New Business

 

Bring Back New Business

(This blog is not an attack on Jeff Bezos or his company, Amazon PD, for their total destruction of New Businesses (Mom & Pop small businesses).

   One could drop the prayer at the beginning of a government legislative session and add a call for new business at the end.  This would add to the effectiveness and the honesty of their endeavor.  I remember student government in high school, sixty-five years ago, and that was our procedure.  We were learning parliamentary order.  The last section of the governing body meeting was always to ask, “Is there any New Business?”  This enabled any elected representative to present a bill to the group and in order for the bill to be brought to the floor for discussion and a vote, an “I second the motion” was also required.  Therefore, what came to the floor for discussion and was voted upon was not the sole discretion of the leader.  Under Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Order, democracy was alive and well.  Not so in our government today.

   Fast forward to Mitch McConnell’s Senate Majority Leadership, during the Trump Administration.  As you know, Mitch effectively blocked over three hundred bills passed by the House of Representatives from being brought to the floor for discussion and vote.  Any bill must be passed by both legislative bodies before being signed by the President into law.  This effectively gave one man elected by one small state control over the legislation of an entire nation.   As a secondary action, Mitch would not allow a justice appointment to The Terrible Nine by President Obama, for Senate approval, because at eleven months, it was “too close to a presidential election.” While later, under Trump, Mitch ushered in a Supreme Court appointment for Senate review with only one month left in Trump’s term of office.

  If J. Edgar Hoover has earned the right to his name posted on the building housing The Federal Bureau of Investigation, certainly Mitch McConnell has earned the right to his name in large letters posted on the Senate Building.  Like other great Americans, perhaps Donald Trump’s Name should be displayed in large letters on The White House.  It could then be called “The House of Trump.”

Cheers, Old Buz     7/27/2023

“The loyalist follows the under tail scent of the lemming in front of him.” – Old Buz

(This is my humble opinion of employing loyalty as one’s primary moral guide.)

Shutdown the Shutdown

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There is an appropriate application for a Government Shutdown.  It would logically be used on the last day of a government’s existence.  Other than that, it is an illogical solution to any problem.  We need not remove the tool from our existing government, but it should require at least a 95% vote of Congress to put it into effect.  When our government votes by over 95% to shut down the government, that government no longer serves any purpose.  If Congress doesn’t get a budget passed on time, temporarily reinstate the previous year’s budget.  The small minds who brought you this shutdown and shutdowns before it, vote as a “rubber stamp” for their political party.  Otherwise the shutdown would not have occurred.  Political parties have outlived their usefulness in America.   They are at the root of the mindless government shutdowns.  If our representatives were not under the thumb of their political party, few would opt for a government shutdown.

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How can we the people end a government shutdown?  Simple.  The Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) would land aircraft only (clear the skies), then go home.  In other words, shut down civilian air traffic.  This small move would serve to educate those who so poorly govern us.  An Air Traffic Controller goes to work each day for a secure income and to serve the public.  Their service is not appreciated or earned without the secure income.  It is time for you ATC folks to stand up, put on your capes and take to the sky.  Patriotic Americans will applaud you.   You government employees will once again be gainfully employed, within 48 hours.

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When Mitch McConnell says that he will not bring a motion to the floor of the Senate without first knowing that Trump will sign it, he is giving the President the right to determine all future legislation.  A proposed bill does not become law until both houses of Congress pass it.  Then it is sent to the President for signature.  A Presidential Veto can be overridden by Congress.  Laws and oversight have always been the duty of Congress.  The McConnell rule removes the need for and purpose of Congress.  Perhaps the Senate could elect a new Leader.  Certainly the citizens of our country did not elect Mitch (a Senator elected by one state only) to remove the Legislative Branch of our government. 

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If compromise in government means agreeing to ideas that you think are bad ideas in order to get what you think is a good idea passed, you are going to have a lot of bad laws passed.  It is easier to get a bad bill rejected than a poor law removed.  The answer is don’t bundle legislation.  A border wall has nothing to do with DACA legislation.  Deal with them separately. They are separate issues.  Any bill seconded by more than 10 legislators should be brought to the floor, debated in front of the entire house and receive an up or down vote.  If passed in either House, the other House can be required to go through the same procedure.  If we could remove political party influence from this transaction and each representative voted their wisdom, we would get some very good decisions out of our Congress and no shutdowns.  We might even witness truth in government.  Could make us a better country.

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Cheers, Old Buz

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