The H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y. Act - making politicians who talk the talk against government agencies, walk the walk, and not accept money from them, or be "burdened" by their regulations. Their constituencies will love them for it!...or will they?

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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.

d)   A public record will be made in accordance with legislative body rules recording the reason for denial of funding or regulations thereof to said district, State etc.

Section 3 .   All such determination of meeting conditions a, b, c in Section 2 shall be made by the elected bodies responsible for oversight of said agency/office/committee.  

a) Appeals may be made to a non-partisan subcommittee of no more than 8, and no less than 4, elected officials of the same body, with a tie-vote being cast by the original members of the original oversight committee.

Section 4 .   Restrictions placed in Section 2 shall remain in effect for so long as the legislator remains in office, or retracts such statements, whichever is shorter.

a)    Verification of the retraction of disqualification statements to be determined by same methods as listed in Section 3 above.

Section 5 .   Monies, resources, or other benefits that would have accrued to said district, State etc. will be reapportioned among remaining districts, States etc. whose legislators have not met the criteria in Section 2.

Section 6 .   The legislative body shall have the power to legislate supporting law, rules, etc. to support this Act.

Support H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y!   Write your Senator, Congressperson, and other representative and tell them you want H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y. now!

Authors Website: http://newthinking.blogspot.com/

Authors Bio:

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 articles for Common Ground's national publication, GroundSwell, and has advocated for the Georgist Land Value Tax to public and political audiences.

A complete list of his publications can be found here:

Click Here

He is also New York State Coordinator and Senior Advisor for the Public Banking Institute

Click Here, which seeks to promote Public Banking. The PBI is chaired by another OEN blogger, Ellen Brown.
Scott has appeared on TV/Radio and in in-person Presentations to explain the principles of Georgism, Greenbacking, and State Banking. These may also be found on his personal blog: http://newthinking.blogspot.com/

Scott has a dozen progressive petitions on Change.org which may be found here:

http://chn.ge/10nUAmJ

Scott was an I.T. Manager for a major New York university for over two decades where he earned a Certificate for Frontline Leadership.

He had a video game published in Compute! Magazine: Click Here

Scott is a graduate and adjunct faculty of the Henry George School of Social Science in New York City.

Scott is a modern-day Renaissance Man with interests in economics, science and all future-forward topics.

He has been called an "adept syncretist" by Kirkus Discoveries for his novel, NeitherWorld - a two-volume opus blending Native American myth, archaeological detail, government conspiracy, with a sci-fi flair http://amzn.to/10nUoDV

Scott grew up in New York City and Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and was a member of the Psychology honor society PSI CHI.

Today he is an avid bicyclist and ride co-leader in a prominent bike advocacy organization.

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