Baptists and Bootleggers Make Strange Bedfellows
Most laws are passed with good intentions, but often bootleggers are lurking in the background. These unethical parties get rich off the good intentions of others.
Baptist were delighted when politicians banned Sunday liquor sales and so were bootleggers.For the Baptist it purified the Lord’s day and for the bootleggers it meant more sales. So baptist were in compete agreement with a law that enriched the bootleggers and they gave money to the politicians that passed the law. Many well intentioned laws are passed to the same effect.
In the 1970′a sulfur dioxide from Midwestern power caused acid rain to fall on the Northeast. The public demanded cleaner air. The most obvious solution was to tax smokestack emissions but congress didn’t impose a tax. It required expensive scrubbers on every smoke stack. The manufacture of the scrubbers joined with environmentalists in lobbying for the scrubbers and became richer. Again the Baptists and the bootleggers.
West Virginia coal companies were the worst bootlegger all. By pushing the scrubbers for utility companies , Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia was able to preserve the market for West Virginia’s dirtier high sulfur coal. Thus cleaner air was bought at an unusually high cost. The environmentalists were happy, the West Virginia coal companies were happy, and the scrubber manufacture were happiest of all. Another example of the Baptists and the bootleggers:
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Politics continues to make strange bedfellows with tobacco. Back in 1996 State Children’s Health Insurance Program was to subsidize health care for those families whose income exceeded the requirement for Medicaid but was not enough to purchase health insurance. it was confined to families with incomes no more than 200 % above the poverty line. Now congress has expanded that to 300%.This will be paid for by an increase in the federal cigarette tax, from .39 to $1.01 per pack. The Baptist are the majority of Americans who want to help children and punish tobacco companies. The bootleggers are the tobacco companies who produce the cigarettes and trial lawyers who are still taking in millions from the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998.
As voters we pay little attention to what makes the political world go round, on the other hand bootleggers do. They have a big stake in the decisions made in Washington. They keep a watchful eye on all the particulars. Many well intentioned regulations have bootleggers in the landscape. Self interest and unsavory parties who take money from the good intentions of others.
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User Comments
Betty Carew
On February 26, 2009 at 8:40 am
Ruby this is unbelievable but I know it’s true it seems overwhelming as what to do about this, where would one start? I’m sure it’s happening all over the world in every political arena. Great article Ruby
Daisy Peasblossom
On February 26, 2009 at 8:57 am
Loved the metaphor, and the well researched details of every subsequent “baptist & bootlegger”. Perhaps this comes under the “be careful what you wish for” heading? Enjoyed this one very much!
Joe Dorish
On February 26, 2009 at 8:58 am
So true!
Chris Stonecipher
On February 26, 2009 at 9:12 am
Yes, the government certainly goes over the top with certain issues. Too much government actually. Your title certainly caught my attention. this is excellently written.
Darla Smith
On February 26, 2009 at 9:47 am
A very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
Karen Gross
On February 26, 2009 at 10:19 am
Morality vs human nature. Seems like human nature wins every time. If not for human nature, even communism could be a utopia!
Why do we rebel at doing what is good for everyone?
CHAN LEE PENG
On February 26, 2009 at 10:20 am
In the arena of politic, its very usual to see unethical parties get rich off the good intentions of others. Great work!
jewelofmine
On February 26, 2009 at 10:37 am
Well written, and very true.
Christine Ramsay
On February 26, 2009 at 10:48 am
This certainly seems all wrong. You have put the argument over so well Ruby. Good work.
Christine
Mys Lyke Meeh
On February 26, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Informative…
Joni Keith
On February 26, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Yep, this bootlegger/baptist thing has been going on since time began. A well oiled machine that just keeps turning. Great article.
Vikram Chhabra
On February 26, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Very well researched. Introduced me to things I did not know…
Louie Jerome
On February 26, 2009 at 5:49 pm
An excellent article. Very interesting stuff.
Judy Sheldon
On February 26, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Catchy title. It sure got my attention. Ruby, you presented your facts well.
Shirley Shuler
On February 26, 2009 at 8:01 pm
You are so right Ruby, it’s a sad fact of life, but true!!
Clay Hurtubise
On February 26, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Very well done, interesting and informative.
Thanks,
Clay
papaleng
On February 26, 2009 at 9:31 pm
nice article and great insight but Politics has its own play..
Sharazad
On February 26, 2009 at 10:32 pm
This is brilliant and enlightening, Ruby.
I am stumbling this.
Melody Arcamo Lagrimas
On February 26, 2009 at 10:37 pm
An insightful, thought-provoking piece…very well-written.
JOSELITO B BISENIO
On February 26, 2009 at 11:19 pm
it’s educational, informative, enlightening, interesting…
what else can i say? it’s a consensus that this article is really great!!
thanks for a nice post ms ruby…
Sandra Tapia
On February 26, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Now this is one of those often circulated converstions that never make it to print. Hurray for you, excellent piece.
jo oliver
On February 27, 2009 at 12:03 am
Ruby,
Love the title. Very well presented article. You make a very good point, and I must agree that often the best intentions produce “oops” results.
On the tobacco tax for CHIPS, I really disagree with lawmakers trying to make JUST tobacco users pay the increase in CHIPS. It is wrong to isolate one vice and make them pay higher taxes. Either spread the tax around to all the vices-alcohol, tobacco, pornography, etc…. or find a different method of paying for CHIPS. Why should just tobacco users take on the increase tax?
Unofre Pili
On February 27, 2009 at 12:09 am
A dedicated write-up. This is a piece a prevalent social malady.
Kate Smedley
On February 27, 2009 at 2:01 am
Fascinating article, thanks for sharing this.
Anne McNew
On February 27, 2009 at 4:01 am
good work ruby. well written piece
BC Doan
On February 27, 2009 at 6:26 am
Very interesting presentation, Ruby!
Anna Storer
On February 27, 2009 at 7:13 am
And it is oh so painfully obvious that is Money , not love that makes the world go round.
CutestPrincess
On February 27, 2009 at 10:28 am
you’re right! great job!
PR Mace
On February 27, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Ruby, you said it all. Well done.
Ruby Hawk
On February 27, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Thank you all for your opinions on this subject. It’s a sad fact that in Washington one hand washes the other. In spite of the best intentions almost every good law that is passed has a payoff to a bootlegger somewhere.
complexbanana
On February 27, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Very informative article, it’s so sad that the world has come to this.
rutherfranc
On February 27, 2009 at 11:38 pm
this was an eye-opener.. thanks for sharing.
V Frost
On March 1, 2009 at 9:11 am
very interesting and well written. I really like this!
Gerlaine
On March 3, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Very interesting. Its the Yin and Yang of change, so to speak.
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