Are They Kidding?

 

I’m feeling left out! Obviously, a package of real good weed has been delivered to everyone and I didn’t get mine!!

There’s a pledge going around congress that republicans are all signing… A pledge to read all legislation before voting.

Are they kidding? It’s not that I don’t think that reading legislation before voting on it is a good idea; it is. I just can’t believe that there has to be a ‘pledge’ advocating what I would consider to be normal operating procedure.

It’s like signing a ‘pledge’ promising to breathe!

One of the more blatant paradoxes with these ass-clowns in government is how they love to appoint themselves as the watchdogs over industries. Indeed, they parade around as the beacons of accountability while excoriating various company CEOs for finding themselves in fiscal turmoil. So while they’re wagging their fingers at these evil CEOs for running their companies in the dirt, they merrily vote yes on major legislation without reading it first? Please.

This gets to the main issue of accountability. Nobody likes being held accountable yet when one is subject to the negative consequences of their actions, they are a little more careful of those actions. Look at what ‘golden parachutes’ do in detaching the CEO from their actions. Agreeing to pay a CEO X million dollars if he’s unceremoniously ousted from a company that he’s run into the dirt is lunacy. They will not be held accountable for taking on enormous risk and putting the company in jeopardy – Quite the reverse, they will walk away smiling – on their way to the bank.

Now look at our government. As bad as the economy is; unemployment is just below 10%, shrinking GDP, etc… Have you noticed that there are no layoffs in congress or the senate being announced? The only evidence you need in the double standard is the fact that Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and others still have their jobs. These were some of the people who contributed heavily to the subprime mortgage meltdown in case you missed it.

So what happens to these unaccountable morons when their half-baked legislation fails to accomplish what they intend? Worse, the unintended consequences produce even bigger problems down the road? Nothing. We get excuses. We get rationalizations. We get BS.

Our founders never intended our elected officials to live in a permanent ruling class. Their idea was that private citizens would do their stint in government then return to their private sector lives and businesses. If they dreamed that we’d have senators hanging around for 40+ years, they’d have included term limits in the constitution. Like many other aspects of the constitution, they relied on the honor system…. A system that only works with honorable people, not like the ones we have now.

It’s funny how our elected officials are so against CEOs and their golden parachutes – the benefits and perks with elected office are one golden parachute after another.

Why should they care how badly they screw up healthcare when they won’t have to live with the garbage they inflict on us? Same with Social Security. Even though they pay into it, they have their own private pensions and are entitled to it after serving only one term. Taxpayer provided. The economy overall. No matter how bad things get – no senator or congressman will be handed a pink slip. Makes ME want to run for office!

Perhaps if our leaders had to live with the consequences of shoddy legislation, they’d be a little more careful of the laws they pass. Duh! How about some teeth in the legislation? I floated this idea to my senators just prior to the first stimulus. I suggested that if they felt so strongly that the bill was the right way to go, put some teeth in it. Set some goals and milestones. That’s how business does it. When a company embarks on a new project or investment, they set measurable goals and do their best to meet them. To ensure success, employees get bonus objectives tied to those goals. There are incentives to succeed and consequences if they don’t. In a word – ACCOUNTABILITY.

How many votes do you think the first stimulus bill would have gotten if those who voted for it were held to some key milestones? Say private sector jobs numbers, unemployment figures, GDP, etc… And if those goals weren’t met, the official would get $1 in salary for a year. If they did things like this, there would be no reason for some silly-assed ‘I promise to read the legislation’ pledge!