Shared Legislative Power: Inspiring, Refreshing, Encouraging, Promising

I just returned from a few days visiting an old friend of mine of some 42 years. We yak. We yak a lot about politics and the great issues of our time. We’ve been yakking for 40 some years. It’s fair to say that this year, considering all that’s going on with Donald Trump and Congressional gridlock, we yakked ourselves into depression -- literally coming away from our visit feeling hollow and somewhat hopeless about the future.

Somewhere during the yakking I mentioned to my friend about a post I had done about Michigan's experience with shared legislative power way back in 1993-94 when the Michigan House was deadlocked 55 Republicans & 55 Democrats. I told him how uplifting it was and how it demonstrates there is a better way.

When I returned home I re-read the post and found it was inspiring, refreshing, encouraging and promising. I needed that after all of the depressing yakking.

I decided the post needed to be emphasized and to focus just on the summary of Legislator comments and hope it may provide solace to others who may be suffering depression, frustration and general pessimism about what lies ahead.

Here is an excerpt from the post I did back in March 2017, entitled: Shared Committee Power And The Ambience of Bipartisanship. Hope it helps.

Here are brief excerpts of the thoughts of 26 Michigan legislators who express, far better than I ever could, what I am now calling the ambience of bipartisanship.

John Gernaat (R-Cadillac) – “Shared power will go down in history as an example of how people on both sides can work together to get things done.”

Ilona Varga (D-Detroit) – “Both sides had to compromise. I feel the people got the best two years of representation in the over eight years I have been there.”

Tom Middleton (R-Ortonville) – “The House had a much more open line of communication in solving partisan problems [referring to the fact that the Senate during this time remained under Republican partisan control].

Michael J. Griffin (D-Jackson) – “…people of goodwill and determination can put public policy ahead of partisan consideration. . . Students of government, civics, political science, et cetera, can learn a great deal from this experience.”

Glenn Oxender (R-Sturgis) – “It gave a variety of leadership and made bipartisan support necessary for the passage of each bill. I rate it as a success because of the significant amount of legislation that was passed.”

David Points (D-Highland Park) – “The Eighty-seventh Legislature was an example of an unbiased bipartisan balance.”

Timothy L. Walberg (R-Tipton) – “A pleasant by-product of this situation was the development of friendships with the members of the other party who were once only acquaintances.”

Clyde Le Tarte (R-Horton) – “I found that in the main, we tended to focus on policy issues instead of political advantage because political positions could not be sustained through the process.”

Jan C. Dolan (R-Farmington Hills) – “Even when a vote comes down along party lines, there appears to be a willingness to hear out all viewpoints. Michigan has been well served by this cooperative spirit.”

Richard A. Young (D-Dearborn Heights) – “I believe that you can learn from the fact that you can accomplish the people’s work and you don’t have to do it in a hostile manner.”

James Mick Middaugh (R-Paw Paw) – “People seemed to genuinely want to work together. You had to, or you did not get anything accomplished.”

James Agee (D-Muskegon) – “I think it made us respect those on the other side of the aisle and know that we had to compromise with them.”

Carl F. Gnodtke (R-Sawyer) – “I have often thought it worked well enough that there should be a constitutional amendment requiring equal numbers from both parties be elected to serve in the House.”

Joseph Palamara (D-Wyandotte) – “I found the shared power arrangement to be an unqualified success… To me, the essence of representative government was embodied in the shared power agreement.”

Harold J. Voorhees (R-Wyoming, MI) – “Truly shared, the power agreement that was adopted by the House of Representatives in 1993 is and was a genuine masterpiece – a model for future legislatures throughout the land.”

Candace Curtis (D-Swartz Creek) – “The experience was one of compromise between not only the two parties but also between controlling interest groups.”

Don Gilmer (R-Augusta) – “As a body we at least had a greater amount of respect for one another because of power sharing, and a lot of that still carries on.”

Lynn Jondahl (D-Okemos) – “Working under the shared power agreement was successful in that we quickly adapted to the new rules/procedures and were able to proceed quite smoothly.”

Susan Grimes Munsel (R-Howell) – “One, you had to have the best policy, or two, you had to have a lot of factions with you on an issue, and that kind of focus forces you into the central area which is where the best policy making is anyway.”

Clark Harder (D-Owosso) – “While political pundits swore in advance it would never work, they were obviously proven wrong.”

