| Question of the Day: Is Congress responsible for obtaining the knowledge they need to make sound decisions about fiscal policy? Or does it really come down to putting on the best dog-and pony show for lawmakers who will spend their time talking about the broken cup holder in their car while they nervously glance at their watches so they can catch the plane back to their latest six week vacation?
I must say, as a citizen who is sitting in the state that currently has a gun pointed to its head over this issue, I'm starting to get more than a little offended by the attitude coming out of Capitol Hill.
"My expectation is that we are going to see something, that the auto companies are going to respond in a way that I think will give confidence to the Congress and to the American public that we need to assist these companies," said the House's second-ranking Democrat, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Asked in a broadcast interview about passing a bailout in December, Hoyer replied, "I'm hopeful that we will come up with the information that will justify doing so."
Here is your info, Congress, right in the same story I pulled that quote from. And if you can't get past the corporate jets to see just what is at stake here...
Detroit's car makers employ nearly a quarter-million workers, and more than 730,000 other workers produce materials and parts that go into cars. If just one of the automakers declared bankruptcy, some estimates put U.S. job losses next year as high as 2.5 million.
... then you better pray that Obama rides in on his horse and saves this economy, because those people who turned out in droves to turn this state and this country blue are probably not going to be around next time to keep you in your cushy jobs and your majority status. Call it a hunch.
Is that justification enough? Or do you need some more facts and figures as to why this is so important?
Better yet, why don't you do the homework on this and get back to us. You've got a couple weeks off to get caught up. See you in December. |
