What do Germany, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Georgia, Indonesia, Macedonia, and Serbia have in common? According to the nonprofit global governance watchdog Global Integrity, they all beat out the United States on regulating money in politics. The United States tied with Tajikistan scoring 29 out of a 100-point scale measuring the effectiveness of legislation regulating individual
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A brand-new report from the National Center for Education Statistics confirms once again that for-profit colleges are failing to help many of their students.  These schools, many marked by deceptive recruiting, low-quality programs, and sky-high prices, have 13 percent of U.S. students but nearly 50 percent of student loan defaults.  The for-profit college industry gets most of its
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In the wake of the terrible tragedy of 17-year-old Trayvon Marton’s death, journalists, activists, politicians, and other concerned citizens have focused on the “Stand Your Ground” law (also known as the “Castle Doctrine“), which Florida police have claimed they are following in declining to arrest George Zimmerman, Martin’s killer. This law was pushed by the
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Congressman Tim Holden (D-PA) voted to deregulate the horizontal drilling industry, a process commonly known as “fracking,” by voting for the “Halliburton Loophole” placed by industry lobbyists. The law exempted the process from the Clean Water Act, allowing oil and natural gas companies to go about their business with little accountability. In many cases, local
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Members of Congress who become lobbyists get huge paydays. A dozen lawmakers-turned-lobbyists we looked at got an average raise of 1,452%. So we sent a letter to the 35 retiring members of Congress asking them to disclose any job negotiations they’re having for their post-congressional careers — so at least the public would know what’s
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It’s common knowledge that powerful industry groups gain a seat at the table when it comes to lawmaking — by using campaign contributions and other assistance to legislators running for office. It’s more rare, however, to see lobbyists brag about this process. Earlier this week, the lobbying group for the credit union industry — the
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If he’s auditioning to be Mitt Romney’s running mate, then perhaps Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) just swung at a pitch and missed. But if he meant to stand up for honest government and for America’s veterans, which apparently he did, then Rubio just hit a home run. And, as a result, a high-priced team of
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Budget cuts across the country have provided a new opportunity for corporations looking to cash in. Radio station WMFE reports that Osceola County in Florida recently moved to adopt a privatization effort as a result of budget cuts. Library Systems and Services, a private company based in Maryland, won the contract to administer six county
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