Who Has A Dog in The Fight?

Bob Henderson & Al Brooks

 

Representative Zach Wamp has been a player in the DOE Oak Ridge Contractor's pension problem. He has given it more attention and done more than any other local legislator but no substantive progress has been made. Questions naturally arise about who are the other possible players that would be prejudiced against elder retirees.

 

McDermott International

$48,450

UT-Battelle

$18,624

University of Tennessee

$14,750

McKee Foods Corp

$13,800

UT Battelle

$13,250

PMA Group

$12,900

Okies Pharmacy

$11,800

Bechtel Group

$11,500

Restoration Services Inc

$11,500

SunTrust Banks

$10,650

City of Chattanooga

$10,500

CBL & Assoc

$10,300

Jones Management Services

$10,200

Credit Union National Assn

$10,000

FedEx Corp

$10,000

National Assn of Realtors

$10,000

National Auto Dealers Assn

$10,000

Northrop Grumman

$10,000

Card-Monroe Corp

$9,350

Lawler-Wood Inc

$9,350

The table adjacent contains a list of the top contributors to Rep. Zach Wamp,(R/TN). It represents money passed from the corporation to its Political Action Committee and then to Wamp. UT/Battelle is the second largest contributor to Zach giving a total of $31,874. It is clear that they are an important player.

 

While this is probably all legal, it is a little disturbing to find that one of the outspoken antagonists to the retiree's requests is the second largest contributor to the political war chest of the retiree's best hope for legislation intervention.

 

This should not be taken as a criticism of Zach for it is the way our government is run. The retirees would be less than human if they did not wonder if the playing field is level. It may suggest that the mode of operation should be revised.

 

The immediate problem is: how do the retirees deal with it. We suggest that it is by more letter writing to as many places as might do some good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: http://www.opensecrets.org:80/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003159