You'd Think It Would Be A Piece Of Very Obvious Common Sense...

We Need Sunlight to Disinfect the Legislative Process!

"During August recess, many legislators have heard an unexpected amount of discontent from their constituents about what is happening on Capitol Hill, particularly regarding healthcare. Some people are justifiably terrified at what the government could do to healthcare, should it get its claws even further into it. Others demand a public option for health insurance and are adamant that healthcare be treated as yet another absolute entitlement. One thing everyone agrees on is that the final bill needs to be read and understood by all legislators before a vote is taken. To any American, this is common sense. In Washington, that is unlikely to happen.

There is much confusion and debate over what is and is not in the reform plan being considered. Are there or are there not so-called death panels? What are the end-of-life consultations really for? How will private insurance be affected? Can you keep your current plan or will you eventually be forced into a government plan? Will it pay for elective abortions or not? What are the implications for medical privacy? The truth is no one knows what will be in the final bill until it is on the House floor, and provisions could be added in and taken out in the wee hours of the morning before.

In February, the House was forced to vote on an over 1,000 page “stimulus” bill that had first been posted on the internet just after midnight the morning of the vote. It passed. Then in June, House leaders rushed a vote on the cap-and-trade bill, even though an over 300 page “manager’s amendment” making substantive changes to the bill, was introduced shortly after 3:00 a.m. the morning of the vote.

Washington thrives on crisis. If enough people can be convinced that we are in an emergency, they will more likely tolerate rushing legislation to the floor like this. Last minute changes will be slipped in, benefitting who knows what special interests and at what expense to the taxpayer. But the mantra is repeated over and over: We are in a crisis. We must act immediately.

It should be unconscionable for legislators to vote in favor of legislation they have not had the opportunity to read. This is why I have re-introduced the Sunlight Rule, H.Res 216. The Sunlight Rule prohibits any piece of legislation from being brought before the House of Representatives unless it has been available to read for at least 10 days.

The Sunlight Rule allows citizens to move for censure of any House Member who votes for a bill in violation of this act. Because the Sunlight Rule could never be waived, any Member could raise a point of order requiring any bill in violation to be immediately pulled from the House calendar until it can be brought to the floor in a manner consistent with this rule. This rule does not require that Members read the bills. It merely guarantees the opportunity to do so. It has 4 cosponsors.

Justice Louis Brandeis famously said, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” The Sunlight Rule would do much towards negating the cycle of pseudo-crises and cleaning up the legislative process here in Washington. I sincerely hope this is the year Congress remembers its deliberative duties and passes it."

Posted by Ron Paul (08-24-2009, 12:44 PM) filed under Unspecified

Congress Doesn't Care About...Ron Paul 6/3/09

Texas Straight Talk From Ron Paul

Washington's Intervention Addiction

One problem with politicians is that when problems they create come to a head, they typically feel this irresistible urge to DO something, rather than to UN-do something, or to simply back off to avoid exacerbating the situation. Too often, that which they end up doing has very little connection to the cause of the crisis, but plays well in the press and superficially makes everyone feel better. Bills that are rushed through Congress under duress are never studied enough, providing too tempting an opportunity to quietly slip in unrelated provisions that erode freedoms in ways that would never pass as a stand-alone bill. We famously saw this with the PATRIOT Act, but Washington learned nothing from that.

The current housing crisis and the corresponding big government fix are another prime example. First of all, the so-called solution will actually make the problem worse. The problem stems from easy credit and a rush to flood the housing and mortgage markets with money. Relaxed or non-existent lending standards led many into mortgages and houses they could not afford. As more foreclosures hit, the lending institutions will continue collapsing like dominoes under the weight of all the bad paper they underwrote. Some are reacting and reintroducing lending standards. Thus the number of buyers in the market for homes is beginning to shrink back to its natural size, and hyper-inflated prices are falling back down to earth. In these ways, the market is trying to correct itself in the wake of the mistakes government intervention encouraged them to make through easy credit. However, this correction is causing pain, especially to Wall Street investors and those who bought homes at the top of the market bubble, never expecting it to crash, always assuming they would easily be able to refinance.

Some mistakenly identify the falling home prices as the disease instead of merely a symptom – which they plan to fix with more easy credit and more liquidity to push more unqualified buyers back into the market for homes they still cannot afford. This is akin to the drug addict identifying withdrawal symptoms as his problem and searching for another fix as his solution. The cycle continues and the problems compound themselves. The addiction deepens.

