FFTP Editor Steven Thompson’s comments: Plain and simple? Former Louisiana Governor and former U.S. Congressman Buddy Roemer should be allowed to participate in the Republican primary debates. Neither the RNC or Mainstream Media have constitutional authority to exclude legitimate candidates who are seeking public office. CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNBC, PBS should all be joining C-SPAN in providing equal time to candidate Roemer.

Pasted from Candidate Buddy Roemer’s Presidential Website @ buddyroemer.com

Gov. Roemer Gets Local Support To Be Included in GOP Debates

Written by: Steven Thompson
Editor, Freedom From The Press

The final Republican debate is now history prior to the Iowa caucuses. This event was sponsored and controlled by Fox News. The first hour, time was distributed evenly among the remaining seven candidates. During the second hour, at least two domestic topics were asked to all of the candidates except Ron Paul, these topics were about energy and immigration policy…

During a lively discussion on foreign policy, in my mind, Ron Paul won this debate when he said that Democrats are all about entitlements (government sponsored welfare) while Republicans are all about war (feeding the military industrial complex)… For most of the debate, Ron Paul won applause from the Iowans in attendance. That said, the room went cold when Paul spoke out against using Americas military might to control assets and territories outside of our U.S. borders…

Are Republicans in denial? Economically, can we continue our role of being the worlds policeman? I agree with Ron Paul, unless attacked, American forces should stay out of Iran… If the Iranians threaten the free world with the use of nuclear arms there are several regional countries that can deal with Iran, including Israel…

In addition, being an Independent, Ron Paul has my support and vote if he ends up running for President outside of the Republican party…

12/16/2011 -Ron Paul visits to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (click link to view video clips) and states, “My favorite U.S. President is Grover Cleveland, a Democrat who believed in limited government and the use of the veto.” Thank you! Mr. Leno for being brave enough to invite Ron Paul to your show… I sincerely hope that you don’t pay too high a price for allowing Ron Paul the necessary access to educate America on where he’s stands on the issues and why all Americans should support Ron Paul for President…

Written by: Steven Thompson
Editor, FFTP

Here’s a quote from this mornings fundraiser letter from Ron Paul 2012, “And I am the only candidate with a plan for a one-year, trillion-dollar spending cut and a balanced budget within one term. But it’s up to you and me to make sure the voters understand the facts. We certainly can’t count on the national media to do that job!”

If there’s ever been an issue that needs to go viral-in-America it’s this…

U.S. Elections are 100% corrupted by corporations and the one percents (1%) money. Furthermore, What are the 99% doing to fix it?

Two Ads, Two States, One Million $$$, most of which ends up in the hands of broadcast radio and television networks, also referred to as the MSM on this and other “truth based” websites…

 Summary

FACT: Our Political Process Is Corrupted By Big Money, How Do We Fix It?

SOLUTION: That’s easy, Make This Pledge, To Yourself And Country…

“I for one will only support and vote for federal candidates who will make the following statement binding and forever lasting policy as part of the FCC licensing process for all broadcast media outlets.”

Political Advertising will be FREE OF CHARGE for ALL CANDIDATES and ISSUES during ANY ELECTION where such candidates or issues appear on the official ballot. Failure to follow this policy will result in the termination of any or all FCC licenses held by such media outlet(s) or media network(s)… The end goal is to remove all profiteering from broadcast media in all U.S. Elections…

With this policy in place and full enforcement guaranteed, elections across these United States of America will finally become free and open to all who wish to proudly serve their nation, state, or community… Of, By and For “The People”… Without regard to personal wealth or personal/professional alliances…

You don’t like? Click the title, use the comment box to join the discussion and help make the solution better…

90 seconds.

That’s how much of the first hour of tonight’s GOP debate was given to [Congressman] Ron Paul. 90 measly seconds out of 3,600 seconds.

The remaining 3,510 seconds were spent with the other major candidates:

** Declaring their desire to start wars in Iran, Pakistan, and Syria;

** Rehashing their support for torture;

** Agreeing that President Obama has the right to unilaterally assassinate an American citizen without a court conviction;

** Explaining their plans to continue nation-building, policing, and occupying countries across the globe.

It literally made me sick watching the mainstream media once again silence the one sane voice in this election. The one dissenter to a decade of unchecked war. The one candidate who stands for true defense and actual constitutional government.

Ron Paul was silenced, in perhaps the most important debate of the cycle.

You have to ask yourself why.

I think I know the answer. Both parties have perpetuated the foreign policy that is bankrupting our nation and tearing apart the world.

Both parties have started wars without proper congressional authorization.

Both parties have fabricated reasons for war.

Both parties’ outrageous spending has taken us to the brink of disaster.

And if the other candidates on the stage tonight are to be believed, then there is only one candidate who would break the globalists’ stranglehold over our foreign policy, our Treasury, and the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors in the armed forces.

Ron Paul could change history. He could save our great nation from its own devastating policies of the past 10 years.

If his voice could be heard.

The media has once again BLACKED OUT Ron Paul.

Will you let it stand??

After almost two days, our Veterans Day Weekend Money Bomb has raised $758,977.

No doubt, that is a powerful total.

But it is not enough. I have met with our accountants and media team, and we have determined we must raise an additional $500,000 in the next 24 hours to be able to run the ads and mail the letters we need in the next 10 days.

I know $500,000 more is a lot to ask.

But you just saw what we are up against.

The policies of unlimited war, torture, and bankruptcy were given 3,510 seconds to be heard in one televised hour of tonight’s foreign policy debate.

Ron Paul was given 90 seconds.

Peace was ignored. A sane national defense policy was shut out.

Rational spending and our Constitution were thrown out the window.

Only you can help make this right.

We can complain all we want, but the reality is this: the other side wins this debate – and their foreign policy carries the day – unless Ron Paul can break through.

As Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton said in a press release issued immediately after the debate, “CBS News, in their arrogance, may think they can choose the next President. Fortunately, the people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and across America get to vote and not the media elites.”

But Ron Paul needs you to help him reach those voters and WIN this race.

Can I count on you tonight?

Can Ron count on you over the next 24 hours?

Please help us fight back by clicking HERE right now to donate.

I hope you are as fed up and outraged as I am.

If you are, you will redouble your efforts to help Ron succeed on a night where the establishment did its best to shut out a veteran, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the leading spokesman for a strong national defense.

For Liberty,

John Tate

Written by: Steven Thompson
Editor, Freedom From The Press

http://www.freedomfromthepress.net

Prior to the rise of the Internet, many important news stories were once ignored or heavily twisted to fit a certain result or agenda. Many lesser, underfunded newsrooms would simply use the local newspaper(s)-of-record for their daily content. The same could be said for local and some national talk shows. If the story made the paper is was covered by radio news and talk radio. If a story was ignored by the local paper it all too often went under-reported or not reported at all. This manipulation of the news-of-the-day became common in communities across America. If stories weren’t included in the newspaper they simply didn’t happen.

Without the Internet, would the MSM (Mainstream Media) be covering the Occupy Wall Street movement? Or, would tomorrow’s National Transfer Day be receiving national media attention? Just tonight, I heard a major network news agency going after Members of Congress for their lofty government pensions. The reporter went onto state that a congressional hearing would take place in January of 2012 to discuss the congressional pension issue. WOW! Would the MSM  be interested in covering or promoting such a hearing if the power of the Internet didn’t exist?

Everywhere I turn, today’s (late 2011) MSM appears to have cleaned up their act. In Washington state, where I reside, network news affiliates are covering corrupt policemen for lying to government investigators in a case where the use of excessive force killed a retarded citizen (Google “Otto Zehm”).

Time will tell if the MSM can remain focused on public and government accountability. We’ve needed this shot of public trust and honesty for many years and I can only hold out hope that it will continue for all time.

