This weekend at a social gathering of the "old guard" (read: pre-Live Nation) employees of Bill Graham Presents, the former head of Ambience Control, Lance Miller, asked if I had given up the Three Dot Lounge. With all the life changes in the last six months, I hadn't really thought about it much (except following a similar inquiry from my friend Coz a few weeks ago), but during my evening drive back from Coventry Grove, I did and have decided. The Lounge is now back open for business...
TRICK OR TREAT: Watching the Giants' telecast last night, I saw my favorite Meg Whitman commercial of the Fall Comedy Season; the one where she smiles and touts that "thirty years ago, my husband and I came to California, because it was the land of opportunity and literally anything was possible. THIS was why we came to California!", she offers with a glowing smile. I am guessing the formerly employed nudnik who wrote that ad forgot to check to see who was the Gov back when California was such a fantabulous place, full of promise and prosperity. None other than Jerry Brown!...A dear 'not-so-old' friend, Debbie Clair Liebert (of the Brentwood Lieberts), reports they had 1,473 trick or treaters come a knockin' at their door last night. So kibosh what they say about the failing education in our public schools. These kids were obviously taught the big lesson from the Watergate era: "follow the money"...
AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Speaking of tricks and treats, my favorite line of the night comes from a darling little thing who couldn't have been more than three. Knocks on the door, parents handily in tow, adorned in nothing ghoulish or otherwise special, carrying a medium sized beaded purse. Upon hearing her confident demand for "tricks or treats, please" (the politeness of which instantly made me fall in love with the little tyke and hand her three Reeses instead of a lone Kit-Kat), I inquired, "Where's your costume?". "I was a ghost, but I tripped and fell twice", she replied as she answered, somewhat annoyed. "It's wasn't working for me"...
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION...Each year I try to pay attention and make note of the date on which I see the first Christmas ad on television. Requirements: it must show Santa, an xmas tree, use the word Christmas or have a familiar jingly holiday song in the background. In recent years, they have been popping up as early as the last week of September, but I saw this year's first last night, in between the 4th and 5th innings. Ho, Ho, No. Still too early...Hypocrisy 101: This year's big holiday item from The Music Store is a steal and they'll probably go quickly. It's an external hard drive filled with 1,000 of the all-time greatest rock and pop albums (including entire catalogues from most of your faves) and more than 250 direct-from-the-soundboard concert recordings of the top acts from the late 60's through the 70's and 80's, many recorded right here in NorCal. Also includes hundreds of blues, jazz and country recordings, but if you or someone you know is a lover of what is now referred to as "classic rock", this really is a must have. All (including the hard drive from which you can burn your own CD's or load up your iPod or MP3 players) for only $500. For more information, e-mail daj0410@gmail.com ...
FROM THE "IS IT JUST ME?" DEPT: I just received an FB missive from Stockton entrepreneur, positive thinker and all-around good gal, Suzy "Sunshine" Bowers, complaining about the "invasion of privacy" she feels from the incessant robocalls from the politicos. I read through the Constitution and found no provision for others being rude or bothersome, which these intrusions certainly are. Invasion of privacy is when a President directs his minions to listen in on your phone conversations without a warrant. Robocalls are simply a huge inconvenience. Both, however, are reasonable motivations to vote for the other guy, which in the case of the former, a lot of us did two years ago this week!...
HUMMMM BABY...I love my Giants. In fact, I am so supremely confident in their eventual success, I am rather hoping for the killer pitching duel were were promised in Game 1 from both team's respective aces, Messers. Lee and Lincecum, to go into extras but...with Texas coming out on top. Blasphemous? Traiterous? UnAmerican? Perhaps. But I just love watching these guys play ball and am not yet ready for the Season to end. Besides, while he hasn't gotten as much press as The Freak, I think Matty Cain has been the pitching stalwart all season long and I'd dearly love to watch him crush the Rangers to seal the deal AND I'd love to see him do it at home. So, hoping for a great game-tight loss tonight and then Wednesday night's Texas Cain-saw Massacre...
AND FINALLY...This was fun. It's nice to be back here at the Lounge and we're looking forward to continuing to serve up some tasty tidbits for your reading pleasure and contemplation. If you have any thoughts, ideas, suggestions or comments, please offer them up in the box below, and don't forget to tip your waitresses. Great gals all, but I don't pay them much. As always, please forgive the typos and...
What's on YOUR mind?
Showing posts with label Constitution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Constitution. Show all posts
Monday, November 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Solution Stew - The U.S. Congress
THIS BEING HUMP DAY, I was looking for ingredients for this week's "Solution Stew"; a situation requiring a solution, preferrably one not connected with the federal government. Originally leaning towards offering my always stellar *cough* picks for the NCAA Tournament which begins on tomorrow, I was stopped in my tracks.
