Debate

I've gotta laugh about this feigned outrage on the Hill about these AIG bonuses. Right or wrong, these bonuses were protected in this latest $787,000,000,000 stimulus bill. (It turns out that the bonus-protecting provision was inserted by the Senator from Connecticut where most of these bonus recipients reside. He also happens to be the largest recipient of campaign contributions from AIG employees. Always follow the $$$) However, because they have slowly whipped the public into such a frenzy over the "greed" of Wall Street, lawmakers are now in high CYB mode. Actually, it's so sad and pathetic that I want to cry. What an embarassment to the world as it watches these events unfold! How can the USA be taken seriously anymore? There's a clause in the Constitution requiring that Congressman be at least 25 years old and Senators 30 years old before taking office, but my 7 and 3 year old kids have better moments than this collective body. Shame on our founders for thinking that age was the only mark of maturity.

It usually takes years before the unintended consequences of a law manifests itself, especially to its authors, but they and we get to see some of those right away on this one. This is good in one sense; maybe they'll spend a little more time debating the next $700+ billion so-called stimulus bill. Pardon my French, but they rammed this last one through Congress faster than you-know-what goes through a goose. Within the last year, the federal government has rammed through stimulus/bailout bills which will cost us, over time, over $4,500,000,000,000! Per Bianco Research-ABC News, this is more than the combined cost of the Marshall Plan, Louisiana Purchase, New Deal, Korean War, Moon Race, Vietnam War, S&L crisis, Iraq War and NASA over its lifetime!

We the people were promised a new era of accountability, transparency and time to review spending bills...except for this one I guess. If I really suspend disbelief, I can sort of understand the House doing so, but the Senate is supposed to be a much more deliberative body; the filibuster,as well as the six-year term, is a means to that end. The Senate started debating this bill on 2/3/09, and passed it on 2/10/09. It was singed into law by 2/17/09. They only spent one week debating a $787,000,000,000 bill! What's the hurry? How many times are we told that this must be done right away or else, that there's no time to lose or that a crisis will become a catastrophe if we don't act now? Is this not a subtle way of saying that this or any bill would never pass muster if the public had time to review and hear debate on it? If it's really that good, then it will sustain vigorous debate.

Consider this. How do you respond to a telemarketer or door-to-door salesman who asks you to buy something right now? How about a car salesman asking you to sign the papers right after test-driving the car? What about a PAC asking for a donation? Don't you like some time to think about it, consider different options or, heaven forbid, see if there is room in your budget? If I make a hasty decision and it turns out to be a bad one, only me and my family suffers. However, if our government makes a hasty decision, which becomes the law of the land, and it turns out to be a bad one, every citizen suffers. Legislators have an obligation to think about it, consider different options and see if there is room in the budget, and I would like to think that these parameters should be in proportion to the size of the bill? Is this not a reasonable request?

Well, if you agree, then keep this mind the next time you vote. If you don't agree or don't even care, then please don't vote. An uniformed voter will do more damage to the republic than someone who doesn't vote at all.