Free Lunch - How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense

I'm reading "Free Lunch - How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You With The Bill)". By David Cay Johnston.

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Other blog posts about this book:

Do you think it really matters whether a politician is a Democrat or a Republican?

Pg. 115 Quote: Because of Cassidy's long success (at lobbying Democrats and Republicans) and the many who have come along emulating his approach, Robert G. Kaiser made him the focus of a 25-part Washington Post series on how lobbying really works. The series showed how there is only one party in Washington, the party of money. Cassidy allowed that it was not worth arguing whether the influence of the ruch has grown mightily in Washington, while there are no lobbies for the migrant farm workers he had once championed, no lobyists with big expense accoutns to lobby for Joe and Jane Sixpack and their kids.

Pg. 116 Quote: The federal government spends about $5 million per minute. Arranging to divert even a few seconds of this spending to a client will justify a job, and one who can capture a few minutes will live very well indeed.
Pg. 118 Mark Baker, CEO of Gander Mountain, a company distinguished by it's opposition to handouts and to fight giveaways to its competitors. It was once offered $54 million to put a store in Reno, a $360/sq ft. subsidy on a store costing only $230/sq ft. Baker says, Quote: "Why should some mayor or group representatives of some city or county decide who the right retailer is for their town?" he asked. "Government is not in charge of commerce. People should be making those decisions, not governemnt. Customers get to vote every day and if you take care of customers they vote for you and if don't then they vote for someone else. People have become totally confused about the role of government."
Pg. 120 Talking about ending subsidies, you find that state economic development officials are unimpressed. After all, giving away money is their job Local politicians are so desperate that they will listen to anyone who promises to save them, no matter how foolish the plan or how senseless the economics.
Pg. 121 Buffalo is a city awash in subsidized projects. Warren Buffet, who owns the Buffalo News, got $100 million in government giveaways to open a call center for his GEICO General Insurance Company, the one that uses cavemen and a talking lizard to pitch its products. A special subsidy zone had to be created just to lavish the money on Buffet. The call center cost $40 million. So, basically, Buffett's company is getting back what it invested and the collecting a $60 million gift from state and local taxpayers. The caller center may eventually create 2,500 jobs. If that happens the subsidy would equal $40,000 per job, which is more than a year's pay and benefits for each of the call center workers.