Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith Epitomizes Everything that is Wrong with Government
Huntsville Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith (D-AL-5) is claiming that he accidentally included language in his new bill, H.R. 3558, which would allow some of his largest campaign contributors and their subsidiaries to receive billions of dollars in government small business contracts.
In an article published in the Florence, Alabama based Times Daily newspaper, Congressman Griffith stated the language in the bill that would have allowed his two top campaign contributors, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, to continue to hijack federal small business contracts were "unintended consequences." (http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090930/ARTICLES/909305008/1011/NEWS?Title=Griffith-Bill-needs-more-work)
The American Small Business League (ASBL) uncovered the blatant and colossal loophole for corporate giants immediately after reading the exceedingly short, 283-word legislation.
Congressman Griffith's claim that he really meant to write a piece of legislation to help small businesses, but accidently included language that would divert billions of dollars in federal small businesses contracts to Fortune 500 firms and their subsidiaries is ludicrous. He is either a moron or a liar.
Apparently the same person that writes Congressman Griffith's legislation must also be writing his excuses.
It's amazing how accident-prone Washington bureaucrats are when it comes to giving small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms. The SBA has been claiming that every day for the last ten years Fortune 500 firms get federal small business contracts accidentally through "data entry errors" and "miscoding."
I guess Congress would also claim "unintended consequences" when it passed the Comprehensive Test Program, which helps major Pentagon contractors cheat small businesses by removing the reporting function and any penalties for non-compliance with small business goals.
Parker Griffith's H.R. 3558 is just the most recent example of a crooked politician being bribed by big business to pass legislation that will fill their pockets at the expense of the middle class.
Congressman Griffith is a Randy "Duke" Cunningham wannabe that would have succeeded had it not been for the diligent work of the ASBL's staff. Like Cunningham, who is now serving 8-years in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion; Congressman Griffith appears to have an extremely cozy relationship with Fortune 500 defense contractors in his district.
You would think if Congressman Griffith was telling the truth, and his bill did "unintentionally" contain language that would hurt small businesses as opposed to helping them, he might be grateful to the ASBL for pointing it out.
He accused us of seeking "notoriety" as opposed to our goal of shining the light on another piece of anti-small business legislation from another crooked politician doing the bidding of big business. Quite the contrary, my goal is not to gain notoriety for the ASBL or myself, my goal is to gain notoriety for Huntsville Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith.
I want to make Parker Griffith the poster boy for dishonest slime balls in Washington that think they can pass legislation to make their fat cat campaign contributors rich by cheating small businesses and the middle class.
It is no coincidence that virtually all of the nation's largest defense contractors are major contributors to the House Small Business Committee. Gee, I wonder if that would explain why over a dozen federal investigations found that hundreds of billions of dollars in federal small business contracts have been diverted to those same Fortune 500 defense contractors and Congress has never passed a single piece of legislation to stop it.
I know Congressman Griffith's staff is reading everything I am writing on this subject, so let me say this to Congressman Griffith and his staff. I meant to write a really complimentary piece about you, but I unintentionally wrote this piece calling you a lying crook, a moron and a slime ball politician that should be investigated by the FBI for bribery.
OOPS.
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Looks like Congressman Griffith's actions as a doctor may have had some "unintended Consequences" as well.
http://www.flashpointblog.com/2008/09/23/parker-griffith-unwarranted-pain-and-suffering/
This is just perverse. He treated them slower for a taller bill? I am so disgusted to think that a person like that could be sitting in office. What kind of people do we really have running the show? Sick.
This guy should have lost his medical license and instead he is a member of Congress! What the hell is going on here?
Keep going Lloyd. This guys should be ashamed, but he is probably not. Yeah right he made a mistake. That is an unbelivable claim. This is so obviously against what is right. This is a great example of which side this congressman is on... his own and big business defrauding the government. I would consider 100 billion in small business funds going to big government contractors that should have gone to small business fits in below some where.
****WARNING or PREDICTION*****
"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience ... In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process."
-- President Dwight Eisenhower, farewell speech to the nation, January 17, 1961
Peace,
V
Love it! Thanks for making sure these government officials don't get away with the BS they've been doing for decades. Keep it up Lloyd!
It is amazing the lengths some people will go to cover their lies. I myself do not belief Griffth in his statement saying that he accidentally or unintentionally included the wrong language. Either he is a liar or someone is trying to sabbotage him (which is highly unlikely the case). He is just another example of a lying politician that does not deserve the office he is in. People vote for politicians because what they stand for is what the voter believes. In cases like these, yet again, the politician proves us wrong. How can we live in a country where the people don't even trust the Government.
I am so glad there is an organization like the American Small Business league to uncover these lies and make these crooked politicians face their consequences. What is this country coming to??
Parker Griffith is downright crooked! I'm tired of large businesses taking away business from me. It is funny when a company is considered a "small business" under certain NAICs code and has over 1000 employees and makes almost $3 billion dollars a year. This bill is another loop hole for large businesses to make more money.
