads, especially if airing false and misleading ones? What about the companies that are not so easy to boycott? Should there be a national sit-in at the Capitol/SCOTUS?
Dulyn McClellan
How has the Republican Party been able to “hijack” Christianity in America to the point that being a Republican means one is a Christian & professing to being a Christian means one is a Republican? Are there no Democratic Christians and why do they not make their case for Christians being Democrats?
Karen
What can be done to get the US government to do its job and reclassify ALEC as a lobbying group instead of a 501(c)(3)? They need to come out of the shadows and into the light of legislative transparency. Right now corporations have all the benefits: access to and influencing state legislators, writing legislation in their own best interests and getting a charitable tax deduction to boot! So who actually is interested in legislating in the best interests of THE PEOPLE??
Buck Beasom
Your ALEC piece was dead on the money! Given that news a number of corporations have started withdrawing their support as the organization’s assorted misdeeds have come to light, do you think this represents a significant shift, or will ALEC simply shape-shift or re-emerge under another name to continue pushing its agenda?
(Hope you finally finished the book. Hope the chapters where ALEC showed up did not contribute to further insomnia! Thank you for your kind call and reply.)
jonakron
what question would Bill Moyers ask the presidential candidates?
J Jarvis
Dear Bill Moyers, how long has ALEC been active? and what can we do on a local level
to find out who our politicians are that are involved with ALEC. Your work needs to be out in the masses. Keep the info. on ALEC alive, we tend to forget and move on, this needs to be in our face. The best to you, we appreciate you so very much!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1348553589 Michelle Michon
Please interview Paul Sadler. There has been a bias in the media towards Ted Cruz and he is just on a crazy train when it comes to the issues. Texas needs your help Bill. People need to know Paul Sadler and where he stands on the issues. I have Republican friends here who refuse to vote for Ted Cruz because he’s just bad for Texas.
Robin
Has anybody here read the brilliant piece by Steven Pearlstein in The Washington Post:
A manifesto for the entitled? It is pure genius!! Don’t miss it.
David F., N.A.
Hi Bill,
Since our federal and state legislatures are not going to bite the corporate hand that feeds them and The People only get fired up whenever the mainstream media briefly exposes the corruption we call lobbying, what do you think it will REALLY, REALLY, REALLY take to get the money out of politics and our country back on track again?
thaddeus
Voted for Roosevelt? I hope Bill knows that TR would have had us in WWI faster than one could have said “Debs”. The demonization of Wilson by some folks like Chris Hedges displays a profound ignorance of the man. He failed in the end, but to say he was a warmonger is just plain idiotic. TR was the real warmongering deal
Anonymous
Do you know if the candidates will be asked about the student loan debt crisis?
Anonymous
I would like to thank you, Mr Moyers for being such a gentleman and enllightening us on so many subjects.
Augustin
welcome back Mr. Moyers!
spicer
The Health Care Act was something I have long been FOR. I remain hopeful that, as transitions from state-run care for the poor to a broader federal system, those the Act was meant to serve are not unwittingly dispossessed of their access to healthcare, due to hardships due to changes in access to transportation.
It has come to my attention that the poor who depend on certain agencies for transport to their medical appointments now find themselves in lengthy waits for scheduling through large “transportation brokers”. 30-minute waits are common, where 3 to 4-minute waits were experienced with local organizations previously used. Clients of these local organizations may still use them – for grocery errands, etc., but are now FORBIDDEN from using them for medical purposes. Even IF “denied” payment by Medicaid for their transportation, these patients must STILL use the “transportation brokers” to book their transportation to their doctor visits.
To make matters worse, patients who HAD transportation to Medicaid “exempt” care, such as basic dental care – are now finding they have NO way to their appointments – as Medicaid inter-agency restrictions boot many out of their previous means of transport.
Susan Ortiz
Why do you think MAM refuses to discuss voter suppression?
Susan Ortiz
Why do you think MSM refuses to discuss voter suppression?
alan dobson
Inauguration Day 2013 Democratic Senate Leader declares his First Priority is to assure that President Romney(hypothetically speaking )IS a one term President! What follows?
Sharon in upstate NY
Dear Mr. Moyers, We the people cannot be grateful enough to you for telling us the truth. Thank you for reminding us that Truth is freedom and knowledge and truth are the only powers that really succeed in the end. This gives me hope.
http://twitter.com/KaylaWildflower @KaylaWildflower
Link?
http://twitter.com/KaylaWildflower @KaylaWildflower
Not all poor are “working poor.” We need to not divide the poor. Already there is moral judgment that the working poor are more deserving and moral than the non-working poor.
Rosalie
Thanks Bill, for giving an insightful and informative interview (chat)
Hank
Folks, Bill just mentioned a pledge to overturn Citizens United at 3:29. My website has that pledge and one for public financing as well. Join me in calling our Congressional candidates next Monday, October 8th, Columbus Day. Look at the pledge at the website, http://www.congresspledge.com RSVP on our contact page.
ShineFiddler
Thank You for your time and Wisdom, Mr. Moyers
What would be he chances of your defying the virtual American corporate media boycott, and having America’s most celebrated intellectual, Noam Chomsky, on your show? It would seem that you might the best chance of that happening (as long it does not violate a rider clause in your contract!).
Robin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/i-am-a-job-creator-a-manifesto-for-the-entitled/2012/09/28/756f2e90-07ee-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_story.html Enjoy!
Anonymous
Thanks for the live chat, Bill. My question was about the downright audacity of the First Amendment. Never knew it’s power until I actually physically used it — first by “standing” at the Supreme Court and Capitol and then in my small district in PA (R-8) by standing with a mic on public sidewalks talking about #1 heatlhcare law and #2 the inaccessibility of our congressman. Our congressman won’t even have real town halls where he can be challenged by facts. I am afraid for democracy. I appreciate all you do.
nineinchbride
Some light pre-election reading for you all at Moyers & Company.