Addicts are told the first step to recovery is to admit their problem. To cure this addiction to intervention we have to honestly admit the problem and once and for all, kick the habit. That will involve some pain, without a doubt. There is no easy, painless solution to the mess the disastrous economic interventions of the past have wrought. The question is – do we allow some lending institutions to collapse, or do we allow the dollar to collapse? To extend the metaphor, do we endure the temporary discomfort of withdrawal, or do we continue on until there is a fatal overdose? We can delay the agony, but only for a little while, and then we will all end up paying the price for the mistakes of a few.

With the final passage of the Housing Bailout Bill quietly on a Saturday in the Senate, and the President’s signature, our government has unfortunately chosen the latter…

Look Back And Learn

There is talk in the US Congresss of using nuclear weapons, not by Dr. Paul, as a means to an end. But before going forward perhaps those promoting such a legacy should be reminded of what happened when such power was wielded.

Here is a story that’s been around from about the time Dr. Paul started in public office. It is a reminder and perhaps an encouragement for people to voice their opinions and take action to find solutions to the worlds many problems.

The story is called Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr with illustrations by Ronald Himler. It is based upon a real child.
The real life Japanese girl was Sadako Sasaki who lived a short life from January 7, 1943 to October 25, 1955. She was two years old, living near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan, when an atomic bomb dropped on the city exploded about one mile from her home. It was August 6, 1945. She developed what was called “an atomic bomb disease” ten years later. This is better known as leukemia. She was hospitalized on 21 February 1955.
Her friend Chizuko Hamamoto visited her in the hospital on August 13th and made her an origami paper crane. Chizuko told Sadako about the Japanese saying that if a person folded 1,000 cranes then their wish would be granted. Sadako did fold the 1,000 cranes by the end of August and even more. For paper she would use paper from medicine wrappers and even asked other patients to use the paper used to wrap get well presents. Chizuko also gave her paper from school.
Her family was with her when Sadako died on the morning of October 25, 1955.

A collection of her letters was published by her friends and classmates after she died. Their goal was to build a memorial to Sadako and all of the children who died from “atomic bomb disease”.
The statue was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 1958. The plaque at the base reads:


This is our cry.
This is our prayer.
Peace in the world.

From: Winning Against The Odds

A Look At The Ron Paul Story

http://www.lulu.com/content/2761104

True Character

"Nearly all men

can stand adversity,

but

if you want to test

a man's character,

give him

power."
-Abraham Lincoln

Book Exerpt About Ron Paul

Thought I'd share this with you.

Winning

Against The Odds

A Look At The Ron Paul Story

By

Joan Reinbold


Copyright © Joan Reinbold


"First they ignore you,

then they ridicule you,

then they fight you,

then you win."


-- Mahatma Gandhi


Table Of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………..5

Chapter 1……Business As Usual……………..7
Chapter 2……Opportunity For Change….13
Chapter 3……Beginnings……………………….22
Chapter 4……Military…………………………….37
Chapter 5……Political Views………………….45
Chapter 6……Conclusions…………………….101


Introduction


I used to live in Texas, and so may have heard of Ron Paul in some news broadcast. But I don’t think so.

When I applied to a ghostwriter position for a political book, I wasn’t sure of the objective. The request was to write about someone named Ron Paul. He was running in the 2008 United States presidential campaign. The requestor had specific guidelines on what they wanted expressed.

As with any project, I did extensive research. The more I found the more I was fascinated by how this one individual worked within government and as a doctor. I also found that he didn’t fit the mold for “regular” politics and that that was probably why there was limited information in general sources. The internet however had vast amounts of information.

And as far as talking to people, they had the same response as me, “Dr. who?”

So, I was looking for information on a doctor who had been in the United States House of Representative off and on since the 1970’s and then steadily for the last ten. He represents the coastal area of Texas. His co-workers in Congress call him ‘Dr. No’ but not as a bad name.

The Republicans, his official party, don’t seem to agree with him. Despite this, Dr. Paul is considered consistent, principled, and a man of great integrity.

Here was a mystery person who is a public figure. But why didn’t people want to hear what he has to say?

Yet those who do know something of his policies say that he has workable solutions to:
• the loss of your buying power.
• health care
• wars,
• corruption,
• school quality

and many other areas.

What they said wasn’t the usual political talk. Ron Paul’s solutions for the country’s problems may be just what the ‘doctor ordered’.


