None Of Your Business

A recent report found that the Texas based fortune 500 companies have donated twice as much to Republican candidates as they have to Democratic candidates so far in 2007. This really comes as no surprise and in fact it is actually an improvement for Democrats compared to past years. The report stated that 58 percent of Republican candidates campaign cash came from these 46 companies. If this isn’t factual proof that corporations have more power in government, and especially Texas government, than individuals, I don’t know what is.



The reason given for the mass support to Republican candidates is that they are pro-business and support the free enterprise system. Well, obviously Democrats are going to have a hard time being pro business when corporations have become their worst enemies and opponents larger than any Republican candidate. Many Democratic candidates have been pushed into a corner where they have to fend off big business to stay afloat. It is more apparent than ever that legislation needs to be passed that bans corporations from funding political campaigns. Through this mass overhaul of they way government is run, Democrats would no longer be forced into a position where they often need to hinder business to keep themselves from being run over, and rather they would be put into a position where they can in fact represent the desires of corporations. Conversely so, Republicans could represent the desires of individuals more than they have in years past, and we would move closer to a bi-partisan government.



We have become a state that is divided by political ideology in a way that supporting one sides preference means being at opposite ends with the other. We support a form of government that ideally corrects itself and balances out overtime, but it has come time to find a way to support a politics that is more balanced all of the time. Progress as a whole is close to impossible if support of one political party or side always means starting a fight with the other.



Legislation to ban corporations from financing campaigns would be seen as a partisan issue even though it could bring benefits to both sides of the political spectrum and better representation for every individual as a whole. Therefore, it will never fly unless Democrats gain a major majority in Texas. So I guess Democrats will have to stick to the political game of fighting off corporations and relying on major contributions from equally influential PACs, or supporting big business and starting a fire within their own party lines.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5328077.html

- Garrett