On the Western Banks of the Shenandoah

From DC Republican, a look at some of the benefits that Congress gets in exchange for disregarding fate of future generations of America:

Free parking: Not only do members of Congress receive parking on Capitol Hill, but they also receive free (prime) private parking spots at the two nearby airport, Reagan National and Dulles airport.

Salary: The current salary for a member of Congress is $174,000. However, Congress has the authority to raise their salary as they wish, without having to hold a vote. It’s also interesting to note that during the great depression, members of Congress voluntarily took a pay cut… I somehow don’t think we’ll see that happen these days.

Perks from Lobbyists: Despite a slew of ethics regulations regarding gifts from lobbyists, Members of Congress are still able to use their lobbyist tiesto get into events that regular people simply do not have access to. For example, if a Member of Congress wanted a prime ticket to a sold-out event, he could still get that ticket from lobbyists he’s close with, as long as the face value of the ticket is reimbursed by the Member. However, this money doesn’t have to come from the Member’s pocket, but instead can come from the usually deep campaign account, which usually contains money from lobbyists and their associated PACs.

From the Washington Post, word that Speaker Howell has once again caved on the smoking ban and is actively working with the Governor to mostly restore the original proposal:

At a meeting Friday, Kaine (D) sat down with House and Senate leaders to restore elements of his smoking ban proposal so that it includes most bars, in addition to restaurants. In keeping with the initial compromise between Kaine and Howell, smoking would be allowed in enclosed rooms that are ventilated with fresh air from the outside, the sources said.

…..

Sources say the latest agreement, which will be announced Monday, removes most of the House amendments. Smoking would be permitted in private clubs but not in restaurants that hold private functions. The ban would apply to bars, regardless of whether minors are admitted. The patio exception, however, will remain. Legislators have to agree on what constitutes an outdoor patio, according to sources.

And what is Howell reward for his rush to sell out free market principles? Why, an opponent, of course! And not just some kook, but a popular elected official. From Fred2Blue:

Stafford Co. Board of Supervisors Chairman George Schwartz is running against Speaker Bill Howell in the 28th HD. The full press release is below.

Barack Obama captured 50.2% of the vote in the 28th last November, a district that includes the city of Fredericksburg and part of Stafford County. Although Schwartz is the Stafford BOS Chairman, he hasn’t been elected county-wide. He represents the Falmouth district and was voted in as Chairman, following the 2007 elections, with 4 votes (3 Democrats and 1 Independent) to 3. Schwartz will not seek re-election this year. This won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but we couldn’t ask for a better candidate to run against Wild Bill. Get pumped.

With numbers like that, Howell was going to have an opponent. However, in his search for an issue, he has now managed to show that, in addition to not appeasing liberals, he also has no principled backbone, meaning that grassroots activists and other free market types are going to be less than enthused about working for him. 

Good work, Bill. It’s very rare that you sell out and harm yourself at the same time.

The House has passed a slightly reduced “stimulus” bill, with again Republicans standing in united opposition to the monstrosity. Representative Tom Price of Georgia shows us how things get down in Nancy Pelosi’s congress, with bills being given to Representatives just hours before the vote and handwritten changes throughout the bill. 

I have mentioned here and on the podcast that Arlen Specter is one of the last moderate Republicans that I respect–he was logically consistent in his support for Second Amendment rights while also being pro-choice. However, he was never that great on fiscal issues. I respected him, but he was never one of my favorites.

However, in the last week he has completely squandered my respect. In addition to supporting a stimulus package that is not only expanding government but laying the foundations for the further growth of the nanny state, he has also shown the utmost contempt for those who dare to debate him on the “necessity” of this measure. He has bought in lock, stock and barrel to the Democrat’s fear tactics and has done little more than sell out any remaining belief he may have had in small government to give President Obama his precious appearance of bi-partisanship. 

With that, I think now is high time for Specter to leave. However, he’s made it fairly clear that its going to be on his terms. So let’s give him a fair trial. Only the citizens of PA will be able to reach the final verdict, but we can do all we can to present the evidence. 

Go to www.defeatspecter.org and pledge to do your part for Specter’s 2010 Primary challenger.

Nancy Pelosi is refusing to allow House Republicans to read the Stimulus bill, which although said to be smaller in size than the original has actually expanded in page size. From The Foundry:

The text of the Nelson-Collins “compromise” had been roughly 778 pages, but the now “agreed-to” conference report has DOUBLED to a whopping 1434 pages. With an additional 700 pages in the bill, it is no wonder that Members would like to review the single largest spending bill in this nation’s history before casting a vote.

But, in possibly the most bizarre parliamentarian argument ever made, according to National Journal’s Congress Daily; “Democratic lawmakers fired back that Republicans didn’t need to see the bill anyway, since none of them voted for the stimulus when it moved through the House the first time and would probably stand in opposition.”

So let me get this straight–simply because they didn’t vote for the bill the first time House Republicans have no right to examine the whole package? While I certainly hope that House Republicans will stand strong again against big government, as the people’s representatives that have the right AND duty to examine the final package on behalf of their constituents. 

To say otherwise is to say that government really does know best. And that’s a scary thought.

I’ve been meaning to write about the Senate’s pending efforts to name the Eastern Box Turtle as the official state reptile. However, I’m glad I waited, as a funny thing happened on the way to the bill’s passage. 

When I first saw that the Senate was considering the measure, I reverted to my usual misanthropic and felt that, in the midst of one of the deepest recessions in American history, that such matters really had no business being considered. However, the RTD made the opportunity so just so darn irresistible:

The legislation describes the turtle as “a most useful creature serving to control harmful insects and acting as one of nature’s clean-up crew helping to preserve the purity and beauty of Virginia’s waters.”

