legislation
The bills that Congress reject are as informative as the ones it does. Reviews of all the legislation that meet their fate in government halls.
The Republican Party Has a Mitch McConnell Problem
Mitch McConnell had a choice: he could let the house healthcare bill die in the senate, or he could craft his own. There was no chance the disastrous house bill could pass the upper chamber. GOP senators declared it dead on arrival.
By Joshua Guess9 years ago in The Swamp
Neutrality or Neutrali-tarianism?
The Problem The conversation about Net Neutrality seems like a simple one: Proponents say that without it, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will run amok and adopt unfair practices to keep ahead of their competitors. This would be a horrible miscarriage of justice… if we only had a single ISP for the geographical region. It could even be used to stifle freedom of speech…except that new networks also have deep pockets and they keep a keen eye on their viewership. In fact, it should be a problem by now. The internet providers have had decades to institute these practices that proponents of formalized Net Neutrality. So, if there were a profit in it, wouldn’t they steer things in a way that benefits them?
By Mickey Finn9 years ago in The Swamp
Why Evangelicals Have No Relevant Message
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in the landmark case: Obergefell v. Hodges. Same-sex couples and their supporters across the country celebrated what they considered to be a humane and just progression of domestic policy. However, a significant number of Americans protested the verdict and viewed it as an attack on accepted morality and even a suppression of religious liberty. Enter Kim Davis.
By Jesse Booker9 years ago in The Swamp
What Is the Alt-Right?
Every other news headline involving President Trump's election has involved murmurs of the alt-right movement. But, on the whole, most people don't seem to fully understand what is the alt-right movement, what they want, or even where they came from. Have you been one of the many wondering "What is the alt-right? You're not alone.
By Cato Conroy9 years ago in The Swamp
It’s Not as Painful as It’s Made Out to Be
Headlines concerning the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of the proposed GOP replacement for Obamacare scream that 23 million Americans will be deprived of health care if it passes. As too often happens now, on a quotidian basis, the headlines are distortive, deceptive and hypocritical. They are designed to create emotional responses based on generating fear and insecurity and hate. They are designed to increase the divisiveness that so pervades us and in the end, to further lead us down the path to civil strife.
By Guillermo Calvo9 years ago in The Swamp
Even Iran Does Presidential Elections Better than the US
The US has something to learn from Iran about Presidential elections. Donald Trump’s election has proven that the US Presidential electoral system has failed its electorate completely. The Achilles heal which has been exposed is that in a Western-style democracy like ours, an unqualified, mentally ill, dangerous bigot like Trump can easily be elected to one of the most powerful positions in the world. And even worse, once he is there our legal and electoral system has provided us with few ways in which we can get rid of him, and we are bound to keep him for four more years during which time he may indeed blow up our country and the rest of the world.
By Felicity Harley9 years ago in The Swamp
A Presidential Matter: Immigration Reform
Not since the days of Ellis Island has the United States been faced with such a decisive shift in the demographics of American population. No longer is our population made up of European immigrants but rather an influx of Mexicans, Cubans and others coming from all over the world. The Hispanic population is now becoming one of the fastest growing ethnic groups. Today, the influx of so many crossing our borders especially children from South America and Mexico has made it imperative that new reforms must be put in place. With so many individuals that have already crossed our borders illegally in avoidance to the current limited restrictions makes a very strong case to restrict, set limitations and reform our current immigration policies. This is to enforce who and how many people will be able to come into and reside in the United States. In either case the numbers that have migrated and settled into this country continues to grow. There is also a flip side to our immigration problems. While so many seek refuge in the United States legally, and many more illegally, many American citizens are seeking refuge in other countries. And, in many cases all for a better quality of life. There again, many more are leaving the United States seeking a more affordable place to live. Today, our immigration reform needs to focus on both concerns; those coming into the US and US citizens migrating to foreign countries.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in The Swamp
A Nation Beguiled
For years now the United States has been running on empty. Empty promises of better times ahead. Instead our future is bleak. Our financial system is nothing more than a house of cards. Public education has turned out generations of substandard students. Our inner cities most of whom look like third world countries. What employment opportunities there are don't even come close to offering living wages. All of these and more are attributed to elected officials caring more about campaign contributions than the people they are supposed to serve. The many consequences of a democratic system that has become so inept and corrupt has now been further exasperated by the media in their complicity to pursue an agenda that is completely against the basic principles on which our nation was founded upon.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in The Swamp
Another Day In Paradise
As one travels through the cities and towns across the United States you see the faceless multitudes drifting from place to place. For you and me it is just another day in paradise. But, for those countless millions all across the country their plight continues unmercifully with no respite in sight. Day after day, night after night those weary souls are just left out in the cold. Their plight has only grown in numbers. As of today in the state of Washington alone there are over 60,000 children roaming the streets. That is just the children that they account for. And, there are thousands more adults, and families seeking shelter each night. These numbers themselves indicate that their is something drastically wrong in our society today. In New York City there are close to 70,000 homeless adults and children and many more encamped in old subway tunnels. The fact of the matter is that in every major city and even in rural areas their is a growing percentage of our population forced into a vicious cycle that is almost impossible to break free.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in The Swamp
Education Reform
The American educational experience from the late 1960's thru today has been a total disaster. Instead of securing our place in educational standards when the educational experience of the post World War II period up till around 1970 we have succumbed to the lowest common denominator. In the mid 1960's is where the United States was ranked first in Math and Science of all the industrialized nations; a far cry from the realities of education in America today. We have failed generations of our youth. Today, the United States has yet to climb back even into the top 25 of countries around the world. Over the past 40 years through policies, laws, and Supreme Court decisions that were supposed to improve education have done the exact opposite. A lesson in futility sort of speaking has undermined the ability of Americas to compete in the global economic community. Sure, there have been bright spots here and there but the overall educational experience in the United States from elementary thru secondary we have continued to loose sight of the aspects that what made American educational the success it was 50 years ago.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in The Swamp
