Did you every wonder why 44 percent of the people serving in the United States Congress are millionaires? Offhand, that seems a little higher than the average among the general population. I suppose you could make the arguement that you have to be a millionaire to be elected, but how about the arguement that you can make decisions that benefit you financially? Well, let's take a look at one California Senator.
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air reported yesterday on the activities of Barbara Boxer concerning a casino deal in California. The story was originally up at The Hill, but has been taken down. The story begins with Barbara Boxer pushing a bill reinstating a tribe designated as "defunct" by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 40 years earlier. In the legislation she passed to reinstate the tribe she included an amendment to remove a prohibition on gaming on any land the tribe owned. Shortly after the tribe had been reinstated, they decided to open a casino.
According to the article:
"The tribe turned its fortunes over to two firms to make its dreams of wealth come true -- Platinum Advisers, a political consulting/lobbying firm, and Kenwood Investments 2. Amazingly, and I'm certain quite coincidentally, Barbara Boxer's son, Doug, was a partner in each firm."
The article explains that Senator Boxer exempted the casino project from the environmental regulations that have so cripped the California economy. This is the same Senator that opposes offshore drilling and has refused to turn the water back on in the Central Valley of California. Meanwhile, she waives the environmental considerations on this casino and her son (according to The Hill) pockets $8 million for his role in the project. Do you suppose he gave mom a nice Mother's Day present?
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