Ending the Lame Duck

With all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the bills rammed through in the lame duck session, you should know Lynn Jenkins (R-KS2) has introduced a bill (H.R.5842) to end lame duck sessions except in case of national emergency. Push for it to be brought up for a vote.

A market-driven private sector is the answer

Job creation in the private sector is stalling because of the policies put in place by the Progressives. Businessmen know that as long as the Progressives—with their anti-capitalist, class-warfare ideology—are in power the government will confiscate a large share of the fruits of their corporate endeavors; money that would otherwise be plowed back into the businesses creating jobs. All this is lost on the Progressives in Congress who persist on trying to direct the economy using the tax code and massive spending programs.

What we need now more than before is over the next two years for the GOP to step up and counter the Progressives' anti-capitalist demagoguery with clarity, extolling the virtues of a market-driven private sector with its ability to create wealth and prosperity for all levels of society. The Progressives have been repeating their message over and over. It's time for GOP to do the same.

EPA extends Clean Water Act to include CO2

EPA Issues November 15, 2010 Memorandum: Integrated Reporting and Listing Decisions Related to Ocean Acidification

The EPA administrator, Obama appointee Lisa Jackson, has issued a memo requiring states with ocean boundary waters to list those waters as impaired because of acidification. The reporting requirement is an extension of Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.

Obviously, this is another dimension of the Obama administration's drive to institute a cap and trade regime targeting CO2 emissions. The motivation for using the Clean Water Act in this way has to be a recognition by the Administration that the AGW meme is dead. The new meme is biodiversity in the boundary waters and how CO2 absorption harms it.

There are a number of technical issues the EPA needs to iron out; mainly, definition of the procedure to use to establish the pH of the waters, and determination, by the EPA, of the pH level requiring action. This should stall any concrete action by the EPA before the 2012 elections. After that, a Republican administration can cancel the memorandum.

But, what about Social Security and Medicare?

Will Republicans Get Serious on Spending?

Senator McConnell, in a speech before the Federalist Society, said,

"Americans want less government, less spending and less debt."

"We will vote to freeze and cut discretionary spending."

Author Chapman noted that McConnell made no mention of the non-discretionary spending items: social security, medicare, medicaid and defense.

Okay, but those non-discretionary items can't be reformed with simple cuts or freezes. The first three must be totally restructured. And, defense must be put "on budget."

The problem with social security and medicare, at least, is Congress spent all the payroll deductions on general budget items rather than build up a capital reserve to fund the program in the future. This must be changed.

Exactly how this is to be done and to explain it is beyond the scope of a speech. But, it certainly is not beyond the scope of We the People nudging our Congressmen to work on the problem.