The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
Kevin McCarthy: Terry Corrigan
Quotes
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Thomas Jefferson Johnson : Terry, tell me something. With all this money coming in from both sides, how does anything ever get done?
Terry Corrigan : It doesn't. That's the genius of the system.
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Dick Dodge : [after inviting them to join their conversation, referring to the controversy that electromagnetic fields from powerlines cause cancer] Thomas and I were just talking about... powerlines
Thomas Jefferson Johnson : [referring to including the EPA to investigate this controversy] I think we ought to have those hearings
Dick Dodge : well, now look Thomas, why don't we get Olaf's "take" on this?
Olaf Andersen : well, it's tragic, I mean cancer's a terrible thing but there's no way you can "link" it to powerlines: now the "truth" is...
Thomas Jefferson Johnson : [interrupts him] wait a minute, there's been "studies" that shows...
Zeke Bridges : [interrupts him] every "study" that says "one thing", I'll show you a "study" saying another. We've "studied" this ourselves
Thomas Jefferson Johnson : what if you guys are all wrong?
Olaf Andersen : well, Thomas, do you want us to move the powerlines? I mean, do you know how much it'll cost to bury those things in Florida alone? We're talking five billion dollars
Zeke Bridges : not counting the liability claims
Terry Corrigan : how would you like it for the people in your district to think of you as the fella who tripled their electric bill?
Thomas Jefferson Johnson : [after thinking it over] I just thought that if we had the hearings...
Terry Corrigan : [interrupts him] think of it for a moment, son. You hold your hearings, overnight, everyone who lives near a substation will find the value of his home in the toilet: you'll "kill" the real estate market
Zeke Bridges : you'll "kill" the insurance company
Terry Corrigan : you'll "kill" the school district
Olaf Andersen : you'll kill" the local economy
Dick Dodge : [referring to these difficult decisions come with the job of holding political office] son, the system ain't perfect but the "fleas" come with the dog"
Thomas Jefferson Johnson : maybe I should think about it, huh?