Congress --- Say 'Reform' One More Time --- You're Fired!

Bonnie Alba

In light of the most recent scandal of corruption and bribery, Congress has failed --- again. Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty and is going to prison. Congress acted in haste to diversify their funds. There was the usual “high road” talk of ethics ‘reform.’ The Fix is in. Again! The Senate has produced a rather weak proposition to suspend lobbyists’ gifts and meals and other incidental items.

Isn’t that just like a sly fox? Sidestepping the more serious ethics’ issues, The Senate has basically thumbed their noses at the American people. Business as usual...until after the congressional election. Only then will they address ethics “reform?” We await the House response.

So, instead of Congress acting immediately on serious Ethics “Reform” and doing the right thing --- by absolutely banning all lobbyists from the house floor, by banning all paid-by-lobbyist trips and paid travel, by banning any influence peddling from lobbyists and gifts, what did they do? Basically much hot air.

I cringe when I hear a politician uses the word: “Reform.” My immediate thought is ‘No, not again.’ It’s more of the same old congressional way of making a problem go away by sputtering “We need to reform this.”

Over the last 50 years we’ve been presented with the following “Re-Forms:” Budget, Tax, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Campaign, Energy, Education, Ethics, Welform, etc. --- all of them followed by the little word “reform.” Not only were these programs-issues “reformed” once, but many times over. The latest is to add ‘true’ to ‘reform.’ This is supposed to reassure citizens that “True Reform” will take care of the problem(s) produced by the five-plus previous attempts at reform of a particular issue.

Then Congress proceeds to add to the already heavy tomes of programs they’ve produced in the thousands of pages of bills, laws, regulations. How much will it cost taxpayers? Is it beneficial to the whole nation --- all the taxpayers --- in line with the U.S. Constitution? I wonder if any of them remember their oath? Do they remember it when they perform their jobs?

Congressional members are sworn in as follows:

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter; So help me God.”

Americans are well aware that Congress diverged from their oath and the Constitution long ago. Our Constitution was given up at least six decades ago in the acceptance of FDR’s Social Security program, and later with LBJ’s Great Society socialist programs to save people from themselves. The last three generations have accepted it as a way of life and expect entitlements from Big Brother --- they know no other way.

I’m sorry people, but this is true --- it was never the aim of the founders for the Republican government to provide a retirement fund paid on the backs of the young. It was also never the goal to withhold taxes before we see our wages either. Nor was it a principle that the poor and needy would be taken care of by the Government, again by collecting taxes from workers’ incomes. That was the responsibility of individuals, families, churches, communities and individual states to provide for their own.

Today’s Congress has abrogated their responsibilities to the whole of the people. Instead they pander to the special interest groups and political action committees. They earmark the bills with special items --- not as prescribed by the Constitution, for the good of the country, all of the people --- but for their own self-interest.

Pres. Bush gave them an opportunity in the Deficit Reduction Package. What did they do? Oh, they passed it but they failed the test --- to go further still --- cutting and trimming even more.

Do they think we have short memories? That by the time election rolls around, we will think of them in a better light? It’s time to let them know we see their hot air, their lies, their cowardliness, their avoidance of fixing programs or even deleting them.

The people have also abrogated their responsibility to demand Congress adhere to the Constitution --- have the people also forgotten?

This present Congress gives off an appearance of evil. It’s time for a change. I have a better idea for those congressional careerists --- Voters, Fire Them! Vote them all out and send all new blood to Washington. They couldn’t do any worse.

© 2006 Bonnie Alba
Comments welcome: tttalba@hotmail.com