Chapter 1
Business As Usual

“As citizens of this democracy, you are the rulers and the ruled, the
law-givers and the law-abiding, the beginning and the end.”
-Adlai Stevenson

Imagine going to work everyday and being only one of a few people following the rules? Imagine that this goes on year after year? You point out why it’s important to follow the operating manual. Maybe a few others listen. You keep making decisions based upon the rules you said you’d uphold when you started your job. You stay because you know that your work is important and believe that you make a positive difference.
You are persistent in doing your work and speaking out about making decisions based upon the operating guidelines. Business goes well and not so well as time goes on. Eventually, the not so well starts to be more obvious. But co-workers still think that what they do is more important.
Are you a whistle blower? No, you don’t fit into the standard whistle blower mold. You do give speeches and talk to the media. Mostly the media ignores your voiced concerns or even worse portrays you as a quack. You have been very open and consistent in saying ‘the rules need to be used.’ Yet, business is as usual and continues to become more of a monster.

An outside organization evaluates your work and ranks you at number 27 out of 200 other people who work in your category. They looked in part at you having been on a finance committee, how long you’ve been there and how much influence you have.
Then there is the watchdog group that watches over your workplace. You have been saying what they have been saying.

…current long-range fiscal path is clearly imprudent and fiscally unsustainable. It is also alarming given the range of current and emerging problems that require attention: health care, energy dependency… These long-term challenges have profound implications for our future economic growth… Unless these issues are effectively addressed, they will surely begin to manage us. What is needed is a more strategic, long-term, comprehensive, and integrated approach to help capitalize on related opportunities and manage related risks within current and expected resource levels.
The watchdog makes repeated operational recommendations due to the ongoing decline. Yet, even though co-workers talk about the need for change, the solutions they propose and implement only make matters worse.
No, this is not ENRON or any of the other corporations or banks that have made the national headlines. This is more pervasive than that. Actions taken by this group influence every aspect of everyone’s lives.
The watchdog is the Government Accounting Office:

Summary: A Call For Stewardship: Enhancing the Federal Government's Ability to Address Key Fiscal and Other 21st Century Challenges GAO-08-93SP December 17, 2007

Since the founding of the republic and the ratification of the Constitution, the U.S. government has evolved to reflect changing circumstances at home and abroad. At the end of George Washington's presidency in 1797, there were four cabinet-level departments--most run by small staffs of civil servants--and five cabinet-level officials, including the Attorney General. Today, there are nearly 30 major federal departments and agencies with cabinet-level officials in the executive branch, and the federal workforce, including military personnel, now totals in the millions. In 1797, U.S. government spending represented about 2 percent of the U.S. economy and now it represents over 20 percent. A quick look at the federal budget reveals how much we have expanded beyond the Constitution's framers' original thoughts and our modest beginnings. In the coming decades, however, our ability to sustain even the constitutionally enumerated responsibilities of the federal government will come under increasing pressure. Without meaningful act on, by 2040 our government could only have the resources to do little more than mail out Social Security checks and pay interest on the massive and growing national debt. This is obviously an unacceptable scenario. Our current long-range fiscal path is clearly imprudent and fiscally unsustainable. It is also alarming given the range of current and emerging problems that require attention: health care, energy dependency, environmental protection, and homeland security, to name a few. These long-term challenges have profound implications for our future economic growth, standard of living, and national security. Unless these issues are effectively addressed, they will surely begin to manage us. What is needed is a more strategic, long-term, comprehensive, and integrated approach to help capitalize on related opportunities and manage related risks within current and expected resource levels.

In February 2007, the Comptroller General transmitted to Congress a new publication entitled Fiscal Stewardship: A Critical Challenge Facing Our Nation (GAO-07-362SP) designed to provide, in a relatively brief and understandable form, selected budget and financial information regarding our nation's current financial condition, long-term fiscal outlook, and possible ways forward. In April 2007, we updated GAO's strategic plan, which describes our goals and strategies for serving Congress for fiscal years 2007 through 2012. We also issued separately a part of it that contains detailed descriptions of the key themes and strategic forces framing our strategic plan and their implications for governance n the 21st century (GAO-07-467SP). This document, as the next piece of that body of reports, lays out a set of analytical tools to help policymakers transform government to better meet the demands of the 21st century. At GAO, we strongly believe that consistent use of these items will help policymakers (1) reach consensus on the outcomes Americans most want their government to achieve, (2) increase transparency and accountability, (3) better prioritize competing demands, (4) make more-informed decisions, and (5) modernize federal operations and management.
This is the group that reports on the government being overcharged. In general the GAO looks out for everyone.
Here’s information from their website:
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes. Gene L. Dodaro became Acting Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office on March 13, 2008, succeeding David M. Walker, who appointed him upon resigning. Mr. Dodaro will serve in
this position until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a successor from a list of candidates proposed by the Congress.
Our Mission is to support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. We provide Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, fair, and balanced.
Our Core Values of accountability, integrity, and reliability are reflected in all of the work we do. We operate under strict professional standards of review and referencing; all facts and decsionaanalyses in our work are thoroughly checked for accuracy.
Our Work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or is mandated by public laws or committee reports. We also undertake research under the authority of the Comptroller General. We support congressional oversight by auditing agency operations to determine whether federal funds are being spent efficiently and effectively; investigating allegations of illegal and improper activities; reporting on how well government programs and policies are meeting their objectives; performing policy analyses and outlining options for congressional consideration; and issuing legal decisions and opinions, such as bid protest rulings and reports on agency rules.
We advise Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more efficient, effective, ethical, equitable and responsive.
Our work leads to laws and acts that improve government operations, saving the government and taxpayers billions of dollars.
The other evaluating organization is a Knowlegis. This information is from a press release on the Representative Paul’s U.S. House of Representatives:

