Congressional Shenanigans

Before I did a stint at a trade organization in Washington, DC I thought my knowledge of how our government really works was well above average. I learned I was sadly mistaken. Clueless, even. I believe the organization I worked for was as ethical as they come and played by the rules and I’m proud of the work I did there. I’m still proud of that organization, which, by the way, did many things besides lobby Congress and government agencies. Nonetheless, I believe that the average citizen would be absolutely shocked at what “playing by the rules” really entails. Trust me, neither Democrats nor Republicans are better than the other in this game. The game has become so twisted and convoluted that trying to find the line of sight from the best interest of the country to what actually becomes law will leave you with vertigo.

I believe that if most voters are aware of how things work inside the Beltway, they will demand real change. So when I have the time and opportunity I’m going to try and highlight some of the problems. The examples I’m using today showcase Democratic maneuvers, they are the ones still in charge of the both the House and Senate after all, but don’t take that to mean that Republicans haven’t used the same tactics.

To wit, Harry Reid is trying to quietly tack on to the bill that will extend current tax rates language that will legalize online poker. Questions you may ask are “So? I would kinda like more opportunities to gamble online” and “why would Senator Reid do that?”

I personally rarely gamble and think that many casinos prey on people that can least afford it, but I also highly value an individual’s right to choose how he or she spends time and money. Plus a friend that has made some steady income playing Texas Hold ‘em has told me that with my geeky love of statistics and ability to remember every card thrown playing canasta with my mom that I would be a natural…but I digress. Back on topic, I also haven’t researched the issue so I really have no position on it. I DO have an opinion, however, on whether or not it is appropriate to try to slide this unrelated issue into critical legislation that is being fast-tracked. I believe whole-heartedly that it is NOT appropriate and this kind of maneuvering is one of the many things wrong with our legislative process.

The House Financial Services Committee actually held hearings on the online poker issue and, as a committee, approved proposed legislation to regulate it. The next appropriate steps would be to publish the conference report and recommendations and vote on the legislation crafted by the committee. I have no idea what the conference report says or whether I would agree with it but that’s not the point. Allowing Harry Reid, as Senate Majority Leader, to just slip in the language that he wants makes a mockery of the considered, deliberate process that SHOULD characterize Congress.

So why would Harry Reid pull this stunt? Simple. He owes the casinos. The 2010 midterm elections were the tightest of Reid’s career. It really came down to the wire and Harrah’s and other casinos contributed a boatload of money (see the original article) and even bussed their employees in to vote. I normally would refrain from linking to sources that lean too far left or too far right, but the emails published by the National Review speak for themselves. The Center for Responsive Politics tracks the money and also has an opinion.

Meanwhile, other Democrats, disgruntled by the compromise on tax rates and unemployment benefits reached by Obama and Republicans, are being tempted by legislative "sweeteners" related to…wait for it…corn. If you’re looking for the line of sight from expanding the net for the long-term unemployed to continuing to give credits that make it more profitable to grow corn to burn in cars rather than to grow things to feed people, please don’t hurt yourself as you twist into a pretzel. This is NOT about what is best for the country. Even His Global Warmingness …err…His Climate Changedness, Al Gore, has said that ethanol subsidies are bad policy. But Democrats have whipped out their electoral calculators (reverse polish notation?) and are frantically trying to figure out if the anger their constituencies will have over them caving in to Republicans on tax rate extensions can be overcome by the gratitude (read $$$) that farming interests will undoubtedly shower upon them. I could take this moment to expound on my views of energy policy, an area which I really do have expertise, but I can’t mention the N word until I clear my activities with my current employer. Plus, it would take hours, charts, graphs, etc. All things that tend to bore the bejesus out of my friends. I’m trying to build an audience for this blog, not shrink it.

But back to the main point. Generation X is the population that has the most to lose as we address critical issues like tax rates, government spending, energy policy, entitlement reform, immigration reform, etc. We need to demand that our elected leaders end the shenanigans so that major policy decisions are made in a process that collects data objectively, debates proposals openly, and holds votes that cleanly distinguish among disparate issues.