Pay-to-Play Politics

Today's link goes to a great article detailing the hundreds of thousands of dollars CCA has invested in the California government via lobbying and campaign contributions.  By donating to incumbent candidates, parties, and PACs, and directly lobbying state legislators and the governor, CCA was able to increase their contract with the state nearly thirty-fold.  They started with a contract worth $23 million dollars, but are now paid nearly $700 million by California to house prisoners.  What's even worse is that were able to expand that contract without any semblance of a competitive bidding process.  And according to one Assemblyman, Hector De La Torre, the state has "no idea" whether taxpayers have even made a sound investment.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say they have not.