Barrett Rainey's Second Thoughts

The United States Congress, as now constituted, is irretrievably broken. Maybe you agree. Maybe you don’t. If not, you can stop right here.

My belief in that statement is simple. The basic reason we have a Congress is to “provide for the common good” by meeting the ever-present needs of the nation at any given time. That may mean economic needs, societal needs, safety, infrastructure replacement or, especially, action in time(s) of war. To do what needs to be done as a nation that can’t be accomplished individually or by lesser bodies of authority.

But Congress is no longer legislating on the basis of national need. In fact, in all honesty, it’s not legislating at all! Needs – critical, life-saving and national needs – are being willfully ignored. The ability to accomplish anything meaningful has been lost in what can best be termed “bunker politics.”

Political success has always been accomplished by negotiation and compromise. I give a little. You give a little. We get the job done. The need is met. Not any more.

Yes, money is a key factor. But, it’s more than that. It’s individual and party entrenchment where one side has to be right and the other wrong. A minefield of distrust, anger, resentment, incumbent survival at all costs and a poisonous atmosphere filled with extreme partisanship separates the two sides. So, failure is predictable. Legislation seems no longer proposed to solve problems. In fact, much of it will create problems. The Idaho Legislature, for example, is now doing exactly that. Two bills have drawn warnings by the Attorney General that the Idaho House and Senate could – again – cost taxpayers millions in losing legal costs if enacted into law.

One piece of legislative cat litter would allow Idaho to ignore any federal laws or regulations somebody doesn’t like. In fact, the State would be prohibited from enforcing them. If this garbage becomes law, taxpayers – voters – will be large dollar losers. Yet again.

The other flotsam would prohibit any hint of Sharia Law in legal or legislative proceedings in the state. Something that’s never been present. Something that never will be. If passed and enacted, it’ll be some law firm’s retirement plan.

Congress, too, has hoppers filled with this crap. Some of it has actually become law! Not to address needs of the nation but the economic needs of billionaires, lobbyists and members of Congress concerned with their own job security.

Congress no longer acts on national needs from the bottom up – health care, homelessness, poverty, security, etc.. Members seem constantly in search of “top down” ways to serve small constituencies of the rich, religious zealots, conspiracy theorists and other special interests, Much like the Idaho Legislature.

All of this – and so much more – makes the November elections so damned important. Replacement candidates are, thankfully, going to be more plentiful – at all levels – than we’ve seen in a very long time. Some will be the self-serving, misfit variety we have now. But many won’t.

A lot of ‘em will be in the political fray for the first time. Many won’t have the experience needed to run successful campaigns. They likely won’t have the economic support necessary. They’ll need volunteers by the dozens. They’ll need access to service clubs and other citizen organizations to get their message out. They’ll need HELP in every way!

From dogcatcher to the Congress of these United States, this election is so very important. We can’t afford more mistakes at the ballot box. If ever we needed an informed electorate to weed out the miscreants, it’s right now.

And that message must come from the bottom up!

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