Remember presidential candidate Barack Obama railing against the influence of lobbyists in Washington during his campaign? Well, after failing to keep former lobbyists out of his own administration and getting slammed in the 2010 midterm elections, legions of former lobbyists are now crawling throughout federal agencies and Congress with unprecedented access and influence on governance. The Center for Responsive Politics has conducted an investigation into this problem, one of the key issues preventing our elected officials from truly representing the public interest, and their extensive report can be read here.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/07/from-hired-guns-to-hired-hands.html
Fracking is a major issue throughout much of the country and it's at the top of the list of current issues in the state of New York. Governor Cuomo recently indicated that he is inclined to allow dangerous and virtually unregulated hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in 85% of the state, only banning it from the NYC and Syracuse watersheds. Food & Water Watch and many other organizations, farmers and businessmen are pushing for a statewide ban on the destructive banning practice. This link provides a short video urging Cuomo to ban fracking and a petition to get personally involved in this battle.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/new-york-governor-cuomo-should-count-each-reason-for-banning-fracking/
