The Niles Star

Editorial: Post tells a bigger story than Toyota’s contrition

Monday, March 1, 2010

Most of the media, particularly television talking heads, contented themselves with the emotional theatricality of Toyota’s chief being taken to task by Washington lawmakers on Capitol Hill Feb. 24 and the culture clash of the accountability of American business versus Japan.

The main issue that entranced the instant analysts of the “blistering criticism” Toyota President Akio Toyoda faced as he “personally and repeatedly” apologized to Congress and owners of its cars with deadly defects was whether he was contrite enough.

“Where is the remorse?” Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, demanded to know before the cameras. “I do not think (Toyoda’s apology) reflects significant remorse for those who have died.”

Thirty-four U.S. deaths have been linked to safety defects in Toyota cars and trucks in the past decade.

Across the aisle, Florida Republican John Mica waved an “absolutely appalling” Toyota report bragging of undermining a safety investigation.

“I extend my sincerest condolences to them from the bottom of my heart,” said Toyoda, grandson of the founder of the world’s biggest auto company as he testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “I’m deeply sorry for any accidents that Toyota drivers have experienced.”

The Washington Post spun a deeper, more meaningful story in a way that a good newspaper excels.

As lawmakers investigated record recalls that leave the Toyota brand in tatters, the Post put into perspective how compromised our cash-crazed, posturing politicians are in presiding over such hearings.

The newspaper reported that of the 125 members of Congress on the committee probing Toyota, more than 40 percent accepted campaign donations totaling $135,673 from the company in the past 10 years.

Toyota funneled another million bucks to legislators through state parties and political action committees (PACs).

Since 2008, there is another million dollars Toyota gave non-profit groups with “strong ties” to members of Congress, according to the Post.

Is there any other job where such obvious conflicts of interest are so easily tolerated for lawmakers who are so beholden to special interests that they are unresponsive to mere constituents?

If this was a court case and the judge had a financial relationship with Toyota, he or she would be recused.

At a time our leaders are sponsored more than elected, we ought to be banishing corporate money strangling our politics like Asian carp. Yet it’s only going to get worse.
An activist Supreme Court in January ruled 5-4 that corporations enjoy the same right to free speech as people.

That dismaying decision dismissed decades of regulations reining in the amount of money they can inject into campaigns, where attack ads overwhelm actual candidates.
Asian carp, which can grow to more than six feet and 100 pounds, quickly dominate waters they reach.

They eat as much as 40 percent of their body weight every day, starving native species of food and upending delicate ecosystems, not unlike members of Congress pretending to be fair and objective when they sit in judgment of the writers of their big checks.