Monday, September 29, 2008

What Will It Take?

What will it take to get the bill passed?

Today, is an historic day, a day that will go down in history as of course all days due. This will be a day that they will write about long after it seems to pass into an old man's memory bank. Of course, by a long time, I mean it will it be remembered a long time only applies until the next crisis and then this will be an obscure minor blip on the long path of America's downward spiral.

Today, what was it? Oh, yeah, the Congressional House voted "NO" to the proposed Bail-Out. A another major insult to the man who no insult could be big enough to balance against his "I Am Trying Hard to Be The Worst President Ever" approach to governance. Not only did the Gang of 228 no voters spit in the face of Mr. Bush but they also insulted Ms. Nancy Pelosi, the grandmother who is the first woman Speaker of the House ... how could you do it to her?

Yes, the Gang of 228 say no thank you to the golden opportunity to bail-out the gamblers of Wall Street and save them from doing what Congress ordered them to do ... yes, Congress encouraged and smiled while Wall Street gave all those sub prime mortgages, yes, Congress cheered them on as they created new ways to leverage themselves to give even more questionable mortgages. Oh, did I mention Congress had no trouble taking the campaign contributions from the Wall Streeters doing Congress' bidding?

Well, I have an suggestion in how to get the Gang of 288 to change their votes. First, tell them that they can just stay in Washington D.C. until they get the job done. Correct, no going home to campaign for re-election, no taking a month off for Thanksgiving followed by a month off for Christmas and then a long week for the inauguration. That's right, Congress will have to keep working, earning their paycheck, they tell us is too small until they actually do some work.

This is not a new idea. Did you ever notice how many bills finally get passed in the days before vacation? Count them up. Its like back in the day when winter break was coming, you had tests to take and papers to submit because for the previous weeks you were doing what? Not much. Yes, you can say quite clearly that Congress waits until the last minute to do its work.

Look at the papers they write in the final days of any session. Secretary Paulson submitted a three page plan to bail-out Wall Street. Three pages double spaced, 16 point font wide margins. In less than a week, which in Congress time is an hour (they take a week to get done what most people get done in an hour ... does that explain it), they expanded the report to a 110 page single spaced 10 point font with narrow margins with footnotes. Oh, it is missing some major points and glossed over most of the details but that is for next semester when there will be a few weeks before the two week St. Valentine's vacation which must be taken before the two week St. Patrick's Day retreat.

You want Congress to actually do some work? Cut out their vacations.

If that does not work, reduce their allowance.

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