Thank you! World Wide Web and those of you who are currently paying attention. Now, get out there and make a difference. If your bank or insurance company defrauded the public and then accepted bailout money, change banks and move your policies to a company you can trust. If your public officials violated your trust by providing government handouts to those who needed them least, vote them out and refuse to support businesses that received any direct benefits at the public’s expense. This would include shopping centers or sports stadiums that our municipal governments can no longer afford to maintain.

Many Americans, for better or for worse, are consumers of domestic MSM news. On television, a multitude of remembering 911 shows began airing over a week ago. I couldn’t help but watch as the tragic events of 911 were once again televised. However, unlike prior years, American media companies decided to broadcast video of civilians falling to their death from the upper levels of the twin towers. Why? What purpose does this graphic footage serve? The cynic in me is now very worried about future 911 anniversaries and what the MSM will stoop to broadcast…the thought of watching innocent people (jumpers) upon impact is very very troubling…

Written by: Bruce Field

brfield@hotmail.com

Summary of City of Denver Corruption

Like Bell, California, the city of Denver, Colorado (to quote Mr. Ralph Nader) “has a local government which has proven to be citizen-proof, media proof, city-council proof and even leak-proof from inside its self-enriching top officialdom”.  But Denver’s “Officialdom” does it in a much more covert, fraudulent and abusive manner than Bell.

Get this disturbing fact; the millionaire former mayor (now Governor) of Denver (John Hickenlooper) has personally appointed all the members of the Water Board Commission; these five people, (primarily lawyers and developers) illegally control the largest public water system in Colorado. They in turn approve in lockstep, all the contracts, bonds and rate increases they are given, which many are overpriced or unneeded. If a citizen protests, they are intimidated, belittled or ignored. Isn’t it illegal for a mayor and five friends to control a public water utility?  Not it Denver!

This organized theft of taxpayer funds is very entrenched, well planned, and covert and has been taking millions of dollars for years from the Denver metro citizens. This covert organization has disturbing political protection. The police, the district attorney office and the state attorney general won’t investigate it when it was reported to them by letter and/or in person. When members of the city council of this large city were informed of the fraud by letter and in person, they claimed no responsibility to look into the manner and then lied about their responsibilities to the citizens. As did the over paid city auditor (Dennis Gallagher) and his key staff. When the local media was informed by direct meetings or phone calls, they ignored the serious problems and lied also. This includes reporters at the bankrupted Denver Post and major TV networks. See a pattern like Bell?

So similar to the city of Bell, when these few corrupt City of Denver officials control the money, the media, the city council and the law enforcement, what is there to stop this large-scale fraud? Nothing, so it has gone on for years, at the expense and abuse of the U.S. taxpayer, Denver metro citizen and the abused city workers. If you report this huge fraud, safety violations or other abuses, you are ignored, threatened, fired and stifled by a gang of corrupt attorneys from either the city and/ or the water utility.

You would expect expressions of shock and dismay from the elected people, the so-called, senators and congressional representatives of Colorado (Michael Bennett, Mark Udall, Diane DeGette and Ed Perlmutter). All four have been informed of the corruption by letter or in person by concerned Denver metro citizens, but ignored the problem, refused to address it and/or lied in violation of their oaths of office. The former governor (Bill Ritter) office was informed as well and claimed no jurisdiction to look into the crimes. This is a lie as well.  A reasonable person would be concerned what these high paid elected officials are getting to ignore this and keep quiet.

The Water Board Commission (the five friends of the mayor) just recently, unanimously approved a water rate increase, even though numerous metro Denver citizens complained about problems of fraud, safety violations, employee abuse and numerous other problems. The rate increase was unneeded and a few managers at the water utility fabricated the justification.  These millions of dollars in overcharges will be used to pay for exorbitant contracts to benefactors of the fraud, like the  $7,360,148 paid to the URS Corporation to do a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) report on an unneeded dam project. With about $2.22 million in Phase V to; “provide responses to comments on the DEIS, revise the DEIS and then prepare the Final EIS”. This is an outrage.

At least a dozen employees in the Denver City Hall know of this corruption and chose not to talk or leak the news over the years. The city newspapers, TV and radio stations as mentioned, do nothing to dig it out. The city council knows, but is compromised by its involvement in the corruption; each gets about $337,000 each year for salary, expenses and staff, other large Colorado cities paid only $6,250/ year! None of the town gadflies or skeptics bothered to reveal these problems. A gutsy, smart construction inspector with 20 years experience was fired for reporting construction project fraud in Sept. 2008; an ethical project auditor was fired in Feb. 2009 for not going along with the fraud.  Another brave city employee, who reported the fraud abuses within his department, was sent home on “house arrest” and then laid off in Nov. 2009. See a pattern of cover-up and abuse? You would think, all that is needed to bring this to light was one or two people blowing the whistle. Bu!
t in Denver, you report fraud by city officials and no one hears it, because the media is corrupted and controlled. So your reward is media silence or biased reporting, illegal retaliation, abuse and termination. Here in mile high Denver, the millionaire former mayor and his staff covertly promote intimation and fear to keep your job and cover-up their corruption; what a place to work and live! Report corruption and get beat-up and down for it by the local media, elected officials and a gang of attorneys who stifle voices and cover-up the fraud and other abuses.

Please note, this fraud and other information is not opinion. Its arithmetic-crisp numbers and facts that can easily be shown to be well planned, covert abuse by anyone willing to listen and learn in a few minutes. The safety violations, employee abuses and other problems can easily be shown to be occurring as well by numerous concerned citizens.

To arouse the citizens in Denver they need an ethical source to investigate this and expose this ongoing corruption. Obviously, no agency locally will do any thing to expose this abuse, in this clearly organized crime controlled town. What is at stake is the continued organized theft of millions of dollars each year from the U.S. taxpayer, Denver metro citizens, thousands of employees are exposed to an unsafe and abusive work environment, water quality is compromised and the poorest and elderly in Denver get ripped off the most. They certainly cannot afford this abuse! More details can be provided by numerous concerned citizens, who just want high quality water and the right to job and a clean, healthy environment without fear of loss of work, health, being intimidation or abuse by corrupt, greedy attorneys, officials or managers involved in organized theft.

The saving grace in Bell is that, once they found out, folks rushed in protest to the crowded city council meeting and the perpetrators will now be held accountable. But how can people in any city be outraged if it isn’t investigated and reported to them from a worthy source?  If you care about your water system, you need to find out; who actually controls the water in your city? Is it private or public? Does the mayor appoint all the people who control the water system? Are these people there because they have outside agendas? Where does the revenue-generated money go? What are the actual expenses? Is it safe to drink? Why are bonds being issued? If employees reports problems, are they threatened or fired? Is your local media corrupted?  If you have not asked these questions, then you may already have the water corruption existing in Denver; a public water system covertly privatized to illegally benefit the millionaire former mayor and his friends with help from the media!
, law enforcement and any others.  People have a right to clean water and at the lowest cost possible anywhere in the world, including Denver. In addition we as U.S. citizens have the right to expect Federal agencies to investigate this huge corruption problem aggressively and in the best interest of the Public they are paid by. No evidence  currently shows anything has been done to protect the citizens by any Federal agency.

Name: Bruce Field
Email: brfield@hotmail.com

How To Beat The Mainstream Press? This is the number one question I hear on a regular basis. All of those who are paying attention fully understand that the mainstream press is owned and controlled by big corporations. In America, absolute media control is especially true during what are supposed to be open and fair elections for public office. Candidates with tons of money get all the headlines while candidates who place more time and attention to policy, rather than fund-raising, are all too often ignored. The whole political process has become corrupted, you know it and I know it. That said, what have we done in the past, present, or future to restore our faith in our political institutions? The truth? We’ve done little if anything to clean house.

If you haven’t noticed, FFTP, from time-to-time has offered real solutions. So, let’s look at the big question that began this piece and see where the conversation goes.

