Okay, here's a little riddle my friend Amber told me .75 seconds ago.
"If con is the opposite of pro, then would Congress turn into Progress?"
Now there’s a thought. A statement like this just reminds one how unprogressive our government can be. I’m not necessarily being a bully here and picking on the people who represent our country, but they are only human and humans make mistakes. However, there are some mistakes that seem a little unforgivable at times. Need I point out the obvious?
Well, maybe I am being a little mean and picking on the government a little here, but some of the laws we’ve got around seriously need to be updated. In Pennsylvania, it’s illegal to have a refrigerator outside if the grass underneath it has turned yellow. In Hawaii, 13-year-olds are legally allowed to play in traffic.
It’s not just the old laws that need to be revised though. The new ones need some serious consideration here. We all learned about cause and effect in middle school I believe, so the adults who run the U.S. should be well aware that with certain actions come repercusions that may not be justified by whatever the action was intended to cure. Certain laws and regulations meant to promote economic growth can harm those who need that economic growth the most. For instance, our lovely Pennsylvania governor made it very difficult for small businesses to flourish, especially if that small business has to get a license to sell fireworks. I talk about this particular interest because I work in a fireworks store. Call it a family business if you will.
Several years ago, a licence cost a $50 fee. $50 can seem like a lot at times, but in order to start a business it seemed reasonable. $50 once a year to keep the business legal and running. Well, the more recent governor turned that $50 licensing fee into a $5000 licensing fee. That’s a pretty steep climb if you ask me. That’s like milk costing $1 one year and costing $100 the next year. That money is near--no, let me restate this before I even finish the sentece-- that is impossible for a small business to come up with before they’ve even sold anything.
So I’d like to state the obvious here: Our people in power need to be smarter with that power. In fact, I’d love to see a real people in the White House or Congress. These people wouldn’t be the celebrities of the political world. They’d be like you or me. Real people who work real jobs to make ends meet. And that person would have a true mind for progress.
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you should read my blog "to the progressive u non-voter" it seems to me what i left out of that blog was stated here, in ways that i wouldn't have been able to state. i have heard that pro-con thing before. have you heard this one? "let's break down the word politics, in a classical latin style. there is a prefix and a suffix. the prefix: poli, like poly, meaning many and the suffix tics, or ticks rather, meaning bloodsucking parasite. politics, many bloodsucking parasites."
Yours truly,
.demosthenes
I shall go read your blog now!
That politics one is interesting. No, I haven't heard it, but it seems like a good phrase to add in the textbook of any Government or Economics class....
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Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
Your blog post on non-voters has nothing to do with Congress.
Why do you keep pimping it out?
i beg to difffer. limme differ please please please? okay here is how it HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH CONGRESS: we put congress in power, how i might wonder? how do we appoint these men and women to represent us? by electing them with voting. congres VOTES on things. hell sometimes laws are passed solely because there half of the and i quote "representatives" aren't there to contest it. nonvoting.
as for "pimping out" my blog, why do you care? i might have told a few people to read it. it is up to them to do so. sexual favors had nothing to do with it. and in before, i didn't mean that. you must have, otherwise you wouldn't have said pimping.
one more thing. if you consider my blogs whores then maybe you should VOTE after reading them. hell give it one star if you want to. i don't care. you know i would like to. but thus far none of my blogs have been read or commented upon by the person that i would have liked to have done so.
to the rest of you bloggers out there whom have read, voted, commented my blogs, i truly do thank you.
Yours truly,
.demosthenes
I believe that congress and our government don't want to progress. Now this is coming from a person who believes the government is corrupt, but still. I have seen the rich get richer and the poor become poorer. I believe this is because of the goverment not taking action.
They want to address the situations that aren't important then keep putting off all the important situations. I like the phrase you used it made your blog magical! lol.
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
I understand what your saying but I am a firm beleiver that the riches and poorness of a perons should have little to no invovlement of the government. To say that the government needs to fix the problem by doing something is , in my mind, nuts. what the Governemnt should do, if anything, is back the bleep off the people so that this country can do what it was built to do...suceed but effort and sweat of the individuals and families.
A rant to blog for another day.
Good comment...something (as long as not near socialism) needs to be done AND soon
~T
all truths are easy to understand once discovered; the point is to discover them ~galileo
Very good. I also agree with you too. It seems the goverment is always giving everyone the short end of the stick so they can take the longer piece. So unfair. Good write.
Just a month or so ago, Michelle Obama said that the problem is that some people have 'too much' of a piece of the pie and that the government (under her Husband's administration) would take that pie away from them.
There's a reason why I'm conservative.
Your last paragraph made me think of the 2006 film, Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore. If you ever get a chance, it's a life-changing documentary.
This is an excellent work, Bridges. A progressive might say to this, 'yes, lets open up the political process to the public more--that way the engagement process will wean out any of these unnecessary laws. That's where I stand as well. Lets make democracy work for everyone!
Earth First: we'll destroy the other planets later.