Yesterday afternoon, I read, sadly, that the Democratic Leadership, pushed to the brink by a non-cooperative, equally non-representative Republican House and Senate members, had delved into the depths of parlamentary procedure and discovered a way to pass the Healthcare Reform bill without even having to cast a vote. We'll get into the details in a moment, but for now let me say, as I have been saying to Republicans (at least the obstructionist buffoons among them) that the process is far more important than the outcome, and if all you can do is find little hidden tricks and subvertive measures to get things your way, then you should all be sumarily dismissed, replaced, and allow the Nation to continue as it was meant to.
OK...here's what happened. Some stories racing through the Internet have implied that there would not be a vote.
This is true in the sense that there would not be a DIRECT vote. But the health-care bill would be voted on INDIRECTLY, tucked into what's known as "the rule." The rule essentially outlines the rules for an upcoming vote -- in this case, it would be the vote on the package of reconciliation fixes.
By passing "the rule," the House also would "deem" the Senate bill passed (with a "hereby" statement. "We hereby deem..."). The House would then vote on the package of reconciliation fixes. But the Senate health-care bill would be considered passed even if they never vote on the reconciliation fixes.
The "rule" can be written several different ways to include passage of the Senate bill. Though no decisions have been made -- including whether or not the rule will be used -- there are two scenarios most often discussed, according to a Democratic aide knee-deep in the process.
Scenario No. 1: The Senate bill is deemed passed with the passage of the House Rule for debate. So once the House passed the rules for debating the reconciliation package, the Senate bill could immediately be sent to president for his signature.
Scenario No. 2: The Senate bill is deemed passed with the House's passage of the reconciliation bill. Since the vote on "the rule" happens before the vote on reconciliation, this would delay the bill being sent to Obama.
Under any scenario, the aide says, the bill must be signed by the president before the Senate takes up the reconciliation.
Now, there is a great deal more that could be said, a great many more points offered in support or opposition to this process. But for me, it ends here because the healthcare issue has now become secondary to what members of the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle have done, and continue to do, that would be far more harmful to our Nation than having to pay for the poor to receive access to adequate healthcare insurance.
Members of both parties are engaged, albeit for reasons they each believe righteous and good, in subverting not only the letter of the Constitution, but also the core principle on which this Republic was founded: honest, sincere representation of their constituency; the citizens of the United States of America.
And that is not something you mess with.
History
"Deem and Pass" has been used often and by both parties. Democrats point out that Republicans used it quite a bit in the 1990s for tax cuts for the wealthy and already profitable corporations, as well as for numerous lots of corporate welfare, a reduction of oversight for the financial sector, and little things like warrantless wiretaps and exemptions for certain companies to do business with countries like Iran, where such allowances were made a federal crime by the same Congress just months prior. In this Congress, Democrats used "Deem and Pass" for raising the debt ceiling, which was tucked into the PayGo bill. So both sides have played this card, and no one is blameless.
But once again, it is the incessant hunger for power, the inability to give and take for the good of all, and the unfortunate need of those in power to acquiesce to those interests who can and will fund their next campaigns, that has led us to the point where our representative government, of either fashion or flavor, in reality, no longer exists.
Yes, this country desperately needs and should be wholly embarassed for not having an optimal healthcare system that is accessible to every one of its citizens.
Yes, the elected officials who have been saddled with the daunting task of finding a way, the best way, to make this a reality have some tough decisions to make and yes, some of those decisions will put their congressional seats in jeopardy, because they will not be popular.
So what?
As per the Constitution, those representatives are required, by law, to represent the people in their Districts or States and vote in the light of what is in the best interests of ALL whom they represent.
Not just of those who agree with them.
Not just those who will vote for them in the next election.
Not just those who will donate funds for their next election.
And certainly NOT for their party.
The solution? It's a two parter, and quite simple really...
First: Each one of you reading this, pass it on to everyone you know. And as soon as you do that, send a letter to your Congressperson and to your Senators and explain to them what you believe is the right thing to do. Explain to them that you are embarassed by the manner in which their body has performed (or not) thus far and regardless of what the eventual outcome on this issue is, that if you see one hint of further political subterfuge and games being played and that if they do not start acting honorably, in the manner of our Founding Fathers, that come the next time their name is on the ballot, they will not receive your vote.
Second: Follow through. Regardless of how this ends up, if your elected representatives don't pull their collective heads out and start acting with the proper intent and motivation, they should become 535 added to the millions of unemployed they helped create the next time election day rolls around.
Oh and by the way...if you don't follow this procedure, or in some way let your elected officials know they are going to be held accountable for their actions...then please, and with all due respect...sit down and shut up.
Because this is no longer about healthcare reform, or about progressive vs. conservative.
This has now become about the preservation and sanctity of the foundation of our nation. This is about protecting that one unique element that makes America...well, America. This is now about maintaining a representative form of government, where We The People actually means something.
And if you're going to be silent now, you have no right to complain later.
