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Mail
Magazine 24...
You
Owe
$52.5K to Uncle Sam
$52.5K Now
Owed by Every American - Debt Ceiling Increase Votes a Sham by
Irresponsible
Congress
by Ken
Marrero for Liberty News
February 1, 2012
I have 5
children and 1 grandchild. At the moment, I will be leaving them a bill
for
almost $315,000. Actually, I won’t be. Barack Obama and Congress will
be.
The Senate
just voted to increase the debt ceiling by another $1.2 TRILLION on the
heels
of last August’s $2.1 TRILLION increase which brings the total to $16.4
TRILLION! Given a US population of just shy of 313 MILLION the math is
simple
and straightforward. In case there’s any confusion, Rick Santelli, the
man who
provoked a national response which became the Tea Party, does the math
for you.
That is,
for now, a total of $52,409 for every man, woman and child in the US
from
newborns to those about to die. Remember the debt ceiling debate last
year gave
the President the ability to raise the debt ceiling any time he needs
to in
order to keep the nation solvent as he defines it.
Which is
the real point. The vote in the Senate, and last week’s House vote,
seem
important but are meaningless.
The actual
vote was a protest against the idea of raising the debt ceiling; a
“resolution
of disapproval.” The House voted not to raise the debt ceiling. The
Senate
voted for the increase.
The House
vote passed 239-176. The Senate vote was “52-44 to kill a measure that
would
have blocked a $1.2 trillion increase…” There are 241 Republicans and
198 Dems
in the House and 53 Democrats and 47 Republicans in the Senate. You can
do the
partisan math. But it’s all political posturing.
Usually
such a split vote between the chambers kills a bill. Not so, here. Even
if both
the House and the Senate had unanimously voted against the increase, it
would
not have stopped it. Because last year’s resolution of the debt ceiling
increase included a provision that let the debt ceiling increase
automatically,
without any need at all for a Congressional vote.
That’s the
vote to be angry with, not this one. On that vote, the GOP controlled
House
voted 269-161 in favor of increasing the debt ceiling and making later
increases automatic. In the Senate, the vote was 74-26. Obviously,
there was
broad and deep bi-partisan support for the bill.
So forget
any notions of how ignorant Senate Dems gave us another $1.2T and how
House
GOPers valiantly fought against it. Both parties, in both houses, just
8 months
ago did this to us. The bad news is, it’s going to happen again just
after the
November elections.
We have
now, finally arrived at the ultimate abdication of its responsibilities
by
Congress. Spending bills are supposed to arise in the House. We haven’t
had a
budget for over 1,000 days! Yet spending continues and actually
increases. When
the bill comes due, as it did this week and there isn’t enough money to
pay for
stuff, Congress votes a meaningless vote and the President authorizes
more
spending.
Why bother
even having a Congress? Why bother with silly things like checks and
balances?
Why bother separating the powers? Why bother with the Constitution?
Come to
think of it, why bother with sound fiscal policy and common sense?
Only in
Washington, DC would this load of manure be considered “bi-partisan
progress.”
And we think we can reform or repair such an institution? I’m not at
all sure!
That 5th self evident truth in the Declaration is looking more and more
attractive all the time. You remember the one …
“…That
whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the
Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government,
laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in
such
form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and
Happiness…”
Are you
happy? Do you feel safe? I’m just sayin’ …
Read this
and other articles at Mail Magazine 24
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