Saturday, May 30, 2020

Am I The Only One That Gets The Point?

I see where there is a movement in our 9% Approval Rated Congress to start doing Proxy Voting in our 9% Approval Rated House of Representatives.

There is a radio talk show host that I often listen to that was talking non-stop about Proxy Voting on Thursday May 28, 2020 but I think he is missing The Point(s). His Point(s) is (are)...

Ø The Members of Congress are paid to do their jobs.

Ø The Members of Congress don’t want to do their jobs.

Ø The biggest part of their jobs that they don’t want to do is to Vote on Legislation.

Ø The Members of the House are lazy (No Chit, Mr. Talk Show Host, Sherlock. We know that’s true. Tell us something we don’t know.)

Why do I so often see what others do not see? If you don’t see it, don’t bother looking. I know you guys are busy doing nothing while you are sheltering in your place. Just sit back and relax and I will tell you what you don’t see...

Ø Voting is not just Pushing a Button, Raising a Hand or Saying “Yea” or “Ney” when it is your turn to vote.

Ø Voting happens at the end of the Process of gathering information about the proposed legislation, making an informed decision about how you want to vote and then voting how you have decided to vote because of the work you put into the Process.

Ø Part of the Process of deciding how to vote is interacting with other members of congress and discussing the pros and cons of the proposed legislation.

Ø Some of that interacting can be listening to other members speak in support or in opposition to the proposed legislation.

Ø Some of that interacting can be talking face to 6 feet away face with other members.

Wait a moment! There are flies in my ointment! What I just described above is the way it used to be and not the way it currently is in our 9% Approval Rated Congress today...

Ø Today there is no interacting.

Ø There is no listening to other members speeches.

Ø There is no talking to other members on the floors of their respective chambers.

Ø Today the only time they get together is at Happy Hour and, even then, they do not talk except when they bump into each other as they head back to the bar for a refill and both saying simultaneously, “Get out of my way!”

Are you thinking to your collective selves, “Then how do they decide which way to vote?”

If you are asking the above question you really are out of touch with our 9% Approval Rated Congress...

They decide how to vote by texting or being texted by their respective party leaders and being told how they will vote.

That, My Dear Readers, is how Members of Congress make a modern day “Informed Decision”.

That having been said, I now informed myself that there is really no reason not to have Proxy Voting because it makes no never mind.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: This is not the first time I have touched on this touchy issue...

First published March 2009...

What An Inspirational Speech!

The inspirational speech was going great and then that screw fell out.

This above sentence got you confused? That’s why I am here. Stay with me and I will make it all as plain as the nose on your face.

Many times I pass through the TV Room to find CSPAN or CSPAN2 coming out of the box.  My wife loves to watch these two channels.  I love to pass through the TV Room (and keep right on passing through) while she is watching either one of these two channels.

Earlier today my ear caught the sound of a brilliant speech in the making on CSPAN.  I was mesmerized.  I stopped.  I sat down.  I watched. I listened with rapt attention. The guy was awe-inspiring!

If you have spent any time watching CSPAN or CSPAN2, you well know that there are two cameras used to keep the folks back home right in the midst of history in the making.  This is how the setup is set up…

Ø One camera faces the part of the chamber where there are all the desks and flags.

Ø This is where there is a leader, president or such person with a gavel.

Ø The gavel is banged periodically and the leader, president or such person reminds the person speaking how much time they have left.

Ø The gavel is also banged when the time has expired.

Ø There is another person sitting below the leader, president or such person who is taking copious notes or checking their email, it is hard to tell which.

The other camera faces the current speaker.

The cameras are fixed in place so they do not turn either right or left.

I found myself taking notes so that I could blog the world as many pieces of wisdom as I could transcribe.

Then it happened.  An important screw fell out of the tripod that was holding the camera fixed on the inspirational speaker.  The camera first turned to the left and then came to rest on a table.  As it was hitting the table it bounced up and turned to the right. 

This happening afforded me a view of all the members in the chamber as they listened to the awe-inspiring, brilliant and inspirational speaker.

This is when I realized that there was no There There.  To be more precise, there was no Them There.  There was no one else in the chamber except the Brilliant Speaker, the Gavel Person and the Email-Checking Other Person.

No wonder no one ever changes their mind in our Congress.  There is no one in our Congress that is listening to our Congress.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella