[GPSCC-chat] Documenting Crony Capitalism?

[Spencer Graves]

Dear Gerry:


On 2/3/2013 2:14 PM, Gerry Gras wrote:
>
> I know what my #1 priority is: global warming.
> I know that my #2, #3 priorities are those
> that affect global warming, for example
> the issues Move to Amend are working on,
> e.g. Corporations are NOT people, Money is
> NOT speech.
>
> I believe that currently the issues for the
> MSM are immigration reform and gun control,
> but that could change quickly.
>
> I don't what the priorities for the average
> American are.
>
> If you want your questions answered for global
> warming, I could look into it.


       If you'd like to take the time to try to document these things in 
Wikiversity, I'd be happy to help.  I think if we get adequate 
documentation of this, we could find excuses to cite this work in 
stories we submit to Wikinews, Indymedia, and elsewhere.  That could 
ultimately help elevate the issue on the international stage to the 
point that the mainstream media would lose audience if the don't give it 
more coverage.


       What documentation can you find of how much money the Koch 
brothers and others have spent to convince the public that human 
activity is NOT necessarily a major contributor to global warming and 
therefore we should do nothing?  That's not in the Wikipedia article on 
"Political activities of the Koch brothers" along with clear discussion 
of the conflict of interest issues.  Also, a conservative I know claimed 
that the scientist who say that global warming is a problem have a 
conflict of interest.  That needs to be documented as well at least in 
Wikiversity and also in Wikipedia; Wikipedia may reject some material 
like this claiming that it's original research.  Wikiversity supports 
original research, which is one reason I recommend documenting this 
material there.


       I'm not eager to take the lead on this issue, but I would be 
thrilled to help you.


       Thanks for the reply.
       Spencer

>
> Gerry
>
>
> Spencer Graves wrote:
>> Hello, All:
>>
>>
>>        What would you say are the highest profile issues locally,
>> statewide and nationally?
>>
>>
>>        I ask, because I just initiated a project for "Documenting crony
>> capitalism" on Wikiversity (a sister project to Wikipedia; see
>> "http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Documenting_crony_capitalism"). I want
>> to prioritize issues and start documenting the different parties
>> involved in the issue(s) likely to receive the greatest public attention
>> over the next several months.  This would include whatever we can get
>> about the money involved in several aspects of the story:
>>
>>
>>              1.  How much money does the parties stand to gain or lose
>> in any likely governmental decision?
>>
>>
>>              2.  How much do they spend on advertising?  (By shifting
>> their advertising budgets, businesses have threatened the financial
>> future of otherwise profitable commercial media.)
>>
>>
>>              3.  How much do they spend on campaign finance?
>>
>>
>>               4.  How much do they spend on lobbying?
>>
>>
>>        Is social security likely to be the biggest issue nationally?
>> What about Santa Clara County?  Public safety?
>>
>>
>>        After I've got something in this area, I want to start trying to
>> arrange presentations at different groups to try to recruit volunteers
>> to help increase both the utility of the information compiled there and
>> its dissemination.
>>
>>
>>       Thanks,
>>       Spencer
>>
>>


-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Technology Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.structuremonitoring.com