Tom Alley (D-West Branch) – “Power sharing was probably the greatest experience any legislator could go through in a career of elected office.”

Frank Fitzgerald (R-Grand Ledge) – “I think that what you learn from shared power is that it is possible in a tie situation to make a legislative body operate.”

Pat Gagliardi (D-Drummond Island) – “The best part of shared power, for me as well as many others, was the fact that relationships from both sides of the aisle improved on a personal as well as on the professional level. . . Having been in the majority and the minority, the people of the state of Michigan would be best served if each party was equally represented.”

Paul Baade (D-Roosevelt Park) – “An opportunity to develop a spirit of cooperation and negotiation to move on many issues.”

Kirk A. Profit (D-Ypsilanti) – “I am personally very grateful to have had the wonderful opportunity to represent the eighty-five thousand people in the Ypsilanti area at such an incredible time in Michigan history when new standards for legislative production were set and new foundations of faith in government were laid.”

William Bryant (R-Grosse Pointe Farms) – “Shared power works because it encourages each party to act like a responsible majority.” [Note: Rep. Bryant presented a proposal to the co-Speakers to perpetuate the agreement into the future as an historic opportunity to move “politics not just in Michigan but nationally past sheer partisanship. . .” He concluded by saying, “Seize the moment. Have the vision. Change what it means to be a member of a legislative body. Make history.”]

Can you imagine 26 diverse U.S. Congressional members commenting on the state of the current Congress with the sincerity, excitement and insightfulness of the comments above? Isn’t this what the vast majority of Americans want from their government and their legislators? [Congressional approval rating is currently 10% (8/3/17)]

Congress must accept the fact that the electorate is divided 50-50 and stop trying to propose one-sided solutions to complex problems. True bipartisanship is just a decision away. Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi could make it happen now and end the madness if they wanted to.

It is possible. There is a better way. #BetterGovmt

Other posts on shared committee power and true bipartisanship:

·        Shared Committee Power And The Ambience of Bipartisanship

·        Shared Committee Power: How Crazy Is It?

·        Beating The Dead Horse Of Bipartisanship

·        Congress Could Be Functional; If It Wanted To

·        Bipartisanship: How The GOP Could Heal A Divided Nation

Open Discussion: Shared Legislative Power (click) *Now Closed

Wake Up Democrats; Another Chance At Self-Identification

If you've been following the news the last couple of days you learned that Donald Trump's approval rating are already low and ticking downward and the Republican-led Senate has now officially failed to pass a replacement bill to get rid of that nasty Obamacare stuff.

Everyone's talking about how the Trump administration is a disaster and the GOP is failing or dying as a result of their inability to get anything done, despite the fact that they control Congress and the Presidency.

But wait, there is also news that a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, indicates that 52 percent of respondents, when asked what Democrats stand for, indicated that they are "just against Trump."

So, while the GOP under the leadership of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are literally failing miserably on many fronts, the Democrats have failed miserably once again to show and tell the American public what they stand for. 

We've seen this movie before. See my 3/27/17, post, “Democrats Could Lead The Bipartisan Revolution.” That was when the GOP was trying to "repeal and replace" in the House. I've been advocating for months that Democrats need to step it up and take the lead and demonstrate what they stand for. 

I said Democrats need to develop the "Affordable Care Improvement Act", designed to do what needs to be done to make the Affordable Care Act work better and introduce it in the House and Senate with 100% of the Democrats in both chambers supporting it. Simultaneously, they need to launch a massive public education and media campaign comparing the Republican and Democratic alternatives with the focus on leading rather than simply opposing.

In politics you don't often get a second chance, but now that the GOP effort has once again failed in the Senate and the Democratic Party is suffering a self-identification crisis, the timing couldn't be better. If Democrats continue to be self-absorbed with Trump/GOP bashing, without defining a better way, they too will be a failed Party. That scenario could lead to defeat in 2018 and 2020, despite the incredible incompetency of the GOP leadership.

Not only can Democrats lead with a better alternative to health care, they can lead with a proposal to demonstrate a better process to be used in the development of major legislation.

On July 17, 2017, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who is recovering from a procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, released a statement on the best path forward on health care. McCain said,

“One of the major problems with Obamacare was that it was written on a strict party-line basis and driven through Congress without a single Republican vote. As this law continues to crumble in Arizona and states across the country, we must not repeat the original mistakes that led to Obamacare’s failure. The Congress must now return to regular order, hold hearings, receive input from members of both parties, and heed the recommendations of our nation's governors so that we can produce a bill that finally provides Americans with access to quality and affordable health care.”

