Alva Review-Courier -

Brother Jack told me he had looked up lobbying costs in the USA, and the figures were staggering. I looked it up and it is more criminal than staggering.

You think the cost of developing medicines is why your drugs cost plenty? For 2018 the drug industries spent $281.47 million dollars on lobbying efforts. Insurance companies (remember the cost of it going up every year?) spent $157.8 million wooing politicians to not lower your rates. On down the list were oil and gas, $124.84 million; electric utilities, $122.11 million; and hospitals/nursing homes, $100.96 million.

There are several more, but these give you the idea. The lobbyists spent 3.4 billion dollars wooing our leaders in 2018; no wonder all senators are millionaires. Even as honest as I try to be, if I were given a choice of a cut of over a billion dollars or doing what is best for the people that elected me, I would quiver a bit. The bums we have now don't even quiver as they sell us down the river.

And wonder of all wonders, many leaders go to work for the very companies that they gave the most concessions to after public office. What needs to be done is abolish lobbying. Let the politicians earn their money by looking into what they are voting on from a perspective of how it is best for the people of our country. Unfortunately, there is probably a lobby group just waiting to stop me from getting the lobbyists gone.

The sign at the show building says, “happy hour all day long on carry out drinks.” I think this is cool because if I get thirsty in the night a drink is just a call away. I told Matt about the sign and asked for his phone number. He gave it to me and said he was a light sleeper, so call anytime.

Sure enough, I got really thirsty for a show building tea the other night and placed the call. I told the voice I was waiting to get into the show building, and he said wait right there for him. The police showed up. Instead of a drink, they handcuffed me, and as they were putting me in the squad car, I woke up and realized I have an addiction to Rialto tea!

A weasel walks into a bar. The bartender says "Wow, I've never served a weasel before. What can I get you?" "Pop," goes the weasel.