PolitiVote » Legislation

S. Res. 188: a Fabulous Piece of Sports Writing

njessen — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:51:06 +0000

On June 17, 2009, S. RES.188 was passed. This resolution congratulates the Las Angeles Lakers for winning the NBA championship of 2009. I am deeply gratified to read the stirring account of this team’s victory over Orlando! I am also gratified to read the stirring account of how this team defeated the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz! Evidently, we have some Laker fans in the senate. A regret I have is that the bill passed without amendment. I am disappointed that Senator Hatch as my duly elected representative didn’t do his job and amend the bill with how the Utah Jazz beat the Lakers in a regular season game.
The usefulness of the resolution ends right here! I am absolutely baffled why such a frivolous piece of legislation is passed by the senate which ought to spend its time on more important issues. This isn’t the reason I elect my senators. I am confident that Californians, laker fans though they may be, would rather have legislation of more consequence. I have seen other bills in which Congress bestows honors on members of the entertainment industry. The recognition and praise that the fans give these entertainers ought to be sufficient.
This piece of legislation is the reason for Politivote. We need to question the legislation being considered and passed at both the federal and state levels. If someone has a reason for supporting S. RES. 188, they have the freedom to support it. They also have the freedom to express their support through commenting. I, on the other hand, am disturbed by the bill because it represents a distraction from the business of the Senate.

H.J.RES.45: Bad Money Management

njessen — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:50:38 +0000

Recently, H.J.RES.45 was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This resolution increased the limit on the public debt. When I read this piece of legislation, I grow concerned. I don’t know a single entity responsible for money that would increase your credit limit if you can’t pay off your current debts. To me, H.J.RES.45 is the equivalent of having debt on one credit card that I am not able to pay and applying for another credit card that I can’t pay. It makes absolutely no sense.
Recently, we have had huge government investments. I wonder if the tax payer is getting a return on these investments. We bailed out major industries that were in trouble. We had the economic stimulus package. I question the return we are getting on the investments.
Controlling the national debt needs to be a serious discussion for the American people. Congress and the American people need to take a look at our expenditures and seriously ask if these are merited. If there are expenses that are unnecessary, we need to get rid of them. I would not even call this concept finance 101, I would call it remedial finance, or the prerequisite to what one needs to know to take Finance 101. This is the sort of thing households do when they experience debt if they want to recover. When I run into financial trouble, this is the sort of thing I do. There are many competing interests that want government money for this or that. However, if we are going to get out of debt, we need to assign priorities to projects or ideas that require investing tax-payer’s dollars. Some investments are worthwhile and others can and should be discarded. Congress and the American people should address this issue.

Veterans Day

njessen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:07:28 +0000

Veteran Cemetary

Within the past week, there have been many developments in the news. A bill for Health Care reform has just passed the house, and President Obama is considering what to do about the war in Afghanistan. However, today it is important for us to pause and think about our veterans and their role in protecting this country. This day is set aside to commemorate those who have fought and are still fighting to keep our country safe.

Through out the twentieth century, we have had many foreign wars. Not all Americans have agreed with our participation in all of these conflicts. The Vietnam War and Iraq war are two examples. However, even if we don’t always agree with the reasons for these wars, it is the willingness of men and women to put their lives on the line for our country that we should celebrate.

There are many ways which we can show our appreciation for veterans and their sacrifices. We can give to charities that support homeless veterans. We can encourage and support legislation that expands services for veterans. We can also do our part to safeguard the freedoms veterans are fighting to protect. When we get involved as citizens, we keep our democracy alive. The reason for this is that we use the tools of democracy to help make this country better. It should be our goal to not only help our veterans directly, but to do our part to improve the nation for which they fight by our participation in its democratic system of government.

The Politivote Philosophy Put into Action

njessen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:42:47 +0000

Today, an article appeared in the New York Times on a protest being staged by conservatives against legislation proposed before Congress. “Kill the Bill,” was the refrain repeated over and over by protesters. These protesters are putting the philosophy of Politivote into action.

I have always heard that the lack of participation in politics by the citizens of this country is staggering. The space voter turn-out in elections has been seen as evidence of this political apathy. I am encouraged by the fact that people are being proactive by taking the time to make their voice heard in an issue that matters to them. I believe that this participation is evidence that people care about this country and about making a difference. While I might not agree with some of their opinions, the mere fact that they are willing to articulate them shows that citizens of this country are concerned. The worse thing you can do is to remain silent on issues that matter. This brings to mind a conversation I had with Nick (one of the founders of Politivote). He told me that he observed a gay and lesbian demonstration, and what impressed him about this demonstration was that the people did not feel they had a voice, and they wanted to make their voice heard. More and more, I have the impression that this is happening with the American people in general. There is a sense that the American people have been silent for so long, and now, they want their representatives to hear their voice.

Politivote has a role to play in the political awakening this country is experiencing. Not only do we provide an instrument to vote on the bills, we provide access to the bills themselves. People can go and read a bill and be informed in all the particulars of the bill and not have someone interpret it for them. This is another crucial component of democracy. Not only do the people have a voice, but it is an informed voice.

Source:
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/on-the-hill-protesters-chant-kill-the-bill/#comment-52481

A Bright Spot in the Political Scene

njessen — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:47:29 +0000

On January 7, 2009, H. CON. RES. 6 was referred to the Committee of Foreign Affairs. This resolution stipulates that the Congress should strongly oppose the granting of blanket amnesty by the Government of Iraq to persons known to have killed US soldiers. The last part of this resolution encourages the government of Iraq to “educate the people of Iraq about the civic minded and selfless nature of American Military Personnel serving in Iraq who have built schools and hospitals, repaired roads and bridges, and risked their lives to secure a future of piece and freedom for the men, women and children of Iraq.

In the course of reviewing bills posted on Politivote, I have seen many that are not in the best interest of our nation. It is refreshing to see a bill that represents what the Congress should be doing. The government of Iraq should know that the United States opposes amnesty for persons known to have killed our soldiers. This bill makes it clear to the government of Iraq that the killing of American soldiers should not be encouraged or tolerated. This bill declares that we care about the lives of the soldiers who have sacrificed much to complete the mission in Iraq.

I consider the third section of the bill a bit problematic because it stipulates that the Government of Iraq should educate the people on the “civic-minded and selfless nature of American Military Personnel serving in Iraq.” I believe that members of our military in Iraq have good intentions for the country and would like to see it succeed. However, many Iraqis don’t like our presence in their country. How then can we convince them of our good intentions?

In spite of the flaw in this bill, it is the sort of legislation worthy of the attention of our elected officials. It goes a long way to the security of our soldiers in Iraq.

What is PolitiVote?

njessen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:34:46 +0000

PolitiVote is a system for every American to vote on each piece of legislation seen by state and federal legislators. The comments and votes about each bill are aggregated and sent to the sponsors of bill, affecting real legislation, real laws, and real people. Independently owned and operated, we aim to be an unbiased source of information, and more importantly, the vessel through which Americans can shape their own future.

We invite you to be a part of this, the greatest experiment in free democracy in our time. Vote, and be heard with PolitiVote.