From the novel Nine Inch Bride: “Voting has become ineffectual as a challenge to the
status quo. The vote could fade away and not be missed, for all the good it
does, and the turnout shows its popularity fading with each cycle. The minority
of civic minded people who trouble to vote push the button for democracy
itself, holding their nose to pick from apologists and liars of the status quo,
grateful for an occasionally articulate or charismatic one. There is no essence
to issue politics for all issues are framed in capitalism. There is no inspired
socialist party in counterweight, and no basis for hope from an exclusive
democracy, one privately owned by the capitalized few, with a vicious market as
its god. Long ago gone, an itch alone remains. Democracy in America is a
phantom limb.”
Maureen
The nationwide effort to privatize public education is a bipartisan effort that has used ALEC model legislation and fake “grassroots” front groups like Stand for Children (Jonah Edelman) , Stand First (Michelle Rhee) Democrats for Education Reform (Whitney Tilson), and its advocacy arm, Education Reform Now, which have only recently paid for many millions of dollars of ads for Mayor Emanuel during and after the teachers strike. They now go into states and spend huge sums to support candidates for local school boards that are anti-union
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/171-more-blog-posts-from-jeff-faux/1257-education-profiteering-wall-streets-next-big-thing
Curtis
Talk about how the government sold out america by turning every citizen into a corporate bond to pay debt with debt & now we are allowed to be policed & taxed on the population for “being too stupid to think for yourself” – This is also known as your Strawman or Freeman. You are innocent until you volunteer to become “guilty.”
just jerry
We had low unemployment, a good economy and budget surpluses at the end of the Clinton administration why did George W. Bush and the Congress abandon fiscal responsibility and go on a spending spree?
Brook
Bill Moyers,
Thank you for your integrity and strength to inform and
educate the public on the facts of the issues that are challenging our
democracy.
Here are a few points I have learned from
your show (and others as sited) regarding the mess we are in:
1.
1. The president’s role has very little power. The corporations are in charge of this
country via lobbying. State Legislators
overturn public votes behind closed doors (Jill Stein interview and ALEC
episode). Our civil liberties as provided by the constitution are being
violated.
2.
2. Fraud is the business model on Wall St. and they
are not being held accountable.
3.
Distribution of wealth is grotesquely unbalanced;
1% owns 41% of wealth, bottom 60% owns less than 2% (Bernie Sanders interview).
Wages have been stagnant since the 1970’s
(Joseph Stieglitz).
4.
3. We owe 40 cents on every dollar we spend. We are
living beyond our means, and no politician would dare to address this fact to
the American public as it would create disillusioned panic, hoarding and lack
of confidence (Frontline).
5.
4. The US
trade deficit is the lowest in the world.
The US lost $8trillion in wealth due to the crash while the Dow has
doubled since (Nancy Pelosi). We need to
level the playing field; markets are distorted, for example derivatives can be
dismissed in bankruptcy but student loans can’t. You cannot cut spending now if
the economy is weak or you will lose growth and losing growth is what causes
deficits (Dr. Alice Rivlin).
Clearly, there is a massive disconnect
between how congress and the wealthy perceive how the middle class lives; the people
in charge of making decisions about our lives are completely disconnected with
the reality of living as a middle-class American. HOW DO WE ARTICULATE TO THOSE IN POWER HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS TO SURVIVE TODAY? Voting
is not working due to corruption by ALEC, lobbyists etc. How do the American middle class get their voice
to be heard in a corrupt system? Maybe
if the masses of the middle class can put together a little $ into a civil
action lawsuit against fraud, the masses can at least make some noise in the corrupt
air.
1.
Why cant we just ask for the TARP money back?
2.
Why cant we reinstate the Glass-Steagall act?
3.
What do you recommend we do to address corruption?
MarieInSanDiego
Mr. Moyers, echoing others, thank you so much for today’s conversation, making time for those starved for thoughtful discussions and providing a forum and being interested in what we have to say.
Mona
Moyers and Co. – I would like to voice my appreciation for all the hard work you and your associates do. i had no idea that ALEC had been influencing for so long. your reporting is very timely and so relevant to what is happening currently. thanks so much — Mona
Cynthia Harnist
Sorry I missed the discussion; just tuned in; however, I would like to say how much I appreciate the wonderful work that Bill Moyers has done for many years. His disciplined and dedicated approach to investigative journalism has made this country a better place to live. Just knowing that Mr. Moyers continues his heroic mission to educate and inform, in spite of the blind opposition to facts that many in politics adhere to, is a reason to hope for a more sustainable future, a more humane country, a more informed citizenry.
Mark T. Saastad
Dear Mr. Moyers:
Did you state that James Balog the time lapsed photographer from the extreme Ice Survey is going to be on your show this Friday?
PG
Dear Bill,
I’d like to send you a Newsday clip from 1967 featuring your speech before a gaggle of LI high school newspaper editors, who competed for Newsday’s top honors. I was one. You changed my life with your challenge to get out and serve, get out and stand up, get out and make a difference. I like to think I have. Where can I write you and send the clip? Thanks -
http://www.facebook.com/john.aller.98 John Aller
Thanks Bill!! One thought. How do we get main stream media to show what we really need to know. There is a frightening number of people that think the President is not a citizen, and he is trying to convert the country over to Muslim rule. Crazy as it seems, Rove tactics, ads and emails have misled people like sheep to a cliff. REALLY glad you are back!!!!