The turtle would join a powerhouse lineup of “official” Virginia creatures that includes the brook trout (official fish), the tiger swallowtail butterfly (official insect) and the Virginia big-eared bat (official bat).

That didn’t placate me, but I figured that no one would be interested because, after all, such measures are “tradition” and a “fun diversion.” At worst I would be considered an ogre because the legislation was probably dreamt up by some first graders who wanted to learn how a bill becomes a law, no matter how inane. So I scuttled the post. 

However, it appears that at least fifteen Senators agree with me that this is a bad idea. Likely for varying reasons, as some may prefer a cooler animal such as the Iguana (which doesn’t live in Virginia in so far as I know, but still wicked awesome). Still, at least one Senator spoke out for sanity: our very own Senator Mark Obenshain. From his weekly update:

No, I don’t object to turtles; I object to wasting time on trivialities while seriously contemplating pushing back the budget for some later date. I have nothing against the Eastern Box, but I do have a problem with the amount of time we’ve spent this session on bills that have nothing to do with making our Commonwealth a better place, to say nothing of getting our economy back on track. This bill is just one isolated, albeit absurd (okay, even slightly amusing), example of a larger trend.

Right on. I don’t think average citizens understand just how much frivolous “legislating” goes on in Richmond. The House will approve over 248 resolutions; the Senate, “just” 159. As for state symbols and songs, the numbers this year are relatively small. Of the 1,049 bills originating in the House, six (about half a percent) had to do with such measures, though some of this may have had to do ; of the Senate’s 749, 3 were about designations (about four tenths of a percent). Relatively small percentages–but remember that each and every one of these bills and resolutions was written by a professional, paid with your tax dollars. And I limited my research to state designations–who knows what ridiculousness could be found throughout the stack of bills. I’m not saying that legislators should not be allowed to discuss things if they so please–it is their right, ultimately, to set their own boundaries. I am saying, however, that representatives should think about just why they are in Richmond–and that the people back home should home them accountable when legislators overstep their authority and responsibility. To use Senator Obenshain’s words:

You know, we have a state shell as well. Increasingly, though, I think our state shell should be the one some in government are hiding under they we wait for the economic ill winds to pass us by. One of the counties I represent has an 11.7% unemployment rate, and they’re not alone. People are struggling to make ends meet across the Commonwealth, and they need the General Assembly to redouble its efforts to promote economic recovery, not ignore the problem in the hopes that it will just go away.

From the Business and Media Instittue: 

But, this latest indiscretion has gone unnoticed by the media – a donation in the amount of $2 million to the ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) Housing Corporation of Chicago, according to a document posted on Bank of America corporate philanthropy Web site – which shows the bank had given the total amount in grant money from October 2007 through June 2009.

…..

ACORN has been associated with cases of voter fraud, accounting improprieties and has lobbied for obligatory housing assistance from the federal government for home borrowers that got in over their heads with recent mortgage woes.

The media have not only been eager to attack banks like Bank of America for their corporate expenditures and compensation, they have found other ways to go after these institutions. As ABC investigative correspondent Brian Ross pointed out – with his usual knack for finding lavish spending by corporate entities – Bank of America also sponsored a Super Bowl party at a 5-Star Resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

So lemme get this straight: Things are so bad at Bank of America that they need $20 billion of taxpayer dollars to stay afloat, but not so bad that they need to cancel their Superbowl Party and not give to groups who have had multiple employees arrested for voter fraud? 

Well, at least ACORN won’t be getting any money directly from the government…..oh wait, they might be eligible after all. 

I realize that Bank of America is under pressure here to help out people whose homes have been foreclosed and ACORN has the momentum right now, despite their dubious political activities, but being principled never goes of style. 

H/T VIrginia Virtucon

And with that, the Obama Administration, swept in by the use of technology to activate a record number of activists, has learned a fundamental lesson of vetting:

KNOW. EVERYTHING.

Because someone else WILL find out. 

Between this and the flurry of information that came out about Sarah Palin….you really wonder if vetters understand the new universe of information out there.

You would think that with the universe of information available out there and the ease with which it can be found that people would actually do MORE vetting. Sadly, no, as we discover that yet another Obama nominee has tax issues, this time so severe that she has withdrawn. From Reuters:

Nancy Killefer, the management consultant and former Treasury official who had been picked by President Obama to serve as the country’s chief performance officer, has withdrawn from consideration for the post, White House officials confirmed this morning.

…..

Shortly after her appointment, the Associated Press reported that Killefer had a tax lien placed on her house by the D.C. government because of a failure to pay unemployment taxes on household help. Since then, administration officials refused to answer questions about the tax error, which she resolved five months after the lien was filed, the wire service said.

This is certainly a major setback for the Obama team. It is also, however, rather ironic, in light of Killefer’s actions on the IRS advisory board. From the International Herald Tribune:

The board was to regularly assess IRS practices and spending for Congress, but as its chairman in 2004, Killefer went further. On behalf of the board, she presented Congress an alternative IRS budget to the one submitted by President George W. Bush.

She proposed more money to bring an additional 1,000 cases against high-income tax cheats and to boost by 42 percent the audits of corporations that try to dodge taxes. And she said the extra spending would ensure IRS could continue to answer at least eight of every 10 calls from individuals taxpayers seeking help.

President Obama, if you’re going to appoint people who talk tough, make sure they back it up with personal integrity.

Guess the old Pontiac finally gave out:

“Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter. ”

Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507.