Pubdate: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 Source: Eugene Weekly (OR) Copyright: 2002 Eugene Weekly Contact: http://www.eugeneweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/136 Author: Ethen Perkins and Sara Alevizos VISION OF JUSTICE Treat corrupt CEOs like arrested drug dealers. Light, cushy, often- appealed prison terms are puny punishment when a multi-millionaire CEO cooks the books, profits from insider trading or buys politicians. Confiscating drug dealers' assets feeds our ceaseless, ineffectual war on drugs. Confiscation might work better on the crooked criminals in boardrooms and vice-presidential suites. Their self-serving, immoral actions are no less perpetual or damaging. Why not freeze and eventually confiscate indicted CEO's assets, then return them to cheated investors, retirees and employees? Those millions and billions might even help balance disproportionate taxation of middle and low income individuals and families. After Enron, WorldCom, Martha Stewart and Dennis Kozlowski, will anyone be surprised if the stock market "adjusts" from lower investor confidence? After the Bush appointment (er, election), is anyone surprised by voter apathy when our "democracy" seems farcical? Voting, even when counted, merely endorses the fat cats' already purchased representatives of both parties. If I had several hundred millions, I might make a few campaign contributions for income and tax avoidance insurance. Or as a drug dealer, I might make a few bribes to stay in business... What's the real difference here? The CEO's bribes are mostly legal. Once indicted for cooking books or insider trading, the CEO can afford a better lawyer. One day perhaps poor criminals will get enough money to hire the best lawyers and CEOs will have to make do with overworked public defenders. That would be one vision of justice. Ethen Perkins Eugene - ---------------------------------------------------- Are You Ready? I was pleased to see that the EW (6/27) finally gave some attention to my husband (governor candidate Richard Alevizos). They missed a few salient points, though. Richard represents the majority of Oregon (more so than any Green candidate). He's bilingual, representing the Latino population. He is a working class father-to-be who voted for medical marijuana and is not affiliated with any party. Combine these groups and you have the majority. Like many Oregonians, he is sick and tired of living in a "democracy" that isn't a true democracy. We need change. Hemp could bring our government and the way we live to a new level. Hemp would solve all of our environmental concerns. Legalizing hemp would start the revolution we need to bring about environmental changes in other ways. Legalizing hemp is the first step in saying ...we, not the government, are in control of our lives. So many people complain about the way everything is. But when someone comes along willing and ready to be a representative of the change they so badly want, they find every excuse in the book for why it can't work. People like my husband will just have to wait. He will sit back and listen to the complaints about how we really need change and know that this year could be it; all these people really need to do is rally behind him and make it happen. Anything is possible. The voices of change could have a voice this year. Are they ready to make it happen? Sara Alevizos Eugene - --- MAP posted-by: Beth