Pandering and porn

Pandering and porn

Texas was the recent subject of a New York Times investigative report questioning whether the Lone Star state is giving too much in tax subsidies and incentives to businesses to encourage them to relocate or expand certain enterprise sectors. The concern is that Texas is losing potential income at a time when of a record budget deficit (the annual amount when expenditures exceed tax income). The deficit caused the 2011 legislature to cut $15 billion in state spending (about $5.4 billion in school funding and $4.7 billion in health programs alone), and the 2013 Texas legislature will have to cover the shortfall for Medicaid (about $7 billion) by March and to come up with $15 billion for Medicaid by 2015.

Critics argue that the tax breaks for businesses are corporate welfare (financial assistance for businesses that may not be justified), while supporters argue that the monies have contributed to Texas’ number one status in job creation (adding 1.4 million in jobs over the past 10 years-over 3 times more than any other state).  Texas lawmakers countered that the expose’ (investigative report which questions government behavior) doesn’t highlight that Texas’ has been below the national average for 70 consecutive months. They are concerned that it unfairly represents what Texas has done and points out that we may be victims of our own transparency.  Indeed most states don’t provide the kind of detailed reporting mechanisms that Texas provides, and so comparable data on other states is just not possible.  This isn’t pandering to businesses, supporters say, this is making sure that Texas is open for business.

There’s one group that government is trying to stop from being in business—child pornographers.  Last week President Obama signed legislation which increases sentences for persons who traffic in child porn.  The Child Protection Act of 2012  backed by two Texas lawmakers (U.S. Senator John Cornyn and U.S. House Representative Lamar Smith) authorizes courts to issue protective orders (court decrees to stop harassment of victims), increases funding for internet criminal investigations, and makes it easier to obtain subpoenas.  The tough law comes at a time when internet child pornography is becoming one of the fasting growing areas of criminal activity. One criticism about the new law’s “lock-the-door-and-throw-away-the-key-approach” is that it does not do enough for supervision, rehabilitation, and treatment.  A 2010 survey by federal judges highlighted that about 70 percent of the sentences were too high for child pornographers because what is needed is supervision and treatment.

No wonder the origins of the word “pander” refer to a “go-between whose motives don’t seem entirely pure.”

Pander away.