Finding job satisfaction while unemployed

 Dear Senator;

I'm sorry you lost your job responsibilities. But you allowed it to happen. First you said nothing while DOGE fired hundreds of government employees. Now that the government is unfunded, the president is firing even more. You abandoned your right to control the purse strings. It's no wonder the Democrats haven't budged on the shutdown: they can't be certain that the money they voted to spend will actually be spent. Firing employees saves money, but it also keeps government services from being provided. Citizens suffer when governments stop providing services.

You currently control both houses of congress as well as the executive branch. And you've wasted this opportunity by allowing the president to rule by his whims instead of by respecting constitutional norms. Since you have the power, why don't you use it instead of handing it over to the executive branch without a whimper of resistance? 

By doing nothing, what gets damaged? Only the very integrity and authority of the Constitution itself. Earlier in October, the president informed Congress that the United States is at war. Only Congress, not the president, has authority to declare a war, yet you've remained silent as Trump usurps your authority. Worse than silent, in fact. When Democrats put forth a measure to block the president from sinking boats in the Caribbean Sea, the Republicans blocked it. Rand Paul was one of the only two Republican senators supporting the measure. He wondered why we sank boats instead of intercepting them, “If anyone gave a you-know-what about justice, perhaps those in charge of deciding whom to kill might let us know their names, present proof of their guilt and show evidence of their crimes.”

You know even less than names and evidence. You only have the presidents statements that he's going after drug smuggling terrorists. The problem is Venezuela plays a minimal role as a source of smuggled drugs. So why is Trump really sinking Venezuelan boats? Some argue that the president is trying to unseat Nicolás Maduro from power. So why doesn't he say so? Moreover why can't you be bothered to find out what his illegally declared war is really about?

It's a shame that flights are cancelled and delayed because unpaid flight traffic controllers call in sick. You senators do the least you can to end the shutdown while continuing to draw your salaries. Perhaps you should be investigated for impersonating lawmakers.

Robin Hood and the King

Reverse Robin Hood
According to legend, Robin Hood robbed the wealthy and distributed booty to the poor. Robin Hood in reverse (RHR) works differently. This method is favored by kleptocrats and oligarchs and seeks to enhance the holdings of the wealthiest at the expense of the most impoverished. Let’s talk about the tax bill now approaching the Senate. Read to the end where I unveil its poison pill.

Like the tax bill of 2017, this one also holds out the promise that money will trickle down to those who can use it more. And also like that bill, it puts more money in the hands of those who don’t really need it.

The big difference this time around is that the national debt has ballooned since 2017. This time lawmakers are looking at offsets. They’re considering cuts in programs for people who need them to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy.

For years Republicans have complained about taxes while the government spent. Somebody needs to pay to run the government but magical thinkers believe that tax cuts pay for themselves by invoking some vague and implausible principal. It never happens.

Meanwhile the government continues to borrow as the cost of doing so is becoming unwieldy. Moody’s recently downgraded the country’s credit worthiness. This hurts our nations’s reputation and increases our borrowing costs.

During Eisenhower’s days the highest marginal tax rate was 91 percent. It’s much less now. If the wealthy could tolerate high taxes back then, why can’t they help lower the deficit now? Our current lawmakers will never willingly ask the wealthy to pay their fair share.

The King
The tax bill contains a clause which reads: “No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued.”

This is intended to prevent federal courts from from imposing consequences for contempt of court on top government officials. It would give Donald Trump king-like immunity for violating the Constitution. Though perhaps it's unreasonable to suggest that a twice impeached convicted felon would ever think about violating the Constitution.

If you don’t like how things are going contact your Congress person and Senator.