Back to the point at hand.

I was in two professions, an executive board member and an executive officer at a major entity. In all four it was very common for us to receive training, warnings, pressure to the point of downright annoyance and self-police each other to not even accidentally cross the line into what Karl describes. It was brought up at least monthly in the last two that i listed, and there was such a fear for us making a mistake that we had a legal counsel who attended all of our meetings just to make sure that we did not cross the line and that the audio-recorded and later transcribed minutes of our meetings would not accidentally pickup something. It got to the point where people were almost afraid to say something. Other members of said boards would often themselves stop someone about to make a mistake. Since the attorney present was there to prevent this, it did the easiest thing possible which was to constantly shut people down. Anyone who has hired legal counsel knows that the easiest way for them to do their jobs is to say no to everything and stop everything. It got annoying, like being babysat.

In all of our policy discussions, strategic planning, pricing structures, whatever one could imagine, this was a common concern, and if one had to brainstorm an idea where one might slip, major efforts were taken for the right people to be present and from said committee or informal group no indication of such action to emerge. It was rather funny to note that i was personally against a situation which reeked of market allocation, cost the customers of the service much money, inconvenience, loss of opportunity and choice, however that for some reason could not be pierced by what seemed to be an understanding among our employees and just the general convention of the business.

Either way, accurate accounts existed and were referenced of historical examples in our profession's and organizational history where some mistake was made leading to Federal prosecution.

In other words, it was a constant fear.

How in creation do such blatant things which Karl describes here, and of course healthcare manage to continue when i can actually reference slips of the tongue getting people into massive hot water in significantly smaller and less influential in terms of the greater economy organizations limited to a select community and its customers.

It is called influence. Money does not purchase power, it purchases access.

The *******s getting away with this have a lot of access, you don't.

It started when our representatives achieved two things which will be very hard to undo. They no longer live with the people whom they represent. Additionally their positions evolved to careers and guilds where they have more in common in terms of lifestyle with the people with whom they work and do business than the people they represent. They go to lunch and dinner with the families of influential people, and their families benefit from cross access and common opportunities.

The way to know if you have any access is by two tests. Do you have the personal cellular telephone number of one of these people who will take your call while he is doing something else, just like you might pickup you phone for a call from your life while mowing the lawn or having fun with your family? Does someone you know have the ability to provide you with this number and its access?

Now you know why laws are enforced for some and not others.

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YCNU. This is about to be a lesson on selling to the market you have instead of worrying about your cost basis. No one and I mean no one cares about what you paid for something except you.

In t