Blogs > It's Time To Take A Stand

Being a business theatre producer has allowed Brian the opportunity to meet and work with some very fascinating people from a variety of backgrounds which, in turn, has helped shape his knowledge and his opinions. His blog will not always be political, it will be about a lifetime of subjects, and nothing is off limits. “Few people have original thoughts, we are shaped by the people we know and meet” he says.



Friday, November 20, 2009

Politics as Usual or Real Transparency!

"The American people want a Congress that is open and accountable to the people it serves. Previous majorities, Republican and Democratic alike, have failed to meet this standard, and the current majority has taken the abuse to new heights. It's time to change the way Congress works by opening the process up and putting it all on the web, where Americans can follow what their government is doing." - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

See for yourself, go to: http://www.gopleader.gov/readthebill

Too often we believe these guys when they say they are going to change. They have said it before. They will say it again. Whether we are gullible enough to believe them again is for you to decide. Are we to believe that because they are not in power that they want real transparency? They didn’t want it when they had the power, they wanted the status quo. What has changed to make it believable now? We have nothing to lose by pressing our Senators and Congressmen and women to pass these five steps to have transparency in government.

Five steps that our elected officials do not have the courage to pass:

1 – Read the Bill – Put all bills online for at least 72 hours before they come to a vote. (Actually it should be 2 weeks, not 72 hours)

2 – Ban “Phantom” amendments. Require committees to post bill text online within 24 hours of adoption. (This should be 72 hours)

3 – Show the votes. Post Members’ committee votes online within 48 hours.

4 – Open Health Care Negotiations to the Public. Prevent secret deals behind closed doors and ensure a full and open debate.

5 – Bring Sunlight to the Rules Committee. Allow cameras in the secretive Rules Committee, which decides which bills come to a vote.

Is this just some more political rhetoric or is this finally going to happen? Talk is cheap and seeing is believing, until then I will remain an independent voter.

That is my stand, what do you think?

7 Comments:

Blogger Paul said...

I have a much simpler solution. It's offered by Representative John Shadegg of Arizona. In each new session of Congress since 1995, he has introduced the Enumerated Powers Act, a measure "To require Congress to specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws, and for other purposes."

If we required our lawmakers to follow the words of the Constitution, our country would be in much better shape.

November 20, 2009 at 3:43 PM 
Blogger Brian J Perks said...

No doubt but we would first have to get our politicians to read the Constitution let alone follow it.

November 21, 2009 at 6:38 AM 
Blogger Bruce Fealk said...

Brian, that's pretty funny. At the Michelle Bachman rally recently in D.C., John Boehner held up a copy of the Constitution and quoted from the Declaration of Independence.

To think he's the leader of Republican morons. Makes sense though, he's an above average Republican and the rest of the Republicans are even less educated and less smart than Boehner.

November 26, 2009 at 11:05 AM 
Blogger Brian J Perks said...

I would have to take your word on that one but if Boehner did, shame on him.

The real problem is that both parties think they are the only ones with real solutions and neither party is willing to listen to the other. Sure they pay lip service but most of the time they are so damn busy calling each other names. They act like a bunch of 5th graders.

Unfortunately we live in a very complex world with a screwed up government unwilling to actually put petty self serving agendas aside and do the work for the good of the people.

They once said a third party would not work in Canada until the third party got elected and that helped straighten out the other two parties. We need a third party, plain and simple because the two party system is broken beyond repair.

Maybe Sarah Palin will be that third party candidate or someone else who will capture the people's imagination.

Bottom line, we are fed up with incompetent, name calling, self serving, do nothing but tax and spend politicians.

November 26, 2009 at 9:48 PM 
Blogger Bruce Fealk said...

Please, God, let Sarah Palin be the Republican nominee in 2010. Better yet, let Dick Cheney be on the ticket with her.

Sarah Palin had the intellectual capacity of a gnat, like many of the Republicans in Washington. May Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck continue to play a leadership role in the Republican party.

Brian, you don't have to take my word, there's YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zWDArXortc

November 28, 2009 at 4:48 AM 
Blogger Brian J Perks said...

Bruce, I believed you and I know that most politicians are somewhat corrupt and are not as learned as they profess but that does not address my concerns about this administration and their supposed transparent government.

President Obama is the one who said, during one of his campaign speeches, his administration was going to be the most transparent in hisory and it is the least transparent. None have ever been transparent I know but they need to start.

Come election time we should vote every incumbent out of office.

November 28, 2009 at 10:23 AM 
Blogger Bruce Fealk said...

Brian, I noticed too, that most of your transparency steps have to do with Congress, not the President, so really have nothing to do with President Obama, but I share your desire for transparency.

President Obama did finally release the visitor log from the White House, which Bush never did. Another thing that the White House went to great lengths to withhold, including passing a law to specifically withhold are the pictures from Abu Ghraib, which President Obama initially said he would release.

Getting rid of all incumbents is not the answer. Experience does count in legislating. Granted, it's not all good experience and there is something to be said for new blood, but I think the voters get it about right as far as who to replace and when. And god knows term limits haven't worked out very well in Michigan.

November 29, 2009 at 6:54 AM 

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