Monday, December 31, 2018

Have a Happy New Year!

Its been a slow year for posts. I can’t honestly claim that we have emerged from the Great Depression, but things have improved. The improvement has been, that people no longer question where the new-found money that Congress spends is coming from. Congress has funded the budget like this since the 1960’s, so they don’t mettle with what works. And as long as it works run with it. I might delve more into that concept in the coming new year.

So, for now, here is wishing my readers a Happy New Year from my family to yours.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Dollars Are the Real Election Voters

Trump got elected and had no private backing for funds in the beginning. Plus, he is working for one dollar a year. Not your typical rags to riches story in Congress.

Now take the average politician running for office, Democrat or Republican. People donate money towards your election because of your political views. Once you get into office there is a small change as to how things are run. The politician needs to worry about getting re elected and this amounts to raising about 1 to 3 million in funds to run again. He sits there and lets it be known that he would like to hear “both sides” before he votes. In come the lobbyists and they bend his ear. Some of the lobbyists will donate a fixed amount to a Congressman’s reelection campaign and mention that he may get the same amount next year conditional on how he votes this year. The key word here is “may.”

Now with President Trump in office, he has no group of people he is beholding to. Big money didn’t get him elected and he has ideas where he wants the government to improve. It has nothing to do with "Scratch my back and I scratch yours." His attitude is, “I’m going to kick your ass if you piss me off.”

This is not the standard operating procedures (SOP) that the government has been using in the past. This is probably why so many Congressmen are against President Trump. Their way of raising funds has been trashed. Trump is going to do it for free, and the Congress is used to getting cash for their votes. I’d tend to believe that “yes” and “no” votes costs more to buy, the closer the vote is. This is why most politicians never get anything done. There are enough “don’t care” votes out there to buy at any one time to sway the vote one way or the other.

So, in reality, the dollars spent by private enterprise help to determine who wins an election. While in office, the dollars donated to the Congressmen by special interest groups, determines how many people will vote for or against a certain issue. This is what President Trump might not understand. The lobbyists have the power to influence the final vote of each bill presented in Congress. “How many dollars does it take to change your mind?” And when you think about it, there is always that one little thing in the bill that irks a Congressman enough not to vote for it.

Look at it from a different point of view as a Democrat. Support a Republican bill like “Build the Wall,” puts no money in your election fund, whereas voting against it would keep it on the agenda the next time they run.

Before Trump, it was “Read my lips” or “You can keep your doctor.” We are used to politicians promising the moon and delivering nothing. Trump is different, he is a real horse trader. Pelosi and Schumer have met their match.
Trump is not in this game for money. That’s what makes things peculiar. He’s not acting like a politician. He adds an unknown element into the game. He isn’t afraid to be wrong, because he knows, the winner is always right.

Post Script:

Take this article with a grain of salt. It is pretty much conjecture on my part. Most Congressmen are very responsible to the voters that got them elected. The trouble is, it only takes a few bad apples to ruin a barrel of apples.