In the Inland Northwest, where I reside, several non-commercial radio licenses have been applied for or already granted. The key word I want you to focus on is “non-commercial”. This is what NPR and PBS once were. Big corporations noticed this crack in their armor and have recently decided to become major funders of NPR and PBS. What does this mean? Think of National Public Radio as being, National Corporate Public Radio (NCPR) and, PBS would now be, CPBS. Are you still giving money to NPR or PBS? If yes, Why? They don’t need your money. NPR and PBS are receiving major funding from the very same sources as ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

Does your community have a small non-commercial radio station? If yes, the majority within your community have access to non-biased broadcasting if you’ll only choose to nurture and support these non-commercial stations. A simple sentence within the non-commercial radio stations charter could prevent unwanted corporate influence. NPR and PBS have made the decision to drink the corporate cool aid. NPR and PBS can be replaced if the people within their communities choose to get involved.

Summary: Tune In to Non-Commercial radio and, Tune Out to those who have sold their soul for corporate treasure.

Here’s a small list of non-commercial radio stations. Some are already on the air while others are pending. If you want to add a non-commercial station from your community simply include it in your comments.

88.9 FM – KVRZ Serving most of Lincoln County, Montana

102.7 FM – MyChewelah.org FCC application – Pending – Soon to be serving Stevens County, WA.

A political friend of FFTP (alaskawarrior) recently asked, “Why did the Tea Party fizzle west of the Rocky Mountains?”

Great question! Perhaps someone out there has an informed opinion? If so, please chime in… As for my knowledge, the Tea Party doesn’t exist in the Pacific Northwest… Yes, there are local members of Campaign for Liberty out west but, the only time I’ve heard reference to the “Tea Party” is from my very limited attention given to MSM propaganda outlets, aka network news companies… yuk…

This question was recently asked on Town Hall U.S.A seen on Fox News. I searched their (Fox News) web site but found nothing. Not only was this all important question (Will “new” Republican’s “Prosecute the Banksters”?) missing but in doing so, the public was denied their ability to make their comments known. You, Fox News, asked the big question on-the-air, which we appreciate but, not on the web. What’s that all about?

Hey, Fox News… American business and political leaders should never be placed above the rule-of-law. As a fair-and-balanced media company, Fox News should be asking Congress to appoint William K. Black as a special, independent, Federal Prosecutor. Mr. Black should be provided with full subpoena power, the required resources and, open “public hearings” for the investigation and prosecution of all who have knowingly committed criminal acts of financial fraud.

As a result of last Tuesday’s mid-term elections, Fox News Television pundits say, “American’s want real change in Washington.” Hello, this American wants real accountability and leaders that are interested in restoring the public’s respect of government.

Thank you Free Speech TV for broadcasting this film. FSTV is available on Dish Network, a must have for honest news.

Political Corruption in America begins and ends with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). By design, this governmental agency sets “communications policy” for the sitting President. FCC policy doesn’t seem to change regardless of whether or not a Democrat or Republican holds the office of President of the United States of America.

Since the advent of broadcast television and radio, the FCC, with full support and leadership from both political parties (Democrat and Republican) have all but destroyed our most precious right as American citizens. What right am I speaking of? Our right to vote in an open and free democratic election.

Yes, us mere citizens can still vote but who are we really voting for? Is there any “real difference” between the “media supported” candidates? And who or what determines within the American media establishment which candidates are the best and brightest for Americas political future?

Flip on any major radio or television news channel and you’ll hear the same old tune that’s created 16 million unemployed Americans. You’ll also hear how billions of U.S. dollars are being wasted to bailout Ivy league scam artists who happen to head up some of Americas biggest financial institutions which include yet another corrupted, bi-partisan led government agency, the U.S. Department of Treasury.

What you wont hear on any major news broadcast is real debate from real citizens. Unfiltered news and real public debate would go a long way into fixing most of Americas political problems. Imagine open and fair media access to any and all U.S. citizens interested in fixing our government from Main Street to the halls of Congress.

Real political reform will only happen in America when federal agencies such as the FCC become depoliticized. In 2010, we have news channels, movie channels, sports channels, shopping channels and sex channels. We even have a “liquidation” channel. All of this programming begs the question, Why Don’t We Have “Election” channels that provide free and open access to all who wish to make America a better country for All Americans?

Written by: Steven Thompson, editor
Freedom From The Press

For the last two years I’ve grown and learned as a person and citizen by watching Free Speech TV. This channel is 100% supported by “We The People”. There are no corporate advertisers that influence what NEWS is being covered or not covered on FSTV. As you can clearly see by those who have taken time to vote in our polls, over 94% have lost faith in the mainstream press, and with very good reason.

What you get on a daily basis on FSTV is 100% populism. FSTV is American Democracy in Action. Daily American political shows include Laura Flanders GRITtv, Thom Hartmann, and Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now. Yes, at times I won’t agree with a particular issue and how it’s being portrayed. That said, neither will I agree with everything I hear and see on CNN or Fox News or MSNBC.

Do yourself and America a BIG favor. Get FSTV, even if it means dumping DirecTV and installing Dish Network. If you’re on Cable and not sure if FSTV is offered in your area, click here and see if you’re on the broadcast list. If not, call your cable operator and ask for FSTV. If they decline, call Dish Network.

Free Speech TV, it’s a breath of fresh air without the daily arrogance of over paid MSM news anchors or pundits. FSTV, a must have for Independents, Populists and Progressives. And NO, I’m not employed or being paid to write this recommendation. It’s from the heart and soul of a very concerned citizen who’s attempting to make a serious difference in saving America from corporate oppression and tyranny.

Submitted by: Mark A. Adams JD/MBA

ACTION ITEM
 
Bay News 9 is conducting a poll about your opinion of President Obama after his State of Union speech.
Please go to this site http://www.baynews9.com/iPolls.html and place your vote, and don’t miss the comments.

Attention: All Conservative Republicans… The corporate propaganda machine is running in full spin cycle. When President Obama says, “the last eight years,” he’s absolutely correct and here’s the proof that was written and sponsored by former Texas Republican Phil Gramm. Please keep in mind, I’m not a liberal democrat nor am I a corporate lapdog.

Our economic mess began in 1999… In the early 2000′s, Several state AG’s traveled to Washington DC pleading to the Comptroller of the Currency to regulate predatory lending… The Bush administration sided with those who were reaping enormous profits (banks, mortgage companies, investment securities companies, insurance companies, lobbyist, lawyers, RE developers, RE agents, appraisers, title companies, etc…)…

S-900 was Republican deregulation that Clinton and most democrats at that time agreed with… Barack Obama was nowhere near Washington DC in 1999. Checkout the voting records of the 106th. Congress…

House

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h1999-570

Senate

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s1999-354

Both parties were wrong in overturning Glass-Steagall… Both parties are responsible for the outcome… President Obama is saying that when the states began noticing a real problem Bush should of done something…

As a side note, Washington DC lobbyist flooded Georgia in 2002 to defeat Gov. Roy Barnes(D) who wrote and passed the Georgia Fair Lending Act (GFLA)… This act held those holding bundled predatory loans (derivatives) liable if they went into default, this included Fannie and Freddie. Big K-Street and Wall Street money defeated Gov. Barnes and the newly elected Republican Governor gutted the GFLA in early 2003 shortly after being sworn in…

http://www.hd.net/cgi-perl/transcripts_send_word_doc.pl?id=A5486

On Thursday afternoon, during a live conservative radio talk show, I called in to debate this very same point with a GOP cheerleader who was following the standard GOP talking points that consumed like minded conservative programming. When the hosts realized that I had him beat on substance I was abruptly cut-off. Like liberal cheerleaders, conservatives don’t like having to admit they’re wrong.

Please, stop being duped. If you want the truth and nothing but the truth, say goodbye to beltway television and radio talk shows where the hosts is simply repeating what’s heard on Fox News. Freedom From The Press is alive and growing for good reason. If you’re an author or journalist and you want to make FFTP better, click the ‘contact us’ link above and become apart of Americas truth-based solution.

Written by: Steven Thompson, editor
Freedom From The Press

I’ve written in the past where I believe American political corruption begins and ends. These articles are then sent to news sites such as CNN, Fox News, the Huffington Post, OpEdNews and other less read sites. Some articles are even sent to whitehouse.gov and the FCC. On rare occasion will I ever receive any feedback from anyone. At times, I’ll receive some half-baked explanation for why my viewpoints and constructive solutions are being censored as “promotional material” that will only be published if I purchase their advertising space. That’s right, if I want the truth to reach certain readers I’ll be required to pay before access is granted and the article is published.

What are the most important political issues facing America that are being censored by all U.S. mainstream media companies?

• Thousands, millions if not billions of dollars are being raised by Americans seeking public office, where’s it being spent?
• Should all entities receiving campaign funds be required by law to make full public disclosure?
• Why are underfunded credible candidates being denied access by those in the media who cover elections?
• Why does the media show no interest in covering viable populist political party’s or organizations?

The honest answer to these questions is the very same reason why the mainstream press hasn’t covered the part in President Obama’s State of the Union Address where he talks about reforming campaign financing laws. Instead of covering the issue head on, the mainstream press has chosen to cover the President’s attack of the recent pro-corporation decision rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Honest, law abiding citizens want to reform U.S. government. We want to address the corruption and fraud within the government from our local city council’s all the way to our nations capitol. Many concerned citizens who consider themselves populists, have in the past, attempted to win public office. We’ve been largely ignored by the mainstream press and the two major party candidates not because we were unelectable or didn’t have a political agenda that wasn’t popular with the American people. Political news, candidates and important information is being suppressed by a political system that has it’s own agenda. Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court and President Obama know the truth. President Barack Obama has decided to speak out while everyone else is content with maintaining status quo. “We The People” only have one question, Why?

What’s happened to Democracy In America? And why have those in America who have the ability to raise public awareness on this issue remained quiet? We have concerts and events all across America to promote issues such as Farm Aid. What about American Democracy? Isn’t Of, By, and For “The People” worth organizing and fighting for? I’d expect media companies such as the Huffington Post to cover this story but, as in the past, I’m not holding my breath.

Dear President Obama, I personally want to thank you for raising this issue. It’s very important that we liberate our current body politic from the greed and corruption that holds America and its people hostage. The time has come for all U.S. citizens, of all color, to be freed from corporate tyranny and slavery. Let all men be free and equal. American justice must also be liberated and if a constitutional convention is required to restore justice across all segments of American society, so be it. I pray for your success and can only hold out hope that you’re 100% committed to these endeavors. That said, at 53 years of age, I’ve never been a member of the DNC or RNC for they are one in the same, 100% controlled by corporate agents of political influence.

Independently yours,
Steven Thompson, editor

Written by: Steven Thompson, editor
Freedom From The Press

January 27, 2010 –As one of Americas most outspoken Independents, I must admit that President Barack Obama made me proud to be an American. Tonights address has come a year late but to the Presidents credit it has finally arrived. Here are the key points that resonated with this reform-minded citizen.

1) President Obama addressed the frustration the American people have with Washington DC politics. As these remarks were made the entire U.S. House Chamber fell quiet. The President stated that we need full disclosure of all lobbyist activity that is published on a government website for all to see. This disclosure should include all corporate money funnelled through lobbyist that falls into the hands of members of Congress of both parties.

2) President Obama lashed out against corporate influence in U.S. elections. Domestic corporations and foreign corporations giving massive campaign contributions to members of both parties and how the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision did nothing to reduce or eliminate this problem. Again, the U.S. House Chamber fell completely quiet when President Obama told every U.S. Senator and U.S. House member that he wanted “real” campaign finance reform debated and passed for his signature.

Only having one television, I decided to examine how Fox News covered this address and couldn’t see how other MSM networks chose to edit their coverage. What I noticed on Fox while President Obama spoke on these important issues was a broadcast where the camera stayed focused on the President. On most other issues, while the President spoke the director would cut to different cameras that were pointed at members of both parties. Why Fox News chose to not provide the facial expressions of Congress while the President spoke, in a very quiet chamber is a question we should be asking Fox News.

3) President Obama spoke of our dis-satisfaction with the corruption of Washington DC government and the mainstream media. He spoke of our lack of trust in our federal government and media. These are the very issues that this site was created to address. I applaud any government official who will not only admit that these problems exist but will use their bully pulpit to elevate these issues into public view for all Americans to see.

That last point President Obama made that resonated with me was how he would give 30 billion dollars of TARP funds that were re-paid by the banksters to “Community Banks” for Small Business Loans. To recoup these funds the President said he’d support a small tax on the biggest banks who created our economic meltdown. If these banks have enough revenue to pay bonuses then they can help pay to fix the damage they created.

The next few months will become very telling. Is President Obama using these issues in a phony attempt to turn the current tide of discontent away from him and the democrats? For Americas sake, Lets hope that President Obama is speaking from the heart and is 100% committed in eliminating the fraud and corruption that has infiltrated our government from Wall Street to Main Street. If Congress fails to act, President Obama should use his executive power to eliminate electoral finance fraud and corruption. The FCC works under the guidance and direction of the President. If the President wants free airtime granted to all “serious and credible” candidates, an executive order should be all that’s required by law.

Re-published from http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3985

Extra! January 2010

Freedom Forum CEO Tied to For-Profit Prisons
An advocate for–and against–freedom of information

By Beau Hodai

Charles Overby has a foot planted firmly in two very different worlds. In one, he is a champion of the free press. In the other, he is part of a group at the helm of a corporation that has worked hard to limit freedom of information and the ability of the press to inform the public.

In one world, Overby is chief executive officer of the Freedom Forum, a foundation created by former USA Today publisher Al Neuharth, and its Newseum—located on Pennsylvania Avenue, blocks from the Smithsonian and the Capitol, and which literally has the First Amendment etched onto its 75-foot marble edifice. He is a Pulitzer Prize–winning editor and reporter, former vice president of news and communications for Gannett, the largest U.S. newspaper chain, and former management committee member of both Gannett and its flagship paper USA Today.

What Overby’s Freedom Forum biography does not disclose is that since 2001, he’s been a director of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).

This omission is easy to understand when you juxtapose the Freedom Forum’s guiding principles—“free speech, free press and free spirit”—against CCA’s recent actions and attitudes toward the press and freedom of information.

CCA, the nation’s largest private jailer (holding more than 70,000 prisoners in over 60 facilities, and taking in $1.6 billion in revenue for 2008), spent millions of dollars from 2007 to 2009 successfully lobbying against two bills: the Public Safety Act of 2007 (which would outlaw private prisons) and the Private Prison Information Act of 2007. As no hearing was ever held on the Public Safety Act, it’s likely that the bulk of these resources went to suppress the PPIA.

As introduced to the 110th Congress by Rep. Tim Holden (D.-Pa.), the PPIA would bring privately owned and operated prisons contracting with the federal government under the purview of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In June 2008, Holden alluded to the amount of adverse pressure facing the bill in his testimony before the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security:

In recent weeks, opposition to this bill has mobilized. Although I cannot testify on their behalf, I can reiterate my concern that opposition to this bill is opposition to reporting transparency.…As you will hear, repeated attempts to ascertain information from these institutions have been rejected, if not ignored completely.…Roughly 25,000 federal criminal prisoners are jailed in private facilities at any given time. Yet private prisons are not required to publicly disclose information about their facilities’ daily operations.…Without strong FOIA requirements, we cannot assure whistleblowers are able to come forth and gather evidence they need to support any claims; we cannot assure public safety is paramount if the information provided is not on-par with the information provided from our public state and federal institutions.

