Hanky panky in business with connections to politicians was the gist of Whitewater, which dogged the Clinton administration for years. With Enron, we have the largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States with connections to politicians because the lack of regulatory oversight Enron enjoyed was essentially purchased through Enron’s numerous campaign contributions, one of which was the private jet used in President Bush’s election campaign.
These campaign contributions and the access they purchase raise national issues of campaign finance reform and abuse of power by big business. It amounts to a form of corruption where the government unwisely agrees to take a hands-off approach because the politicians making the decision are receiving money from the very company asking for the hands off approach. While we are more delicate in the United States, in many foreign nations these contributions are considered bribes, and destruction of evidence by accountants is considered a crime.
Crimes, bribes and massive unemployment caused by the nation’s biggest business failure is more than a story in today’s Economy section of The Herald. Surely, the story of Enron deserves full-scale treatment in the news section and even a Sunday feature.
Lake Stevens
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