The part that is sad is, Why the ASBL the only organization I am hearing this from. Why are not the the other organizations out there that are supposed to be helping small business right next to the ASBL, arm in arm, to end this corruption.
All us small businesses are very lucky that someone is watching. The best time to catch this kind of corruption is right at the beginning and source. I am glad the ASBL could shed light to a dismal government.
This guy is no stranger to financial conflict of interest. Check it out, he was released as a physician for not being very good AND he owns something like 13 funeral homes.
A Doctor who owns a funeral home trying to save lives is a pretty good conflict of financial interest. I could see him running out of vaccine in order to see his P&L go from red to black.
Right now he is trying to operate on the small business community and he is leaving a pair of tongs inside us, while he cuts with a rusty scalpel.
I think its funny. A man who is supposed to save lives gets money when they die from funeral homes, all thirteen of them. The same man who wants to save small business and is getting money when they die from large business...like Boeing and Lockheed...
Just doing something wrong once doesn't suit Griffith. Thirteen funeral homes, multiple large firms contributing to him...I guess its like my pappy always said, "Boy, if your going to do something wrong, do it right."
I call shenanigans.
Once again the American Small business League is the only group that is uncovering these problems AND fighting them. Where's the US Chamber of Commerce on this one? How about the NFIB? The Hispanic Chamber? The Women's Chamber?
Lloyd Chapman and the ASBL are the only people in the country that are working to right this wrong. If you have or work in a small business and work with the federal government, you should thank these guys for the work they are doing and the fact that you still have a company or a job.
Accidental data errors and "unintended consequences." seem to be a way of life for politicians and the SBA. In a country in which we praise the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and we are told to raise our children with morals and to always be honest and to know the difference between right and wrong. What type of example is being made by the elected officials of this country?
I know I am held accountable at my job, where is the accountability in these folks jobs? Do they go home and discipline their children for not unloading the dishwasher or doing their chores? I am willing to bet they do, then why don't they practice what they preach and set examples for the future leaders of this country!
Lloyd thank you for doing your part and fighting the fight for us "little people"
reminds me a lot of not-my-bud Cramer, who claimed he didn't know his district was that conservative when Wayne Parker almost beat him back in 1994... (or sometime near then) Yeah, right, Huntsville and the big defense presence... and you didn't know it was conservative?! And all the folks voting democrat because their union told them to are still very much pro-life for the most part. Idiot! No wonder Parker Griffith employs similar tactics. He's just following in not-my-bud's footsteps.
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I am glad to hear your opinion on Congressman Griffith, I think the more information that comes out on him, the more people will feel the same as you do. It heartens me to see people like you in America who are unwilling to stand by this kind of corruption or abuse of power.
I was unaware to the extent of the problems small businesses face...this is very interesting. and as for Griffith, I cant say I'm surprised. I have yet to see anything good come from him since I voted. I'm a proud man, but I'll admit. I made a mistake.
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Thomas Jefferson said "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." I appreciate you speaking out, and we have all made mistakes, so as long as we learn from them, it is worth it.
there should be a revolution, or at least serious campaign finance reform
Maybe the government should just finally take their jobs seriously
I agree, whatever happened to that sense of civic duty or civil service? Oh right, it got drowned in campaign contributions...
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I could not agree with you more. To quote Thomas Jefferson, "Every generation needs a new revolution." We have to remind our representatives in Congress that they are there to represent us and do what is best for the people and the country, not what is best for their wallets.
This man is my congressman. I actually voted for him (he was the democrat) He is a HUGE mistake. A Republican in Democrat's clothing. I am assured he will not be reelected, he will lose all the African American vote (he courted them by going to their churches, events, etc when running) since he has done nothing but go against everything he was elected to do.
It's funny how a HUGE mistake can come from a very small thinking man
I hate to admit it, but I held my nose and voted for him too. Nobody to blame but ourselves - we knew he was a failure as a doctor (lost his priveleges at the local hospital) and now he seems headed to even greater disaster as a Representative. He's opposed to health care reform - no surprise if you know anything about WHY he lost priveleges and have a look at his contributors. He's as slimy as they come. And he needs to go.
You know, I heard that in China, every year on average, around 2500 politicians are beaten or hung to death by the public. I say we all pitch in and send Parker Griffith to China on a "fact finding" mission...
Griffith makes me sick. I am tired of these goddamned politicians continuously abusing legislation to get their ulterior motives passed through while not even understanding the responsibility of their positions! We elect these people to protect us; we trust them to be our voices. To be the figureheads of our states and nation, and this is how we are repaid? By having these shining idols turn in the shadows and steal from us? I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m moving to Peru. Either fix it, or I’m getting out.
I call shenanigans.
I have had to struggle for government contracts and it makes me sick to think that my sweat and sacrifice is lining the pockets of large companies. This congressman is a great example of the corruption and stupidity bankrupting America.
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