A symposium on the political power of big money in America

Posted on by Jim Chatham

It is deeply distressing that during this time of economic recession a few very wealthy people in this country are growing enormously wealthier while millions of other people battle to hang onto jobs, homes, life-assets and retirement savings. The very rich are getting much richer, while large numbers of Americans are falling from the middle class. And the representatives we are electing to Congress and to our state legislatures are working to make the situation worse. How is this happening?

On Thursday, April 28, Elders United for a Just Society will hold a symposium on America's increasing wealth disparity, “The Political Power of Big Money in America: How the Super-Rich Are Taking Over Democracy, and What Is Needed To Begin Moving in a Different Way.”

The featured symposium speaker will be Dr. George Yates, associate professor emeritus in the management and accountancy department at UNC-Asheville. Dr. Yates spent many years in corporate management, much of it in international transaction. The symposium will be held at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Road, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. It is free and open to the public. Come and get a clear picture of what is happening to us!

— Jim Chatham
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam
View all posts by Webmaster →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

9 thoughts on “A symposium on the political power of big money in America”

  1. TallPaul

    Doesn’t sound like a vary balanced presentation. It really should include the vast sums of money spent by unions.

  2. TallPaul

    At least rich people spend their *own* money to influence the process. Unions spend mine.

  5. TallPaul

    Hmmm…. of the top 10 political donors since 1989, five are unions.

    one tenth, eh? Must have been an “ex recto” figure.

  7. Margaret Williams

    Hey Mat and TallPaul: Take things down a notch. You both seem to be getting a bit personal here. Criticize the ideas, not the people.

  8. TallPaul

    Margaret:

    You will note that is what I do. Sometimes is is tough not to get drawn into the childish behavior, though.

  9. bill smith

    TallPaul-Did you intend for your second sentence to contradict your first one? Irony is so embedded in our culture these days that sometimes it gets tough to tell what is intentionally ironic and what is genuine gaffe.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.