Congressman Paul Ranks #27 in House GOP. March 3, 2008. For immediate release. Washington, DC –
Knowlegis released the 2008 Congressional Power Rankings today on Congress.org marking the fourth edition of the Power Rankings, which compiles more than 20 objective criteria measuring power in Congress.

Knowlegis ranks Congressman Ron Paul #27 out of 200 House Republicans. Among the criteria that garnered this standing were his Ranking Member status on the House Financial Services Committee, tenure and influence.


Chapter 2

Opportunity For Change

People point out that Ron Paul talks faster than they’d like him to at times and that hiss during a debate didn’t sound good. The use of old terms such as Red China and manifesto stand out. And he focuses on the youth while pointing out that he was surprised to see how many older people are concerned about the state of the country. Is he just another politician? He knows how to debate and engage a crowd.

He is also well informed and when he isn’t he says so. His is not the usual political answer. He must be a challenge to a lot of people within his political party. Why? They represent a ‘modern day’ version of politics. Ron Paul represents what today seems to be out of style. He uses history and current happenings to form opinions. He points out that there is a need to look at what has changed, what isn’t working, and what will work because it is the tried and valid way of running the government. That doesn’t always go over well.

When something isn’t working, simply go back and read the directions. Follow the owner’s manual to get things back in order. This country’s founders were knowledgeable of human behavior and had experienced problems. Problems were taken into consideration in the development of the country. Allowances were made for change. The hard part is saying that what you’re doing isn’t working in order to “have a fresh start”.

Dr. Paul expects individuals to be accountable. Morality isn’t dictated by government ‘ruling’ but comes from the individual and local society/church. Perhaps a meaning for what is meant by the separation of church and state. Morality can’t be legislated.

You have the choice of taking action by speaking out, writing, voting, etc., to bring about change. Change can help everyone and not just special interest groups, whether social or economic. Rights taken away from the local level of a community takes away individuality. There is a sense of loss of identity, a loss of authority, and a loss of self.

Do you have the last say about what happens in you local school? What about your tax dollar or even the food you eat? What about your medical care?

Small businesses are impacted by government regulations. Here is information from the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy:

Report on the Regulatory Flexibility Act
FY 2007
Annual Report of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy
on Implementation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act
and Executive Order 13272
February 2008
Small businesses are the nation’s economic backbone, representing 99.9 percent of all employer firms and generating 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the past 10 years. Our office is dedicated to fostering a regulatory environment that enables these small entities to further innovate in the dynamic U.S. marketplace. …

…The cost of complying with federal regulatory requirements has grown dramatically since the early 1970s, and small businesses have borne a disproportionate share of this regulatory burden. In 1979, the cost of federal regulations reached an estimated $100 billion, representing a fivefold increase from the 1970 total. Recent estimates indicate that this cost has further expanded to $1.1 trillion, or more than $10,000 per household in 2004—more than the amount the average household spent on health insurance. The Office of Advocacy has played a key role in voicing small business concerns about these rising costs. Advocacy has made significant progress in working with federal agencies to improve their proposed rules by reducing their impacts on small entities while still accomplishing their regulatory objectives.
...A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in August 2007 highlighted the need for clearer standards and enhanced public participation…

Opportunity for change can be found in many ways and places. Even doing something different in a new way can enhance what you do. Take Alice Stokes Paul for example. She was an American suffragist leader. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.


If you find this helpful please let me know and others.
Who knows, if enough are bought then I can go to the
D.C. march and to Minn.!

Thanks!

Joan

The whole book can be found here.