This week, I did something I've really never done in my newspaper column - I went for the full-on, all-out sarcasm/satire to make a point about our economy and our corrupt campaign finance system. You can read the column here.
Without ruining the column, let's just say I try to put on my best Billy Mays. In the get-rich-quick infomercial that has become our economy, it seems the best, highest-yield investment of all isn't in any stock or business plan, it's in politicians and political operatives. Buy a share of Permanent Washington, and you are almost guaranteed to make astronomical profit margins - 22,000 percent or higher, in many cases.
It's a sad commentary, but it's also, unfortunately, rooted in verifiable fact. And the more we expose it, the more we're able to discuss ways of fixing this systemic problem. And remember, there are efforts to fix the problem - everything from the Change Congress initiative to efforts to pass public financing of elections.
The column relies on grassroots support - and because of that support, it is getting wider and wider circulation (a big thank you to all who have helped with that). So if you'd like to see my column regularly in your local paper, use this directory to find the contact info for your local editorial page editors. Get get in touch with them and point them to my Creators Syndicate site. Thanks, as always, for your ongoing readership and help contacting local editors. This column couldn't be what it is without your help.