Louisville, NY Rebublican Committee Chair to Gillibrand, Schumer and McHugh: Time for Real Transparency Legislation
In letters to Senators Gillibrand and Schumer – as well as to Congressman John McHugh – Nancy Foster, Chairwoman of the Lousiville Republican Committee is urging new laws on legislative accountability and transparency. The text of that letter follows:
Along with millions of other Americans we were absolutely appalled that our government representatives voted on the $787 billion dollar American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 (stimulus bill) without personally reading the legislation in its entirety. We have since learned that it is not uncommon for our elected officials to vote on bills they have not personally read. Instead, they rely on staff recommendations and committee reports. No matter how dire our circumstances seem to be, members of Congress cannot abdicate their responsibility to their staff or committees.
The American public has become increasingly frustrated with a government whose rhetoric does not match its actions. We were promised transparency but have gotten a maze of convoluted trails that seem to be contrived to bar the public from following how, where, and when our tax dollars are being spent.
Not only is legislation rarely open for public scrutiny before it is voted on, it is written in legal language and references volumes of material not provided to the public when they are able to view a bill.
Although President Obama promised he would “…not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days” that has not happened. Government is losing the trust of the American people. You can help ebb that trend by authoring and supporting a bill that will guarantee, except in cases of extreme national security emergencies:
1. The distribution of all legislation to the members of Congress seven days prior to a vote on said legislation.
2. The posting of all legislation, including references, to an internet site accessible to the public at the same time it is distributed to the members of Congress. Such posting shall also include a straightforward summary of the major points of the bill.
3. No last minute additions or changes shall be made to pending legislation without providing members of Congress and the public an additional seven days for review of the proposed additions or changes.
4. Most Americans view the practice of inserting identity free earmarks in the dead of night as unacceptable cowardly acts unworthy of our government representatives. All legislation must mandate author identification of all earmarks.
The American taxpayer needs reassurance that our government representatives are working on their behalf. Authoring and supporting a bill which includes the above components would be a very positive step in regaining an ebbing trust.
Given Obama’s own promises while on the campaign trail, and an out-of-control Congress, this is common sense legislation that every New Yorker — and every American — should not merely request of their representatives, but demand. It is high time we remind our legislators who they work for. They don’t work for the President, and they don’t work for the DNC, or George Soros, or Moveon.org. They work for us. For Americans. Americans who are sick of the mountains of waste and debt being laid at the feet of our children.
The concepts contained in this letter are not partisan in nature. Every Legislative session, whether run by Republicans or Democrats, ought to follow the rules outlined here. And every voter – whether Republican, Democrat, Green or Libertarian — should expect nothing less from their representatives.
Remember, we’re not asking for anything that wasn’t promised by Candidate Obama before his election. It’s time to hold our leaders accountable. Call your represetatives, and demand this legislation.
Senator Gillibrand’s Albany District Office: (518) 431-0120
Senator Schumer’s Albany Office: (518) 431-4070,
Congressman McHugh’s Watertown Office: (315) 782-3150.
Gillibrand focuses on the important stuff: counting calories
You’d think Senator Gillibrand would have important things to do, as both a member of the US Senate and as a member of the Agriculture Committee. Things like dealing with the economy, for example (not that I necessarily want her to and her Democrat allies to be passing legislation and such, but, still). But evidently, what she and others find to be of surpassing importance is a bill to require calorie counts on chain restaurant menues.
Well, I for one wish her all the luck in the world. After all, clearly the only reason I’m fat is because I just don’t understand how many calories I’m putting into my body. Well, that, and because soda is just a few cents too cheap. Please, Federal Government, save me from myself. If only I knew how fattening these foods are, I could stop putting them in my body. Just like how everybody quit smoking after the Surgeon General made them put all the cancer warnings on packs of cigarettes. And the children! How are parents supposed to know that chicken wrapped in starch and fried is actually not the healthiest thing their kids could eat, without proper labeling on the menues to tell them?
But, you know, why stop there? If the government is to be in charge of my safety and well-being (like all good governments should), why even give me the option? Why not just outlaw fatty foods? And cigarettes. Driving faster than 35 mph? Driving at all?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITPTJzPv4J8
(warning: some strong language)
Sen. Gillibrand hosts economic conference — but what’s the point?
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Cortland Tuesday, speaking with local business leaders about how to best stimulate local economy. Basically, the idea was to seek grant proposals for money that is already earmarked for the State — we have x amount of dollars, NOW let’s decide how to spend it.
Now, let’s forget, for the moment, that Obama’s so-called “stimulus” package, um, isn’t. Let’s forget that you don’t put the nation in debt in order to stimulate economic wellbeing. Let us pretend, as Obama and the Legislative democrats are doing, that tossing money at states (to the detriment of our childrens’ economic future) is indeed the right move to make. Even so, shouldn’t discussions about where, and how much money should be spent, have already happened? Shouldn’t the government, since they’re evidently going to try playing the investment game, have some ideas already in mind before they start shelling out money?
And – since we’re going down the road of what questions the government should have asked and when — shouldn’t the government, perhaps, have asked whether those investments should even be made? Or, since many Americans gave answers to that question without being asked by government anyway, shouldn’t the government, perhaps, have even pretended to listen?
But they didn’t. They knew what they wanted to do, and, without regard to consequence or even a moderate view of economic reality, they went ahead and did it. And now, in standard Democrat Party fashon, they want to have their cake, and eat it too. They want to be able to pass these tax and spending increases, all the while claiming to not like them. All the while claiming to be listening to the cries of their constituency. This, like the AIG bonus tax, is nothing other than Democrats trying to cover their collective ass — and should be taken as nothing else.
Gillibrand’s acknowledgement of “concerns about government spending in the face of mounting budget deficits” sound suspiciously like talking points coming out of most politicians who voted for this thing — and ring just as hollow.
But, says Gillibrand, now that the money’s been spent, it’s time to decide how to use it.
“With a national unemployment rate of five percent and a local unemployment rate at eleven percent, we’ve got a lot of work to do. And so by coming here, I can listen to all our community leaders, our business leaders, our leaders in education and health care and hear directly from them what the problems are and also what their ideas are for the best solutions,” said Gillibrand.
It just seems like a conversation that should have happened a couple months ago, rather than now, after Obama and Company has already sold our future to foreign powers.