If there is any question about whether consumers or insurance company officials have the power and control the legislative process, all one has to do is read the Linn’s Stamp News article of May 12, 2008. It speaks for itself:
Bill set to name post office for lobbyist By Bill McAllister, Washington Correspondent Nothing in Washington more shows congress’ control of the United States Postal Service than its practice of naming hundreds of local post offices in honor of community heroes, often for military personnel killed in Iraq. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) got a lot of attention April 15 when The Washington Post disclosed that the Republican wants to name a San Antonio post office after what the report called "a prominent, very-much-alive lobbyist." Columnist Jeffrey H. Birnbaum also reported that Smith’s renaming legislation began moving through the House on the day that the lobbyist’s employer donated $5,000 to him. Smith’s bill is to honor Cyndi Taylor Krier, the vice president of Texas government relations for USAA, a large financial services and insurance company based in San Antonio, by naming a post office for her. Krier’s employer, USAA, provides banking, insurance and financial services for active, reserve, retired and former service members and their dependents in the United States and overseas. Krier, 57, was described as a longtime Texas politician and officeholder whose grandfather, grandmother and mother worked for the Postal Service.
