Jim Austin

His previous columns are archived HERE.

JIM AUSTIN

The Enron States of America

The collapse of the Enron Corporation is a very literal metaphor for the way the man on the street is constantly stiffed by our system of government.

The current administration is pickled in the legalized corruption of campaign contributions. Enron, the energy giant, is dead and along with it went the life savings of "many" workers.

How many? That doesn't seem to be too important really.

I'll guarantee you one thing: the tycoons at the top of the heap won't even lose the rose petals in their finger bowls.

The energy giant is described as one of Bush's major campaign contributors. Now those lying Enron skunks, who are accused of defrauding investors and concealing information about its financial troubles, have a chance to call in their IOU. It has also been revealed that Enron sought help from the Bush administration twice last year regarding the company's problems.

Were these strategy sessions designed to formulate the best cover-up for the impending collapse? We'll never know with this slippery pack of weasels currently occupying the White House.

Recall for a moment how tough it is to get Dick Cheney, our elusive VP, to even reveal who was present in his high-level meetings with Big Energy. Why is that such a secret?

Actually "slippery weasels" isn't a fair appellation. The ham-handed way that this dubious enterprise has been handled has more in common with a barnyard animal than a furtive forest creature.

Are you as outraged as I am about John Ashcroft, who has recused himself from this investigation? Our Attorney General, no doubt with fairness and justice uppermost in his mind, refuses to involve himself in this impending prosecution (if there is to be one).

Why would that be, your Generalship? Because our highest-ranking lawman along with our President has been in bed with Enron since Bush's gubernatorial campaigns. He won't participate in the investigation but do you think a man like Ashcroft would have any influence over the course of his office's dealing with this matter?

This administration owes Enron. Big time. If they don't come through in some tangible way, who knows what the Enron big shots might feel behooved to reveal? Remember how Clinton tried to pardon a big contributor on his way out the door?

Watch for a little future déjà vu if Enronites are convicted of anything. Enron owns Bush and Ashcroft and by simple extrapolation owns us as well.

"A significant but undetermined" number of documents have been destroyed, according to the firm that last audited Enron. Kind of makes you nostalgic for the Nixon days doesn't it? Remember the fun that columnists had with that "18 minutes" of taped conversations that were "accidentally" erased? For "significant but undetermined", you may read: "the evidence that would put these Enron leeches in jail until the next millennium."

When are we going to learn that campaign-finance reform is the key to bringing our government back to representing the voters? I hope you enjoyed your $600 tax rebate. I would have enjoyed mine more if I didn't have to think about the 6-figure rebates handed out to Bush's patrons. Slip George $50,000 for election bumper stickers and get back millions when he decides to "stimulate the economy". Goodbye surplus, hello deficit. Let the good times roll.

The only thing we have going for us is that there are more working stiffs out there than sleazy politicians. How do they manage to manipulate us election after election? When will we say "enough of the Enron States of America?

How about getting these politicians, who just granted themselves a salary of $150,000, to represent us for a change? The little people at Enron have lost their life savings under the alleged stewardship of our government who were bought and paid for by Enron.

Won't it be fascinating to see how our White House deals with these particular "evildoers."