Who Has a Dog in the Fight?
Bob Henderson & Al Brooks presented the following comments
Representative Zach Wamp has been a player in the DOE Oak Ridge Contractor's pension problem. He has given it more attention and done more than any other local legislator but no substantive progress has been made. Questions naturally arise about who are the other possible players that would be prejudiced against elder retirees.
| McDermott International | $48,450 |
| UT-Battelle | $18,624 |
|
|
$14,750 |
| McKee Foods Corp | $13,800 |
| UT Battelle | $13,250 |
| PMA Group | $12,900 |
| Okies Pharmacy | $11,800 |
| Bechtel Group | $11,500 |
| Restoration Services Inc | $11,500 |
| SunTrust Banks | $10,650 |
| City of |
$10,500 |
| CBL & Assoc | $10,300 |
| Jones Management Services | $10,200 |
| Credit Union National Assn | $10,000 |
| FedEx Corp | $10,000 |
| National Assn of Realtors | $10,000 |
| National Auto Dealers Assn | $10,000 |
| Northrop Grumman | $10,000 |
| Card-Monroe Corp | $9,350 |
| Lawler-Wood Inc | $9,350 |
The adjacent table contains a list of the top contributors to Rep. Zach Wamp,(R/TN). It represents money passed from the corporation to its Political Action Committee and then to Wamp. UT/Battelle is the second largest contributor to Zach giving a total of $31,874. It is clear that they are an important player. While this is probably all legal, it is a little disturbing to find that one of the outspoken antagonists to the retiree's requests is the second largest contributor to the political war chest of the retiree's best hope for legislation intervention.
This should not be taken as a criticism of Zach for it is the way our government is run. The retirees would be less than human if they did not wonder if the playing field is level. It may suggest that the mode of operation should be revised. The immediate problem is: how do the retirees deal with it. We suggest that it is by more letter writing to as many people as might do some good.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:40 am
It would be good information for retirees if Brooks and Henderson could investigate and post contributions to the Tennessee Senators Alexander and Corker and the other local district Congressmen, John Duncan and Lincoln Davis.