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... » . <br /> ....."."".. <br /> ------------------- y <br /> ,,,,,, .... <br /> ...--��----.. ..,......n..""""""".............. � --`-'--' .. -0.�-------- .,..,. ti ti ".+.--------•... .....r,t...,irr,""`"""""".. :.:}.tiv"::-:•:•:-::-.".c•: <br /> ......."....."....------------- <br /> ----.w.,M„"ar?yyinist�.z.",�.F:.::::-:-.....,..,,. : ".............".""...,..i.rrt. <br /> The Imbalance of Power <br /> .. <br /> Money is distorting and subverting our political process, causing monied inter- <br /> ests to have extraordinary access and influence over government policy. The <br /> roof of this influence is evident everywhere in the kinds of policies developed <br /> ��-::-:" p Y A p <br /> {.. <br /> by our government. <br /> *In 1996, health care interests gave $94,000 to Minnesota legislative leaders <br /> in the DFL party and $77,000 to Minnesota legislative leaders in the <br /> Republican party, through their legislative caucus political committees. <br /> Citizen efforts that year to pass strong new health care protections were suc- <br /> cessfully opposed by health care industry lobbyists. <br /> -Minnesota political parties received $259,540 from banking and finance in <br /> 1996. Several bills have since been introduced to curb or eliminate ATM <br /> costs, but none have been allowed to come to a floor vote. <br /> It has become all too commonplace to find that the powerful forces have made <br /> 3 <br /> significant investments in politics, investments that certainly appear to tilt the <br /> public policy playing field in their favor. <br /> Former Minnesota State Representative Don Ostrom describes the influence of <br /> big money on legislative decisions in the following way: "It seems in both par- <br /> ties certain well-heeled forces that don't necessarily have popular support have <br /> their way at critical points in the legislative process. Sometimes it happens on <br /> very public issues...[and] on other issues it happens very quietly, such as when <br /> anti-tobacco legislation just disappears at critical points." <br /> "There are two things that are important in politics. <br /> The first is money <br /> and I can't remember what the second one is." <br /> U.S. Senator Mark Hanna, 1896 <br /> 3 <br /> S <br /> 9 <br /> I <br /> -;:- <br /> n. <br /> r <br /> _>: <br /> F a r..�..r..".. 5 r.- <br /> µ <br /> . ".. .. ............ ............. .. <br /> ". <br /> "".. <br /> "..... <br /> :.: <br /> PA,* <br /> . .. ........ <br /> ................. <br />