I may not be so up on governmental know-how, but I don't see our country as democratic anymore. It's more capitalistic, isn't it? And if it's supposed to be a democracy, the people are supposed to get more of a say in what goes on, instead of just picking someone to make the decisions for them. As someone else said, the power may be better placed in state or local government. Afterall the needs of one state could be completely different than others.
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Well said. You know more than you think.
Earth First: we'll destroy the other planets later.
That's reassuring.
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Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
I definitely think there needs to be more of a "real people" connection in the government. Whether or not it is feasible to have an average Joe as the President is one thing, but maybe there can be some sort of Real World Committee in the Senate and the House that keeps the political leaders in touch with "real" people. They do need to be brought down to Earth sometimes.
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
There's a bill up somewhere...House? Senate? Anyway, there's debate about raising the salaries of our representatives. They have always voted against raises for themselves, but because the salary is so low, few people who aren't already wealthy can even think about holding office. Who would give up a steady job for a job that doesn't pay a living family wage?
But then again, the way the campaigns go nowadays, who can afford to run...period?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Wikipedia says: The annual salary of each Representative is currently $165,200. The Speaker of the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders earn more. The Speaker earned $212,100 during the 109th Congress (January 4, 2005-January 3, 2007) while the party leaders earned $183,500 (the same as Senate leaders). A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it. Congress sets members' salaries; however, the Constitution prohibits a change in wages from taking effect during the same Congress in which it was enacted. Representatives are also eligible for lifetime benefits after serving for five years, including a pension, health benefits, and social security benefits. (Senators are as well)
I'd say that's a living family wage, since my mom can support a family of four (with one in college, so basically double living expenses), with under $100K a year. Many, many other people can live quite well off on a much smaller wage. Now, we don't live in Washington DC, but I'm sure that you can survive there on over $150K a year, with lifetime benefits kicking in after 5 years (which, since the Senate position is for 6 years, is one term for them).
~C
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I didn't look up their salaries (obviously). I was just reporting the argument for raising the salary.
I'm half-assedly working on writing a paper, half-assedly blogging. Guess I;m not doing such a great job of either!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I would run for office and do it for any salary if it meant that I could actually do some real good in the government. I don't think I would actually be able to effect real change if I were a politician, but maybe we'll see one day...
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
That 'voting against raises' is actually misleading. And done so on purpose since it was put in place long ago.
Congress actually gets automatic pay raises every year or so.
They have to put forth a bill, to pass both house and senate, each year if they do NOT want a raise.
That way they do nothing and get paid more, and if they decide to NOT have a raise one year, they can spin it as a sign of them sacrificing for the good of the country.
Ok, first I'm going to obnoxiously point out a technicality: the "con" in "Congress" comes from the Latin prefix meaning "together." But, ok, I realize it was a joke. I'm just a killjoy sometimes.
Etymology aside, I agree with you. Our government is slowly becoming more and more disconnected from the people it's supposed to serve. That's why I support the decentralization of power in the US: more power to the local and state governments that affect us directly and specifically, less power to the Washington bureaucrats.
I also live in PA, and while I think Rendell's doing a halfway decent job, my biggest issue with him is that he legalized gambling in the state. Casinos are not an element I want in my neighborhood. The integrity of our communities is more important than the tax revenue casinos generate for the state.
I'm surprised that "con" in latin actually means "together", but I guess my obliviousness just points out how Latin has died. Or maybe that I need to take a Latin class.
I don't mind the idea of casinos in the state really. At first the idea didn't seem so great to me, because naturally I think of gambling as irresponsible people who wittle their money away. But if it brings in revenue, why not? I live in a town that thrives on tourism, so we need all the out-of-towners we can get, whether or not they're nice to the populace.
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You picked the wrong person to tell that Latin is dead. I am a Latin FREAK. Though I'll painfully let it slide, for the sake of staying on topic...
Yea, I understand the whole legalized gambling thing goes both ways... it has its pros and cons (pun intended).
I believe the only reason Latin is considered "dead" is because it's not used as a first language anymore and nobody knows the true pronunciation of Latin words anymore.
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Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
because it never changes. Active languages change over time. Latin never will, because there is no active vernacular...or vernaculus, as the case may be! ;)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
That's a shame because all the romance languages are in Latin.
Coal is to shaving as nuclear power is to waxing. For the time being, they are both relatively cheaper options, and each is a fast fix to the energy problem. Now, factor global warming back in --"Hairy Sustainability" by A-squared, a ProU blogger
This blog came across so simple and flowed so perfactly into a point that it was a we bit "magical" as stated in an earlier comment. Good job.
What I find even more amazing is all the subtopics and major ideas popping up all over the commenting. I can see another blaze of political blogs acoming.!
The evidence of thought and intelegence resounding from your blog is awesome.
~T
ll truths are easy to understand once discovered; the point is to discover them ~galileo
Why thank you, tgunnegan. Your kind comment makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I'm really enjoying all the comments. Everyone has something to say and I think we can all learn a little something from each other.
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This is a signature, an automated thingy that pops up when I comment, not a demand to see my blog!
Mind Control is Easier Than You Think