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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 8/10/11

The H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y. Act: Making politicians mean what they say, or else...

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Michelle Bachman
Michelle Bachman
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Today, Huffington Post reports that:

"A Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Huffington Post with three separate federal agencies reveals that on at least 16 separate occasions, Bachmann petitioned the federal government for direct financial help or aid. A large chunk of those requests were for funds set aside through President Obama's stimulus program, which Bachmann once labeled "fantasy economics." Bachman made two more of those requests to the Environmental Protection Agency, an institution that she has suggested she would eliminate if she were in the White House.

Taken as a whole, the letters underscore what Bachman's critics describe as a glaring distance between her campaign oratory and her actual conduct as a lawmaker. " it appears that one of the Tea Party's most cherished members has demonstrated that the government does, in fact, play a constructive role -- at least in her life and district."

In honor of Michelle Bachman, and other elected representatives', numerous funding requests from the very agencies they seek to eliminate, calling the EPA the "job-killing organization of America," and a $700 million bridge connecting Wisconsin and Minnesota, for example, I'd like to present the H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y. Act:

Have Your Political Operatives Create Reality In Spending for You

Here's what the bill would do.   It would still allow elected representatives to criticize and seek to improve the efficiency of governmental agencies, but if they either verbally, or through funding denials, sought to abolish or weaken an agency to the point of inoperability, it would not allow them to request funding or, in the case of regulatory agencies, seek protection of, those agencies.

Now, some conservatives might say that's fine, they didn't want to have anything to do with the agency anyway, but as we can see, in the case of arch-conservative Michelle Bachman, most conservatives don't practice what the preach, and they actually do go ahead and seek funds and help or funds from the very agencies they are trying to dismantle.   The H.Y.P.O.C.R.S.Y. Act would eliminate that option.   If they talk the talk, they should walk the walk.

Now, I am not a lawmaker, but here's my stab at the heart of such a bill.   I made it open-ended enough to apply to districts or states, but other language could be applied as seen fit:

SECTION 1 . SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the

H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y. Act:

Long title: The Have Your Political Operatives Create Reality In Spending for You Act

SECTION 2 . Deny the use of funds to, or regulations of, any agency/office/committee of government to any legislator or his/her district, State etc. who has:

a)   Publicly called for the "shutdown", "abolishment", or "termination" of said agency/office/committee

b)   Called for (including videos/films/TV appearances) same as (a) above while in a position to effectuate same as a member of an elected body or subcommittee with influence over such entities.

c)   Written for same as (a) above while in a position to effectuate same as a member of an elected body or subcommittee with influence over such entities.

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Scott Baker is a Managing Editor & The Economics Editor at Opednews, and a former blogger for Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Global Economic Intersection.

His anthology of updated Opednews articles "America is Not Broke" was published by Tayen Lane Publishing (March, 2015) and may be found here:
http://www.americaisnotbroke.net/

Scott is a former and current President of Common Ground-NY (http://commongroundnyc.org/), a Geoist/Georgist activist group. He has written dozens of (more...)
 

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