As the health care debate continues across the country, a lot has been made of the “mobs” that have disrupted certain town hall meetings. The “mobs” of ordinary citizens actually questioning their elected representatives about particular aspects of the different health care bills has become the story as opposed to the actual language in these draft bills. The Speaker of the House and the House Majority Leader earlier this week published an op-ed in the USA Today with the headline, “‘Un-American’ attacks can’t derail health care debate.” The op-ed goes on to state:
It is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue.
This same op-ed states that the ability to discuss with constituents is at “the heart of our democracy.” Yet I guess they only mean that if everyone agrees with their point of view. The Speaker and Majority Leader did not have a problem with “protest” discussions during the Bush Administration from the Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink folks. According to a link on the Drudge Report, “2006 Flashback: Pelosi Tells Protestors ‘I’m a Fan of Disruptors” So the story is that as long as you agree with the Speaker and her point of view, it is ok to protest the actions of the government. However, if you disagree with the Speaker’s point of view, you are “un-American” if you voice your opposition. Somehow, I don’t think that this is what our founding fathers had in mind when they established the first amendment, but then again I am someone who does not think that a government takeover of the health care system is the right thing to do, so I guess that makes me “un-American.”
Friday, August 14, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Is this the change America voted for?
Washington, DC 2009
There have been a lot of changes in DC over the past few weeks and months. The new Obama administration has run into a lot of problems over the past few weeks. First, they announced their appointment of a new Treasury Secretary who failed to pay some $30,000 in self employment taxes. Even with this failure to pay, the Senate confirmed Secretary Geithner on January 26, 2009 with a 60-34 vote. Following the Treasury Secretary’s tax issues, the Health & Human Services nominee, former Senator Tom Daschle and White House chief performance officer, Nancy Killefer nominee withdrew their names from consideration on February 3, 2009 also over failure to pay taxes. These changes follow initial nominee to the Commerce Department, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson removed his name from consideration due to his being the subject of a grand jury investigation. Late this week it came out that Labor Secretary nominee Representative Hilda Solis also has some tax issues, her husband has failed to pay taxes and the State of California has a lien on the office property. These situations can not help President Obama lead the country.
This week also saw the creation of a so-called “stimulus bill” written behind closed doors by Speaker Pelosi and a few of her loyalists. The House bill was $825 billion and according to the Congressional Budget Office a majority of the money won’t be spent until 2011. The public outcry over money spent on std prevention and new grass for the national mall within an economic stimulus bill led the Senate to remove certain provisions. There was an agreement reached late Friday night between three Republican Senators to a package ranging from $780,000,000 to $820,000,000, which is a reduction from the proposed $940,000,000 that was where the Senate bill reached. Larry Summers, the White House’s Chairman of the National Economic Council stated the parameters of the economic stimulus – timely, targeted, and temporary. This bill doesn’t seem to be any of the three. It is an excessive spending bill that will create government jobs, not private sector jobs; was put together so quickly, behind closed doors, and outside the normal appropriations process in Congress that we don’t really know what is in the bill or if it will work. This is the largest spending bill in the history of the US and it is likely an enormous waste of all of our money… Somehow, I don’t think this was the Change that America voted for this past November.
There have been a lot of changes in DC over the past few weeks and months. The new Obama administration has run into a lot of problems over the past few weeks. First, they announced their appointment of a new Treasury Secretary who failed to pay some $30,000 in self employment taxes. Even with this failure to pay, the Senate confirmed Secretary Geithner on January 26, 2009 with a 60-34 vote. Following the Treasury Secretary’s tax issues, the Health & Human Services nominee, former Senator Tom Daschle and White House chief performance officer, Nancy Killefer nominee withdrew their names from consideration on February 3, 2009 also over failure to pay taxes. These changes follow initial nominee to the Commerce Department, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson removed his name from consideration due to his being the subject of a grand jury investigation. Late this week it came out that Labor Secretary nominee Representative Hilda Solis also has some tax issues, her husband has failed to pay taxes and the State of California has a lien on the office property. These situations can not help President Obama lead the country.
This week also saw the creation of a so-called “stimulus bill” written behind closed doors by Speaker Pelosi and a few of her loyalists. The House bill was $825 billion and according to the Congressional Budget Office a majority of the money won’t be spent until 2011. The public outcry over money spent on std prevention and new grass for the national mall within an economic stimulus bill led the Senate to remove certain provisions. There was an agreement reached late Friday night between three Republican Senators to a package ranging from $780,000,000 to $820,000,000, which is a reduction from the proposed $940,000,000 that was where the Senate bill reached. Larry Summers, the White House’s Chairman of the National Economic Council stated the parameters of the economic stimulus – timely, targeted, and temporary. This bill doesn’t seem to be any of the three. It is an excessive spending bill that will create government jobs, not private sector jobs; was put together so quickly, behind closed doors, and outside the normal appropriations process in Congress that we don’t really know what is in the bill or if it will work. This is the largest spending bill in the history of the US and it is likely an enormous waste of all of our money… Somehow, I don’t think this was the Change that America voted for this past November.
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