Holden went on to relate the findings of the Ohio Correctional Institution Inspection Committee, made up of members of the Ohio General Assembly, which conducted a surprise inspection of the CCA-owned Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in 2006. The facility, which CCA bills as “low security,” is under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The committee found that there had been 44 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults at the facility between June 2005 and May 2006; by comparison, there were 305 recorded assaults in all of Ohio’s 32 correctional facilities during 2005. When members of the media inquired about the severity of the assaults and what subsequent actions had been taken by prison administrators, they received no reply.

The PPIA died before the subcommittee with the expiration of the 110th Congress, no vote being taken on it. “Our information was that lobbying by or on behalf of the privates had killed it,” said Alex Friedmann, associate editor of Prison Legal News and vice president of the Private Corrections Institute. Friedmann had testified before the subcommittee on behalf of the bill.

The only witness to testify before the subcommittee against the bill was Michael Flynn, director of government affairs for the Reason Foundation (publisher of Reason magazine)—which has received funding from the private prison industry, including CCA.

Overby declined to comment on his involvement with CCA and the corporation’s efforts to curtail freedom of information. Nor did Overby have any comment the only other time his connection to CCA has been publicly raised, by former USA Today reporter Jim Hopkins’ Gannett Blog (4/14/08).

As a CCA director, Overby is also a shareholder in the corporation. According to Security and Exchange Commission records, he was awarded stock options for 26,918 shares in 2008 and 2009 under the corporation’s incentive plan, simply for being reelected to the board. According to Forbes.com, Overby received a total of $198,610 in compensation as a CCA director in 2008.

Throughout the pitched battle between CCA and the press over PPIA, Overby remained silent, never weighing in to defend the assertions of media representatives and lawmakers that public inquiry into federally contacted private prisons should be backed by the FOIA.

From 2007 to 2009, CCA employed five sets of lobbyists assigned to several federal issues, including the PPIA. However, none of these groups—which had budgets in the hundreds of thousands of dollars—approached the monetary or professional clout of the corporation’s A-list lobby assigned to the PPIA.

This team was composed of Overby’s colleagues at CCA—executives such as CEO Damon Hininger, general counsel Gus Puryear, former Bureau of Prisons director and CCA senior vice president Michael Quinlan, and vice president of federal and local customer relations Bart Verhulst. These executive-level lobbyists expended $3.45 million lobbying against the Public Safety Act and the Private Prison Information Act over the course of 2007 and 2008.

While Overby is not registered as a lobbyist along with other CCA top brass, he has paid $35,000 into the CCA political action committee from 2003 to date—$10,000 of which was donated in 2007–08. During this period, the PAC gave thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to House crime subcommittee members Zoe Lofgren and Dan Lungren, and to Judiciary chair John Conyers—none of whom had benefited from the PAC prior to the introduction of the PPIA in 2007.

Peter Sussman is a co-author of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics and a member of the SPJ Ethics Committee. While pointing out that he was not speaking for the SPJ, and that he had no prior knowledge of Overby’s involvement with CCA, Sussman called this “dual allegiance” troubling:

If you’re promoting freedom of the press—and it’s always been my understanding that the Freedom Forum does that—and at the same time appearing to purchase limits on press access to places that are acting on behalf of the public by contract—that just seems wrong…. It also troubles me when I hear that the head of an organization devoted to the freedom of the press won’t talk to the press about his own alleged conflict.

He said that this conflict of interest is especially egregious, as the press is only seeking access to institutions carrying out a function which has traditionally been one of the core responsibilities of the government:

The only way we are going to effectively evolve crime policies, the only way we’re going to be able to monitor the behavior of people who have sole control over other individuals without the access to the public that most other people have—the only way we’re going to do that is to allow the public, through the press, to look into the operations of these institutions and the behavior of the people who run them—and also talk to those incarcerated to get their perspective on this crucial public function that we have so far failed to handle effectively.

Last May, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee reintroduced the bill as the Private Prison Information Act of 2009, citing concerns that the private prison industry, along with the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee, may be fabricating reports concerning immigrant detainee populations in order to gain additional funding and influence immigration policy. From the bill’s reintroduction through October, CCA has spent $540,000 on three sets of lobbyists with a stated interest in the PPIA.

SIDEBAR:
Freedom Forum’s Peculiar Priorities

While the Freedom Forum’s mission statement declares that it is a “nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people,” it is unclear how it actually works to achieve these goals.

The Forum, a tax-exempt organization that reported assets in excess of $1 billion at the end of 2007, funds three primary projects: the Newseum, the First Amendment Center and the Diversity Institute. The Forum does not engage in litigation or file amicus briefs on behalf of litigants, as do many other high-profile First Amendment champions, such as the ACLU. Instead, the Forum’s focus lies in education, and its main vehicle is the Newseum. In its new location across the street from the National Mall, the Newseum attracted more than 700,000 visitors in its first year.

The museum, which has been home to both Ted Kaczynski’s cabin and Tim Russert’s desk, is also home to the News History Gallery and the Great Hall of News—paid for through $10 million grants from News Corp and the New York Times, respectively. It even houses its own Ethics Center, where visitors can test their ethical acumen through interactive kiosks.

The Newseum building, which occupies 643,000 square feet of prime D.C. property—purchased by the Forum for $100 million in 2000—is also home to 135 luxury apartments.

To be sure, the Freedom Forum does benefit other journalistic endeavors. According to tax filings from 2007, the most recent available, the Forum gave $6,000 to the International Press Institute, $5,000 to the International Women’s Media Foundation, $30,000 to the Inter-American Press Association and $32,000 to the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans (on whose board Forum CEO Charles Overby also sits), among others.

The Forum gave Overby $482,000 in wages and benefits in 2007, with another $95,000 in expenses. Freedom Forum’s founder and current senior advisory chair, retired Gannett CEO and USA Today founder Allen Neuharth, also drew $225,000 in compensation, plus an additional $200,545 in expenses from the Forum in 2007.

Then there are the many non sequitur charitable contributions: $5,000 to the United States Equestrian Team, Inc., $5,000 to the National Organization for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, $10,000 to the Basilian Fathers Missions, $10,000 to the United Way of Brevard County (Florida), Inc., and so on. (For more examples of Freedom Forum’s peculiar priorities, see Gannett Blog, 12/30/08.)

However, the forum’s greatest single beneficiary in recent years—outside of internal causes such as the Newseum—is the University of Mississippi, which received $5 million from the Forum toward the construction of the $7.5 million Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics.

See FAIR’s Archives for more on:
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Dan Rather Reports
Episode Number: 503
Episode Title: Paging Doctor Fraud

Description: An investigation into the billions of dollars being stolen from this country’s Medicare system.

TEASE:
DAN RATHER (VOICE OVER)
TONIGHT. STEALING FROM MEDICARE. WE TAKE YOU TO THE FRONT LINES WITH FEDERAL AGENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO STOP BILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS FROM BEING SIPHONED OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

KIRK OGROSKI, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, “We treat doctors the same as we treat any other criminal. If they’re stealing money from the taxpayers, they get treated just like they’re stealing groceries out of a grocery store.”

