Synopsis
David Cay Johnston's expose on the fleecing of America shows how, while most citizens are distracted by work, family, etc., the business interests are working assiduously every day to lobby local, state, and national government to pass regulations that favor business interests at the expense of the ordinary citizen. He cites examples of outrageous payoffs to well-connected individuals and corporations--and he reveals that the taxpayers foot the bill! He indicts the health and insurance companies, sports franchises, and wealthy individuals who essentially grab big payoffs, sometimes simply by means of the fine print nobody reads. And all this is done in collusion with those elected to protect the public trust.
How does a strong and growing economy lend itself to job uncertainty, debt, bankruptcy, and economic fear for a vast number of Americans? This book answers this great economic question, revealing how today's government policies and spending benefit the wealthy. Johnston shows how, under the guise of deregulation, a whole new set of regulations quietly went into effect--thwarting competition, depressing wages, and rewarding misconduct. Revelations include: how we ended up with the most expensive yet inefficient health-care system in the world; how homeowners' title insurance became a costly, deceitful, yet almost invisible oligopoly; how our government gives hidden subsidies for posh golf courses; how baseball team owners will collect more than $1.3 billion in public funds. In these instances and more, Johnston shows how the lobbyists and lawyers representing the most powerful 0.1 percent of Americans manipulated our government at the expense of the other 99.9 percent.--From publisher description.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2007-12-27 |
| Size | | Length: | 323 pages | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 22.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
The author of the best-selling Perfectly Legal identifies inequalities in America's tax system that are placing a large percentage of citizens in financial peril in spite of best practices and a strong U.S. economy, sharing additional coverage of how the government offers favorable treatment to corporations and special interests.
Industry Reviews
"Some of these stories are well-known...but Johnston's reporting makes the rage boil over anyway....It is Johnston's investigative skills, however, that distinguish the book from the usual social critic's rant. He does his homework, crunches the numbers and makes astonishing discoveries."
(04/07/2008)
| See an error? Submit a change request |
All rights reserved.
