10-25-2005, 08:32 AM
Hi,
Most people have a life to lead. They do not have time to consume the entrée of Congressional Register, committee reports, white papers, etc., that are generated on the Potomac (not to mention the antipasto of state government papers, the hor dourve of county matters, and the dessert of city issues). Hell, even the politicians don't do that -- they use a staff to tell condense it and tell them how to vote.
There is (or, rather was,) a group, a body, indeed, an estate (the fifth, if I'm not mistaken) whose job it should be to distill all the governmental fermentation into a glass which the common citizen could drink. An aperitif, if you will. That estate was once considered so sacred that it was given rights and privileges nearly as great as religion. But that estate, the guardian and the conscience of the state at the best of times, has fallen into the worst of times. Indeed, who guards the guardians?
--Pete
PS I hate waking up hungry in the middle of the night. Food seems to color all my thoughts ;)
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Occhidiangela,Oct 22 2005, 01:55 PM Wrote:1. It isn't hidden, what creates the impression of "hidden" is the general public's lack of detailed interest in legislative details. It is all a matter of public record, in the Congressional Register. For those who care enough to stay informed, it is pretty much there.Yes, in principle. No, in practice.
2. The attempts to sneak stuff into a large bill are as old as our political process. Part of the Freedom of the Press is to ensure that the public is informed of what is going on. What the public does about it, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter.
Occhi
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Most people have a life to lead. They do not have time to consume the entrée of Congressional Register, committee reports, white papers, etc., that are generated on the Potomac (not to mention the antipasto of state government papers, the hor dourve of county matters, and the dessert of city issues). Hell, even the politicians don't do that -- they use a staff to tell condense it and tell them how to vote.
There is (or, rather was,) a group, a body, indeed, an estate (the fifth, if I'm not mistaken) whose job it should be to distill all the governmental fermentation into a glass which the common citizen could drink. An aperitif, if you will. That estate was once considered so sacred that it was given rights and privileges nearly as great as religion. But that estate, the guardian and the conscience of the state at the best of times, has fallen into the worst of times. Indeed, who guards the guardians?
--Pete
PS I hate waking up hungry in the middle of the night. Food seems to color all my thoughts ;)
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How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?