RATHER (ON CAMERA)
GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT, GAMING THE SYSTEM IN A BIG WAY. WE START WITH AN INVESTIGATION OF MEDICARE. THE NATION’S INSURANCE SAFETY NET FOR SENIORS AND THE DISABLED. THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN A LIFESAVER FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. IT’S ALSO BEEN CREDITED WITH KEEPING HEALTH CARE COSTS DOWN. BUT WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PAYMENTS GOING OUT EVERY YEAR, THERE’S A LOT OF ROOM FOR FRAUD. IT’S NOT TOO STRONG TO SAY — MEDICARE IS BEING PILLAGED AND PLUNDERED. BUT WHAT DOES WASTE, ABUSE AND FRAUD ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. IT TURNS OUT THOSE ARE QUESTIONS WITH MANY ANSWERS BECAUSE THE FRAUD AND THEFT IS SO WIDESPREAD. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH A SMALL GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT HAS THE DAUNTING TASK OF CRACKING DOWN ON HEALTH CARE FRAUD.THEY ARE AGENTS ON ASSIGNMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES — OIG, THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
IT’S 6AM IN SUBURBAN DETROIT, AND THESE OIG AGENTS ARE ONE OF FOURTEEN TEAMS THAT ARE FANNING OUT ACROSS THE REGION FOR SIMULTANEOUS RAIDS AIMED AT DISMANTLING AN ALLEGED PHONY HOME HEALTH CARE RING.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE OIG AGENT
Zeola and Mark, I want you guys obviously with Dr. Raval.

ZEOLA CAREY, SPECIAL AGENT
We want all the financial documents that are found separated from everything else.

MALE OIG AGENT
Everybody set?

CAREY
As set as we’re gonna be…

MALE OIG AGENT
Okay, everybody be safe.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
OIG IS HERE IS BECAUSE THIS ALLEGED FRAUD TARGETED MEDICARE, THE GOVERNMENT RUN INSURANCE FOR SENIORS… THAT MEANS THIS OPERATION – MONTHS IN THE PLANNING – IS ALL ABOUT RECOVERING YOUR TAX DOLLARS. THE BEST ESTIMATE IS THAT EVERY YEAR MEDICARE IS DEFRAUDED BY 60 BILLION DOLLARS. SOME OF THE SCHEMES ARE THE WORK OF OLD-FASHIONED HUCKSTERS AND SCAM ARTISTS AND SOME OF THEM ARE HATCHED IN THE BOARD ROOMS OF FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES. OIG AGENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRACKING DOWN AS MUCH OF IT AS POSSIBLE, WHEREVER THE TRAIL LEADS.

(knocking on the door. “Police, search warrant!”)

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
THIS CAN BE A DANGEROUS BUSINESS.

FBI AGENT
Morning, how ya doin?

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
OIG AGENTS ARE ARMED WITH GUNS, BADGES AND ARREST WARRANTS. THEY ARE BACKED BY THE FBI AND LOCAL POLICE.

STEVE RINALDI, OIG
You go inside immediately in the door to the left…

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
STEVE RINALDI LEADS A GROUP OF AGENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRESTING A MAN WHOM THEY SAY WAS POSING AS A DOCTOR, CREATING FALSE MEDICAL FILES ON PATIENTS HE NEVER HAD.

RINALDI
He’s hired by the facility to provide health care, but he’s actually unlicensed and has never been licensed.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
JUST MINUTES LATER, RINALDI AND HIS TEAM GET THEIR MAN – THE ALLEGED FAKE DOCTOR IS LED OUT IN HANDCUFFS. A FEW MILES AWAY, ANOTHER GROUP OF AGENTS RAID THE MILLION DOLLAR HOME OF DR. PRAMOD RAVAL. RAVAL IS A REAL DOCTOR, BUT HE’S ACCUSED OF SELLING PATIENT NAMES TO THE HOME HEALTH COMPANY THAT ALLEGEDLY BILLED MEDICARE FOR $14.5 MILLION DOLLARS. THEN CAME THE SEIZING OF EVIDENCE – HUNDREDS OF BOXES WORTH OF IT, OUT OF DR. RAVAL’S CLINIC ALONE. HIS WAS ONE OF FOUR OFFICES RAIDED THIS MORNING, FILES, MEDICAL RECORDS, AND COMPUTERS – NOW THE PROPERTY OF OIG’S INVESTIGATORS. ALL TOLD 35 OIG AGENTS, ALONG WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, COOPERATED ON THE RAID. THEY’RE PART OF WHAT’S KNOWN AS A “MEDICARE STRIKE FORCE,” AN INTER-AGENCY APPROACH TO MEDICARE FRAUD THAT WAS PILOTED IN MIAMI AND NOW HAS SPREAD TO SEVEN CITIES. BY LUNCHTIME, THIRTEEN INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN ROUNDED UP. THE AGENTS HEADING INTO HARMS WAY WERE NOT THE ONLY PART OF THE DETROIT “STRIKE FORCE”. WHILE THEY WILL BE MAKING THE ARRESTS IN THE FIELD, SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE THE CASES IN COURT. SO A GROUP OF LAWYERS FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO BROUGHT INTO TOWN.

KIRK OGROSKI, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
In the strike force we treat doctors the same as we treat any other criminal. If they’re stealing money from the taxpayers, they get treated just like they’re stealing groceries out of a grocery store.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
KIRK OGROSKY, A DEPUTY CHIEF IN DOJ’S CRIMINAL DIVISION, PIONEERED THE ‘STRIKE FORCE’ CONCEPT.

OGROSKY
Who’s gonna do the cross examination?

JOHN NEAL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATTORNEY
I’m gonna cross.

RATHER (VOICEOVER)
HE DEDICATED FOUR ATTORNEYS FROM DOJ’S MAIN OFFICES IN WASHINGTON TO PROSECUTE MEDICARE FRAUD IN DETROIT — WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE OIG AGENTS.

OGROSKY
How much are they billing us?

NEAL
Uh, they billed almost a million dollars worth of cosyntropin.

OGROSKY
What the strike forces is trying to do, is insert the prosecutor into the investigation early, so the prosecutors and the agents work together to target crime as it’s occurring. And quite frankly, it’s a lot easier and faster to build a case, if you can catch it while it’s ongoing. We’re getting cases done a lot faster. In a– in a– in the traditional model of white collar, health care fraud prosecution, our average cases are taking two years or more. Our strike force cases are taking four to six months.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS FIRST IMPLEMENTED IN MIAMI IN 2007, THE STRIKE FORCES HAVE YIELDED 475 INDICTMENTS NATIONWIDE, SENDING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO JAIL AND RECOUPING 420 MILLION DOLLARS IN FRAUD.

RATHER (ON CAMERA)
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THOSE ARE IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS, BUT LESS SO WHEN COMPARED TO THE ESTIMATED 60 BILLION DOLLARS OF MEDICARE FRAUD EVERY YEAR. BUT CRIMES LIKE THE ALLEGED RING IN DETROIT ARE JUST ONE TYPE OF MEDICARE FRAUD. AND WITH HEALTH CARE COSTS TOTALING IN THE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THERE’S A LOT OF ROOM FOR FRAUD. THAT’S ESPECIALLY TRUE WITH MEDICARE. OIG AGENTS SAY THEIR INVESTIGATIONS RANGE FROM THE BALANCE SHEETS OF BIG DRUG COMPANIES TO INDIVIDUAL DOCTORS BILLING MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE SAME SERVICE.

LEW MORRIS, GENERAL COUNCIL TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
We still pay for multiple amputations of the same leg. Because the computer systems don’t say, “No, Mr. Smith had that leg amputated once before, we’re not paying a second time.”

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
FEW PEOPLE KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF MEDICARE FRAUD BETTER THAN LEW MORRIS. AS CHIEF COUNSEL FOR THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, HE OVERSEES ALL OF OIG’S HEALTH CARE FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. AND HE SAYS THERE’S A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

MORRIS
We still pay for services provided to dead patients. And, you know, Medicare wants to be a full service organization, but I don’t think we need to pay for services to the dead.

RATHER
How vulnerable is Medicare to scams?

MORRIS
Medicare is very vulnerable to scams. We are a high risk agency when it comes to that vulnerability. The fact of the matter is scam artists have figured out that they can collect millions of dollars from us before we realize that there’s a problem.

