Johnston, a New York Times investigative reporter, has spent his 40-year career exposing collusion between government officials and private sector entities as they enrich the rich and ignore consequences for middle-class laborers and the poor. In Perfectly Legal, he focused on hidden inequities in the tax system. This volume is a broader examination of collusion and unfairness, ranging from subsidies for professional sports stadiums to secret payouts to multinational corporate chief executives. At the base of Johnston's journalistic indictment are the highly paid lobbyists working Congress, state legislatures, county commissions, city councils and government regulatory agencies. Johnston also cites the culpability of George W. Bush in his roles as professional baseball team owner, Texas governor and U.S. president, and targets well-known tycoons such as Donald Trump, Warren Buffett and George Steinbrenner as well as lesser-recognized beneficiaries who own golf courses and insurance companies and energy consortiums. Heroes appear occasionally, such as Remy Welling, an Internal Revenue Service investigator who blew the whistle on improper tax breaks for the wealthy and lost her job. Johnston writes compellingly to show how government-private sector collusion affects the middle class and the poor. (Jan.)
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If youre concerned about congressional earmarks, stock options (especially backdated options), hedge fund tax breaks, abuse of eminent domain, subsidies to sports teams, K Street lobbyists, the state of our health-care system, to say nothing of the cavernous gap between rich and poor, youll read this fine bookas I didwith a growing sense of outrage. "Free Lunch" makes it clear that its high time for We the People to stand up and be counted.
John C. Bogle, founder and former chairman, The Vanguard Group
With clarity, conciseness, and cool, fact-saturated analysis, Mr. Johnston, the premier investigative reporter on how industry and commerce shift risks and costs to taxpayers, sends the ultimate message to all Americanseither we demand to have a say or we will continue to pay, pay, and pay.
Ralph Nader

aIf youare concerned about congressional earmarks, stock options (especially backdated options), hedge fund tax breaks, abuse of eminent domain, subsidies to sports teams, K Street lobbyists, the state of our health-care system, to say nothing of the cavernous gap between rich and poor, youall read this fine bookaas I didawith a growing sense of outrage. "Free Lunch" makes it clear that itas high time for aWe the Peoplea to stand up and be counted.a
aJohn C. Bogle, founder and former chairman, The Vanguard Group
aWith clarity, conciseness, and cool, fact-saturated analysis, Mr. Johnston, the premier investigative reporter on how industry and commerce shift risks and costs to taxpayers, sends the ultimate message to all Americansaeither we demand to have a say or we will continue to pay, pay, and pay.a
aRalph Nader

aA journalistic missile launched against the myth that those who mooch off the government are mostly on the lower rungsa] This is a provocative, highly readable and well-documented work.a
a"South Florida Sun-Sentinel"
aAs an investigative reporter, Johnston is a big-game hunter. He skewers popular plutocrats like Buffett, digs up the dirt on unsavory sources of Paris Hiltonas fortune and details Apple executive Steve Jobsas backdated stock options thievery.a
a"The Nation"
aIf youare concerned about congressional earmarks, hedge fund tax breaks, subsidies to sports teams, K Street lobbyists, the state of our health-care system, to say nothing of the cavernous gap between rich and poor, youall read this fine bookaas I didawith a growing sense of outrage.a
aJohn C. Bogle, founder and former chairman, The Vanguard Group
aJohnston is an indefatigable reporter whose work recalls the muckraking epics of the Progressive era.a
a"Portland Oregonian"
aAn engaging look at how the superrich consistentlya and outrageouslyarely on public handouts while preaching about free markets and wasteful entitlement programs all the way to the bank.a
a"Mother Jones"

?A journalistic missile launched against the myth that those who mooch off the government are mostly on the lower rungs? This is a provocative, highly readable and well-documented work.?
?"South Florida Sun-Sentinel"
?As an investigative reporter, Johnston is a big-game hunter. He skewers popular plutocrats like Buffett, digs up the dirt on unsavory sources of Paris Hilton's fortune and details Apple executive Steve Jobs's backdated stock options thievery.?
?"The Nation"
?If you?re concerned about congressional earmarks, hedge fund tax breaks, subsidies to sports teams, K Street lobbyists, the state of our health-care system, to say nothing of the cavernous gap between rich and poor, you?ll read this fine book?as I did?with a growing sense of outrage.?
?John C. Bogle, founder and former chairman, The Vanguard Group
?Johnston is an indefatigable reporter whose work recalls the muckraking epics of the Progressive era.?
?"Portland Oregonian"