Basic Politics for First Graders

Friday, August 29, 2008

How it really works in Congress.

Congressman X proposes a bill to give free milk to children in school.

Then congressman Y adds his request to that bill that says "The government must pay everyone of my friends $100,000.00 a year for life".

Congressman X sees this addition and says “That's crazy, I won't vote for that”.

The bill gets defeated.

Next election Congressman Y says “My opponent voted against his own bill to give free milk to children”. Of course he omits the part of the bill about Congressman Y getting his friends $100,000.00 for life.

Rarely is there a bill proposed with no additions or riders attached. Many congressmen use this sleazy practice to get their way. They ask for funding of some pet project and attach it to someone else's bill. It is called a rider because it rides through all votes and is enacted into law if the Senate also approves it.

I think that many bills pass without the members of Congress even knowing about all of the extra baggage attached to it. That's why we get bad laws.

This is my pet peeve about the press and politicians. It is not so much what they say as it is what they omit. (The above example about the milk bill is, of course, an exaggeration just to show my point). Now Congressman Y is not actually telling a lie, but he is creating one by omitting the part about the $100,000.00 gifts to his friends.

When is the last time any news outlet mentioned the Baghdad Stock Market, the number of new radio and television stations, banks, hospitals, schools, amusement parks that have opened since the U.S. has been there. All they ever show are bombed out cars etc.

Personally I do not like the evasive double talk that I get from most politicians. Usually you get a handshake and a fuzzy promises. There are very few 'Yes' or 'No' s in their statements.

Congress may pass an oil drilling bill soon, but, it probably be so loaded with bad features that it will cause more harm than good.

I ask you to please contact your congress people and ask them to pass a clean oil drilling bill that will allow drilling here in our own country with no riders or other unrelated items attached. If they don't want to do it that way, ask why.

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