RATHER (VOICEOVER)
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MEDICARE HAS BEEN VULNERABLE TO FRAUD, MORRIS SAYS, IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE BILLING SYSTEM WORKS… OR DOESN’T. MEDICARE PROCESSES FOUR AND A HALF MILLION CLAIMS EVERY DAY, AND THE PROGRAM IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO PAY MOST CLAIMS WITHIN 30 DAYS. IT’S A SYSTEM IN WHICH FRAUD HAS TO BE INVESTIGATED AFTER THE CHECKS GO OUT. LEW MORRIS CALLS IT “PAY AND CHASE”.

MORRIS
Under pay and chase, you would pay the claims out; you would eventually get around to analyzing some data. You might get a couple of complaints in from a beneficiary. Two or three years later you might make a referral to the Inspector General’s office and then we would go out and see if we could find the perpetrator.

RATHER
After you’ve already paid?

MORRIS
Oh, the money’s gone.

RATHER
Right.

MORRIS
And unfortunately not only is the money gone but the chances are it’s been spent and will never be recovered.

RATHER
If a question is raised, a suspicion is raised, then they begin investigating the case.

MORRIS
Actually, it’s even more alarming than that. Medicare does a prepayment review, a prepay, on less than three percent of all the claims that come through. The other 97 percent get paid as they come through the system.

RATHER
Automatically, so to speak.

MORRIS
Automatically. Pretty close. But understand that one of the reasons why we pay such a high number, high percentage, is because this is what the physicians, the hospitals, the medical community want. And it’s as a result of pressure from Congress to be responsive to those demands.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
UNDER THIS SYSTEM, FINDING FRAUD USED TO BE LIKE LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. BUT OIG HAS INVESTED IN NEW COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO MINE THE ENDLESS STREAMS OF DATA.

MORRIS
These computers let us to get down to real-time data, claims that were submitted just yesterday or the day before. So we can start targeting the particular providers that we need to investigate.

RATHER
And this addresses a problem which I raised with you earlier that you pay right away. And then in the past, it’s been months, maybe years, before we catch up with any aberrations?

MORRIS
That’s right. And we are cutting that lag time from years to months. And we’re getting faster and faster. The strike forces are using data like this to identify claims and scam artists that are preying on us just two blocks down right now.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
WHILE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNIQUES ARE NEW, MANY OF THE SCHEMES THEY UNCOVER ARE NOT.

RATHER
And how does the fraud differ today from, say, 15, 20 years ago?

MORRIS
Well, in some ways, they’re not different. And if you’ve seen it once, and it just repeats itself — a classic example is billing for a non rendered service. We’ve had this problem since the inception of the Medicare program. But the criminal element has gotten more sophisticated. They’ve come to realize that they can still make a profit off their scheme by delivering the service.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
MORRIS SAYS THESE TYPES OF SCHEMES ARE MUCH HARDER TO PROVE IN COURT. HE POINTS TO THE EXAMPLE OF HIGH-END WHEEL CHAIRS THAT MEDICARE REIMBURSES TO THE TUNE OF BETWEEN SEVEN AND 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS A PIECE… EVEN THOUGH THE WHEELCHAIRS COST A FRACTION OF THAT WHOLESALE.

MORRIS
So if you can get a doctor to prescribe a high end power wheelchair, perhaps for someone who doesn’t even need it, you can afford to provide that wheelchair and still make an
enormous profit. Give part of the kickback to the doctor for his complicity in the scheme, and still come out ahead. That’s a much more difficult case for us to prove because, of course, a service has been delivered.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
FOR CASES THAT FALL MORE UNDER WASTE THAN FRAUD, OIG MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHANGE THE WAY MEDICARE DOES BUSINESS. TAKE THE EXAMPLE OF A 2006 REPORT ON OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS IN WHICH OIG CRITICIZED MEDICARE’S PRACTICE OF RENTING THE MACHINES WHEN IT WOULD BE CHEAPER JUST TO BUY THEM.

MORRIS
A supplier who buys an oxygen concentrator can get one for a little under $600. Medicare will pay for the rental of that very piece of equipment for 36 months and pay over $7,000. So, it’s an enormous waste of money. It’s almost 12 times the cost of the product.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
BEFORE MEDICARE COULD CHANGE THIS PRACTICE, MORRIS SAYS, THE LOBBYISTS HIT CAPITOL HILL.

MORRIS
The home-health agencies and those who supply these concentrators organized, even brought senior citizens dragging oxygen tanks behind them to go up on the Hill and beg their representatives not to cut their oxygen supply, not to let them die, not to let the price of this critically valued piece of equipment be reduced. And Congress heard. So, the Medicare program was stopped from reducing those prices.

PATRICK BURNS, TAXPAYERS AGAINST FRAUD
If you are serious about health care in America, you cannot continue to wink at Medicare and Medicaid fraud. I don’t want to hear rhetoric from politicians. I want to see more people on the frontline bringing the liars, cheats and thieves to justice.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
PATRICK BURNS HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THE DARK UNDERBELLY OF THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY FOR YEARS. HE WORKS AT TAXPAYERS AGAINST FRAUD, THAT’S A NON-PROFIT THAT CONSULTS WITH A SPECIAL CLASS OF WHISTLE BLOWERS WHO EXPOSE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE DEFRAUDING THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER. BIG MEDICARE FRAUD CASES COME INTO THE GROUP’S OFFICES, AND THEY’RE OFTEN SENT ON TO OIG FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

BURNS
Our health care system– Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance– is complicated by design. The people up on Capitol Hill aren’t stupid. The people in the health care industry aren’t stupid. But the people on Capitol Hill are paid by the health care industry to create a very, very complicated, tortured mess of a health care system. And the reason for that is in the complexity is the fraud. By creating a complicated system, you can figure a way to manipulate the system and to rig the game for your benefit.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
BURNS SAYS HE HAS NOTHING BUT RESPECT FOR OIG, AND OPERATIONS LIKE THE ONES IN DETROIT ARE IMPORTANT. BUT HE SAYS THE BIGGEST WHISTLE BLOWING CASES THAT ARE CROSSING HIS DESK INVOLVE BLUECHIP PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND THEIR TOP MANAGEMENT — FRAUDS THAT CAN BE MEASURED IN THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WITH THE COMPETITION FOR DRUG PROFITS FIERCE, BURNS SAYS WHISTLEBLOWERS HAVE REVEALED ILLEGAL PRACTICES MEANT TO GAIN A HIGHLY PROFITABLE EDGE IN THE MARKET.

BURNS
Drug companies have large– staffs who go out and market the drugs. And to be blunt, they pay the doctors. These are just straight-up kickbacks. One of the things they can do is, they can go to a doctor and say, “Gee, Dr.– Dr. Jones. I see that you write 20 prescriptions– a month for this drug, which is our competitor’s drug. If you wrote 35 prescriptions a month for our drug, then you would be a key opinion leader.” And that’s what they call ‘em “key opinion leader.” “And we’d pay you $4,000 a month. And– if you wrote 40 prescriptions– a month, then you might be able to go to Honolulu for our annual conference of key opinion leaders.” So, it’s straight-up– bribery.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
THE ‘BRIBES’ TO DOCTORS — BURNS SAYS — CAN DISTORT THEIR JUDGMENT, CAUSING THE DOCTORS TO WRITE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EXPENSIVE MEDICINES THAT MAY BE MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY.