Yesterday afternoon, I read, sadly, that the Democratic Leadership, pushed to the brink by a non-cooperative, equally non-representative Republican House and Senate members, had delved into the depths of parlamentary procedure and discovered a way to pass the Healthcare Reform bill without even having to cast a vote. We'll get into the details in a moment, but for now let me say, as I have been saying to Republicans (at least the obstructionist buffoons among them) that the process is far more important than the outcome, and if all you can do is find little hidden tricks and subvertive measures to get things your way, then you should all be sumarily dismissed, replaced, and allow the Nation to continue as it was meant to.
OK...here's what happened. Some stories racing through the Internet have implied that there would not be a vote.
This is true in the sense that there would not be a DIRECT vote. But the health-care bill would be voted on INDIRECTLY, tucked into what's known as "the rule." The rule essentially outlines the rules for an upcoming vote -- in this case, it would be the vote on the package of reconciliation fixes.
By passing "the rule," the House also would "deem" the Senate bill passed (with a "hereby" statement. "We hereby deem..."). The House would then vote on the package of reconciliation fixes. But the Senate health-care bill would be considered passed even if they never vote on the reconciliation fixes.
The "rule" can be written several different ways to include passage of the Senate bill. Though no decisions have been made -- including whether or not the rule will be used -- there are two scenarios most often discussed, according to a Democratic aide knee-deep in the process.
Scenario No. 1: The Senate bill is deemed passed with the passage of the House Rule for debate. So once the House passed the rules for debating the reconciliation package, the Senate bill could immediately be sent to president for his signature.
Scenario No. 2: The Senate bill is deemed passed with the House's passage of the reconciliation bill. Since the vote on "the rule" happens before the vote on reconciliation, this would delay the bill being sent to Obama.
Under any scenario, the aide says, the bill must be signed by the president before the Senate takes up the reconciliation.
Now, there is a great deal more that could be said, a great many more points offered in support or opposition to this process. But for me, it ends here because the healthcare issue has now become secondary to what members of the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle have done, and continue to do, that would be far more harmful to our Nation than having to pay for the poor to receive access to adequate healthcare insurance.
Members of both parties are engaged, albeit for reasons they each believe righteous and good, in subverting not only the letter of the Constitution, but also the core principle on which this Republic was founded: honest, sincere representation of their constituency; the citizens of the United States of America.
And that is not something you mess with.
History
"Deem and Pass" has been used often and by both parties. Democrats point out that Republicans used it quite a bit in the 1990s for tax cuts for the wealthy and already profitable corporations, as well as for numerous lots of corporate welfare, a reduction of oversight for the financial sector, and little things like warrantless wiretaps and exemptions for certain companies to do business with countries like Iran, where such allowances were made a federal crime by the same Congress just months prior. In this Congress, Democrats used "Deem and Pass" for raising the debt ceiling, which was tucked into the PayGo bill. So both sides have played this card, and no one is blameless.
But once again, it is the incessant hunger for power, the inability to give and take for the good of all, and the unfortunate need of those in power to acquiesce to those interests who can and will fund their next campaigns, that has led us to the point where our representative government, of either fashion or flavor, in reality, no longer exists.
Yes, this country desperately needs and should be wholly embarassed for not having an optimal healthcare system that is accessible to every one of its citizens.
Yes, the elected officials who have been saddled with the daunting task of finding a way, the best way, to make this a reality have some tough decisions to make and yes, some of those decisions will put their congressional seats in jeopardy, because they will not be popular.
So what?
As per the Constitution, those representatives are required, by law, to represent the people in their Districts or States and vote in the light of what is in the best interests of ALL whom they represent.
Not just of those who agree with them.
Not just those who will vote for them in the next election.
Not just those who will donate funds for their next election.
And certainly NOT for their party.
The solution? It's a two parter, and quite simple really...
First: Each one of you reading this, pass it on to everyone you know. And as soon as you do that, send a letter to your Congressperson and to your Senators and explain to them what you believe is the right thing to do. Explain to them that you are embarassed by the manner in which their body has performed (or not) thus far and regardless of what the eventual outcome on this issue is, that if you see one hint of further political subterfuge and games being played and that if they do not start acting honorably, in the manner of our Founding Fathers, that come the next time their name is on the ballot, they will not receive your vote.
Second: Follow through. Regardless of how this ends up, if your elected representatives don't pull their collective heads out and start acting with the proper intent and motivation, they should become 535 added to the millions of unemployed they helped create the next time election day rolls around.
Oh and by the way...if you don't follow this procedure, or in some way let your elected officials know they are going to be held accountable for their actions...then please, and with all due respect...sit down and shut up.
Because this is no longer about healthcare reform, or about progressive vs. conservative.
This has now become about the preservation and sanctity of the foundation of our nation. This is about protecting that one unique element that makes America...well, America. This is now about maintaining a representative form of government, where We The People actually means something.
And if you're going to be silent now, you have no right to complain later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
