The Constitution of the United States is one of the most important documents in human history. Its 7 articles and 27 amendments created our government, its checks and balances, and even restricts the powers of the government it created. The entire document, including all 27 amendments is about 21 pages long.
The founding fathers understood that brevity is not only the sole of wit, it's the essence of wisdom. The knew that large, bloated legislation creates the opportunities for mismanagement and corruption.
Last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives - under the cover of nationalized health care and the demise of Michael Jackson - debated and passed one of the most dangerous bills to come out of the House in recent memory. Dangerous because of it's size and negative impact on our economy and our lives. The bill often referred to as cap and trade, cap and tax, choke and steal, or more disingenuously entitled "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" creates government boards, inspectors, regulators, national building codes, and transfers an incredible amount of power to the Secretary of Energy, just for starters. This document including its 300 plus page early morning amendment totals 1201 pages. That's 1180 pages more than the document that is the foundation of our republic.
All three of New Mexico's representatives to the House voted for this massive increase in government bureaucracy. Heinrich and Lujan voted for the measure like a couple of party line toting bobble-heads. Meanwhile, their colleague and fellow freshman congressman Harry Teague cut a deal to exempt the evil carbon producing refineries in his district from the rigors of this misguided attempt to regulate carbon production.
Our question for Mr. Teague is if it's good to exempt your carbon producers how is it not good not to exempt others? We hope the true believers in choke and steal legislation can see through Teague's subterfuge and that the beneficiaries of Teague's deal understand how tenuous their situation truly is should this Obamination of a bill pass the Senate.
Today we were treated to Congressman Junior, uh... Ben Ray Lujan, Jr. trying to answer a simple question from KKOB-AM's Craig Kennedy about whether or not he had read the bill he had so enthusiastically supported. After prattling on about knowing the "major" points and other non-sense, he didn't answer - which of course means no.
Congressman Heinrich will be holding his "open house" at 4:15pm on the carbon belching diesel train commonly known as the Rail Runner. Perhaps someone from KOB could catch up with him in order to find out exactly how many of the 1201 pages he had actually read. Our bet that his answer will be no more satisfying than Bennie Jr's.
It's become a habit of the 111th Congress - passing bills without taking the time to read them, particularly when they're passing thousand page legislation that chokes our economy and steals our money and liberty.
You know, It's not surprising they haven't read the bills they're voting on. If they did, they'd probably be as horrified as the rest of us. Might we suggest however, that they take the time to read the 21 pages of the United States Constitution. By comparison it's light reading and utimately more important. At least it'd be a start.
9 comments:
Can you say Red Herring? What a bunch of BS. This is the best that conservatives have right now? To allege that people aren't reading bills? Surely you can do better than that.
Why don't you come up with your own ideas that actually appeal to the American people, that's a topic worth talking about. Where is the GOP on the economy? health care? energy? No where and without any ideas that appeal to anyone.
Did the author of this blog read the bill?
I would also like to tell New Mexicans that we need to keep Dems in DC. If White was our rep, the Tacos would be history and both bills would still have passed.
If Tinsley was in DC, he would not have been able to include an amendment that protects New Mexican producers and both bills still would have passed.
We need Dems representing us, if we want to impact decisions in DC.
Republicans are out of power and they will stay out of power for years. We need to think about New Mexico and forget party politics.
Thank Heinrich for his work with the Tacos, and thank harry for passing amendments that protect New Mexico.
I challenge all Republicans in the House and the Senate to give up their public plan and enter the private insurance market.
They will not do this and that is why we do not believe the line of bs that comes from the anything but grand old party.
Our soldiers have a socialist medical system and I do not see republicans trying to change it. The doctors that care for our service men ane women are government employees. Do the republicans want us to change the military's medical plan?
It is cheaper to cover a person in the military than it is to cover civilians so why don't we extend this option to all citizens?
Even if we do not want a socialized military plan for all citizens we can still have a public option. A public option means the government pays private doctors. The public option will be one product we can choose.
All the police officers that read this blog will be enrolled in a public option when the city self insures next year. Do the cops want to enter the private insurane market? The city can give you 5000 dollars and you can go find a plan.
If the private plans are better, they will have more customers. If the public plan is better, it will have more costomers. This is competition. Why are republicans scared of competition?
Just a hat tip to the Eye...
You post some very conservative pieces in general but you also post some very liberal comments. Often it seems you get extremes from both ends but good for you for letting both sides hammer it out in public.
I don't always agree with you but I fully support your right to state and present your position.
Happy 4th of July!
The democrats in the United States Congress have demonstrated their method of blindly voting for anything their leaders put in front of them. Passing these bills without thorough examination and deliberation reminds me of the hasty efforts to merge the city and county or the shortsighted decision to purchase the Cavan building.
On the subject of government spending, Don Harris voted for the transportation.
Universal health care will reduce costs for business. A public option will only further reduce costs and more than 70 percent of Americans want a public option.
Cap and trade will free
S from dependence on foreign oil. When we buy oil from the Middle East, we put money in the hands of those who kill our troops.
Don the transportation tax passed with YOUR VOTE. Another tax you have supported.
Councillor O'Malley thank you for leading the charge to attempt to lower that tax.
And Heinrich does not like cops or firefighters
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