BURNS
And they can rationalize it a lotta different ways. The simple way is to say, “Hey. I– I can give ‘em aspirin, or I can give ‘em Bextra. Aspirin will work. But Bextra will pay me more. And what do I care? It’s really not harming anybody. Besides, it’s not the patient paying the dru– for this drug. And I’m benefiting.” And so, the cost of it is fobbed off to nameless, faceless people, which is of course the American taxpayer.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
THIS ISN’T JUST SOME RANDOM EXAMPLE. BEXTRA, A PAIN KILLER MADE BY PFIZER AND APPROVED FOR ARTHRITIS AND MENSTRUAL CRAMPS, WAS AT THE HEART OF A FRAUD INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED BY A WHISTLEBLOWER WHO WORKED WITH TAXPAYERS AGAINST FRAUD. IN SEPTEMBER 2009, PFIZER PAID THE U.S. GOVERNMENT $2.3 BILLION TO SETTLE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS THAT IT HAD ILLEGALLY MARKETED BEXTRA, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF ITS OTHER DRUGS, FOR USES THAT WERE NOT APPROVED BY THE FDA. THE GOVERNMENT ALLEGED THAT PFIZER CAUSED FRAUDULENT CLAIMS TO BE SUBMITTED TO MEDICARE…TO THE TUNE OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT WAS THE LARGEST HEALTH CARE FRAUD SETTLEMENT AND LARGEST CRIMINAL FINE OF ANY KIND EVER. BURNS SAYS PFIZER JUST LOOKS AT IT AS THE PRICE OF DOING BUSINESS.

BURNS
The point here, this wasn’t an accident. This was the marketing plan of Pfizer. This was how they made their profit. Pfizer– banked about 170, 175 billion dollars in sales on these drugs over the span that this lawsuit encompassed. They paid $2.3 billion, $2.4 billion in fines; $2.3 billion, it sounds like a jaw-dropping amount of money, and it is, until you look at the volume of sales that the company made and figure out what kind of profit they made. Pfizer did quite well. I’ll be honest with you. If I had– had designed these frauds for Pfizer, after this settlement, I woulda walked in and demanded a raise. This was a money-making deal. Let’s do it again.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
AND PFIZER DID. THE LATEST SETTLEMENT WAS THE COMPANY’S THIRD WITH THE GOVERNMENT OVER ILLEGAL MARKETING ACTIVITIES SINCE 2002. AND PFIZER IS NOT ALONE. ELI LILLY RECENTLY PLEAD GUILTY AND PAID $1.4 BILLION DOLLARS FOR ILLEGALLY MARKETING AN ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG TO TREAT DEMENTIA IN ELDERLY PATIENTS, KNOWING THERE WAS NO CLINICAL EVIDENCE THE DRUG WORKED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

BURNS
Here’s the irony. Only person who lost their job in this were the whistleblowers. Nobody at Pfizer lost their job. Nobody at Lilly lost their job. Nobody at Pfizer or Lilly went to jail bec– after stealing billions of dollars from U.S. taxpayers. It’s absolutely outrageous that if you push a little old lady down in the street and snatch her purse with $50 in it, you’re gonna go to jail for five years. But if you drug that lady with an inch of her– of consciousness for years at a time at a nursing home and bill Uncle Sam and steal billions of dollars, nobody goes to jail.

RATHER
The executives of these big pharmaceutical companies are never putting on handcuffs, never mind walked in front of cameras. They pay a fine, shrug their shoulders, go back do it, and do it time after time after time. Pfizer you said yourself done it three times. Why not make an example of at least one or two of these executives? Put them in handcuffs, send them to prison.

MORRIS
I couldn’t agree with you more. But we need to have the evidence to do it.

RATHER
And it’s harder when it comes to the corporate boardrooms.

MORRIS
One of the challenges that we face, when pursuing white collar fraud, particularly corporate fraud with lots of plausible deniability– is it’s often difficult to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that an individual is criminally liable.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
LEW MORRIS KNOWS THE CHALLENGES FIRST-HAND. HIS OFFICE HELPED BROKER THE DEALS WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. AND HE SAYS THE DRUG MAKERS ARE NOW BEING HELD TO GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY, SCRUTINY AND OVERSIGHT WITH SO-CALLED LEGALLY-BINDING CORPORATE INTEGRITY AGREEMENTS.

RATHER
Question. Why not take one of the big pharmaceutical companies who have clearly been engaged in fraud and say, “We’re taking you outta the system? No– no more Medicare payments for your products?” Is it practical to talk in terms of doing that? ‘Cause obviously, that would send a massive signal.

MORRIS
Certainly would. Well, using Pfizer as an example, this is the third time they’ve entered into a corporate integrity agreement with my office to help them change their corporate culture. And a fair question is, well how many bites of the apple do you get?

RATHER
Well, how many do they get?

MORRIS
I don’t know. I will tell you this. We believe in giving corporations a chance to change their corporate culture. When deciding whether to exclude or debar any company, we have to ask, “What is in the best interest of our program and our beneficiaries?”

WAITER AT SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER
Anywhere you like.

WOMAN
Boy, you look sharp.

WAITER
Well, thank you.

MORRIS
To date, we have decided that it is better to keep Pfizer in the program providing critical services and drugs to our patients, but I can’t tell you where tomorrow will bring. If companies like Pfizer continue to abuse our trust– we may have to go to option B, which is to make one of them an example.

RATHER (VOICE OVER)
PFIZER DECLINED OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW BUT IN A 2009 PRESS RELEASE THEY STATED:”WE REGRET CERTAIN ACTIONS TAKEN IN THE PAST, BUT ARE PROUD OF THE ACTION WE’VE TAKEN TO STRENGTHEN OUR INTERNAL CONTROLS AND PIONEER NEW PROCEDURES… CORPORATE INTEGRITY IS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY FOR PFIZER, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO FURTHER ENHANCE OUR COMPLIANCE PRACTICES AND STRENGTHEN PUBLIC TRUST IN OUR COMPANY.” BUT CRITICS SAY, DESPITE THE FINES, COMPANIES LIKE PFIZER ARE IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT. NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY’S PRACTICES, THEY DO MAKE MANY VITAL DRUGS THAT WE ALL DEPEND ON AND THEY HAVE POWERFUL ALLIES IN CONGRESS.

BURNS
The Obama administration, to its credit, has voiced concern about healthcare fraud at levels unheard of in the last 20 years that I’ve been in health care. They’ve taken proactive– measures in the last– year, which are extremely encouraging. I think it’s important, though, to park the problem where it really exists. That’s on Capitol Hill. You know, HHS doesn’t have enough people. The OIG’s office doesn’t have enough people. DOJ is not weak because they’re weak people. They’re weak because they haven’t been given enough resources. Who gives them the resources? The House and the Senate. So, if you’re angry that America’s stolen dollars are not being returned and that the crime goes on without end, don’t be angry at the Department of Justice. Don’t be angry at HHS. Ask Congress, “What the hell are you doing?”

RATHER (ON CAMERA)
AS FOR HHS’ OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, THEY SAY THEY’RE MAKING PROGRESS. LAST YEAR THEY RECOVERED A RECORD FOUR BILLION DOLLARS IN U.S. TAX DOLLARS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT FROM THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY.

“The Fleecing of America” is a news segment on NBC Nightly News that started with Tom Brokaw when he was the anchor for NBC. Fleecing? According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fleecing means: To strip of money or property by fraud or extortion. Kinda like the Banksters are doing with current and recent foreclosures and evictions of our elderly, working class and poor.

It’s ironic that major broadcast newsrooms will delve deep into government fraud and corruption, that is, unless such fraud and corruption is in their own backyard.

Once again Mainstream Media, How many millions if not billions of dollars have you deposited (using the public airwaves that belong to “We The People”) in revenue $$$ obtained from U.S. Elections? The Fleecing of America starts and ends right here! The fact that this issue is avoided at all costs by members of the MSM should be all the proof “We The People” need.

Tomorrow, the FCC should hold hearings and adopt strict rules and regulations that grant free airtime to all candidates running for public office at any level. We should demand nothing less.

Does the FCC work for us? (we sign their paychecks), or the elite who have stripped American citizens of our right to practice open and inclusive western democracy.