Poli-ticks

Crocodile tears from congressional delegation

By Arlene Violet
Posted 2/2/19

If you want to see a lot of belly-aching about the recent government shutdown, read the copious statements of the Rhode Island congressional delegation. These democrats bemoaned the hardship suffered …

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Poli-ticks

Crocodile tears from congressional delegation

Posted

If you want to see a lot of belly-aching about the recent government shutdown, read the copious statements of the Rhode Island congressional delegation. These democrats bemoaned the hardship suffered by the 800,000 federal families who didn't know when they would be paid. Yet, when they had a chance to join the other 130 members of Congress that requested that their paychecks be withheld, their solidarity with the workers got checked at the door.

Mind you, each of them are multi-millionaires so missing a few weeks’ pay of their $174,000 salary plus benefits is chump change for them. It’s hardly a sacrifice. So money-hungry are they that they passed on the chance to symbolically stand in solidarity with the workers. Not one of them, though, would ever cross a picket line because they need the union vote and moolah that accompanies endorsement. They know full well that the federal workers would not support Republicans because of President Trump’s intransigence and that of Senate leader Mitch McConnell.

Personally, I think it is a disgrace that these workers are pawns and I largely blame the president and the republican lapdogs in the senate. They have lost their way. Sometimes, people don’t even realize how anti-American they are acting. Take Anne Coulter, who recently urged the President to stay the course lest he lose his upcoming reelection by disappointing his base. Say what? Since when have we countenanced that politicians should make decisions based on whether it means they get elected or not as opposed to the common good? Self-centeredness is the very curse of politicians who make decisions solely on what is good for them and the heck with the rest of the country.

It is important to remember that in December 2018 the President did give his ok to a budget passed by McConnell et al which didn’t include the 5.7 billion to build the wall. This is one of the bills that the House of Representatives passed as well so it would and should have headed to the Oval office for signature. Yet, when a few talk show yahoos like Coulter, Hannity and Limbaugh made the same point as to the disappointment of the base the President changed his mind.

The "lock-out", of course, is far beyond the damage being done to federal workers. And if it is reinstates again in 3 weeks, as the president has suggested, the back-up will infect federal programs and funds coming into the states, including Rhode Island. Millions more of our brother and sister citizens will have their lives made miserable.

Any serious person knows the “wall” is a farce. Many areas along the border don’t need a wall because of natural impediments. Massive amounts of land are owned by people so an extensive eminent domain process would last years. Wall prototypes have all failed because it takes about 38 seconds to saw holes in them. Technology has made man-made objects obsolete.

Since 2000, immigration from the southern border has drastically dipped. The “gangs” of drug dealers are coming through legal check points. Check out the indictments of law enforcement personnel for accepting bribes from the cartels.

If we want to slow immigration then change our policies in Central America that cause flight rather than implementing an ill-conceived campaign promise. The only thing worse than not keeping a promise is keeping a stupid one.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

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