While this is certainly a magnanimous cry from the wilderness of insanity on health care that we have been witness to lately, it still lacks definition of a clear process that will lead ultimately to a bipartisan solution that will reap rewards for the American people and not the special interests.

“Regular order” is the terminology for the normal way that Congress develops legislation – i.e. subcommittee with hearings and expert testimony; committees with hearings and expert testimony; floor proceedings, amendments and votes on passage. While this is far better than the secretive, backroom formulation with no public hearing or expert testimony that was instigated and maneuvered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, it is also the same process that has led to Congressional approval ratings of 20% and lower.

I have already spilled a lot of ink describing why this “regular order” process isn’t working any more in today’s highly polarized, tribal environment with an almost 50-50 divided electorate. It doesn’t matter which party is in control, the process is rigged so that the “majority” Party controls the agenda, the public hearings, testimony, input; and most importantly, the votes. Furthermore the lobbyists need only to focus their influence and money on a few select legislative members in leadership positions to control the outcome and in many cases actually write the legislation.

Despite some semblance of “order”, the process with all of its gridlock tricks along the way continues to produce one-sided solutions to major complex problems – the kind that the President never realized were so hard. See my 1/18/17 post: “Congress Could Be Functional; If It Wanted To.”

 

In many previous posts I’ve tried to emphasize the importance of Congressional committees and subcommittees within the structure of our government; their relation to gridlock and dysfunction; and the idea of sharing political party power to vastly improve the functioning of the legislative and oversight roles of this critical branch of government. Previous postings include:

·        Shared Committee Power And The Ambience of Bipartisanship

·        Shared Committee Power: How Crazy Is It?

·        Beating The Dead Horse Of Bipartisanship

·        Congress Could Be Functional; If It Wanted To

·        Bipartisanship: How The GOP Could Heal A Divided Nation

As I have tried to explain in previous postings, true bipartisanship, beginning with shared power in the committee and subcommittees system of the House and Senate, could completely alter the legislative process dynamics, reduce the incentive for gridlock games and political posturing, maximize and focus staff resources and blunt the affect of excessive lobbying and financial influence.

A shared power committee structure would force bipartisanship at the beginning of the process. Imagine, at the subcommittee level where Members with specific knowledge of the subject matter from both sides of aisle each present their proposals for addressing the issue. They would most likely be markedly different. They would have to argue and debate, have hearings with experts and testimony equally from both sides, utilize unbiased staff resources to investigate and develop suggestions and finally craft a compromise. The process would be somewhat like the Conference Committee process where competing differences between House and Senate bills are resolved; however, it would be much more thorough, comprehensive and nonpartisan.

So, Democratic leadership, I challenge you. You’ve got a second chance. Identify yourself. Let’s see what your health care bill looks like. And how about taking it a step farther and proposing a revised process that will lead to a true bipartisan solution. Show us you can be smart leaders with real solutions, not just Trump/GOP bashers. Give us a reason to vote for you.

#BetterGovmt

Donald The Muddler & The Ones That Know Better

Those who voted for Donald Trump as the "change" candidate didn't really get what they bargained for, but they don't seem to mind. What they really got was a "muddler".

noun1. a person who creates muddles, especially because of a disorganized method of thinking or working.

So what are muddles?

noun1. an untidy and disorganized state or collection. synonyms: mess, confusion, jumble, tangle, mishmash, chaos, disorder, disarray, disorganization, imbroglio, hodgepodge

Yep! That pretty much sums it up. And, I guess, in a bizarre sense, it is a form of change. And, in fact it's pretty consistent with the expressed national goal of one of the President's right hand men -- Steve Bannon.

"I'm a Leninist. Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that's my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down and destroy all of today's establishment."

If you take a look at the first six months of the Trump Presidency, I guess we're pretty much on track.

So do the people who voted for Donald Trump feel like they got swindled? Hell no! They're loving it. It's a movement; and it's solid. 

With all that's gone down in the last six months -- constant lying, fake news, Russian collusion/coordination; women, minority and media bashing; bigotry, bullying, betrayal of allies, nepotism, financial deception, disrespect for norms and embracement of indecency -- the Muddler's support has hardly waivered. It appears to be solid at about 40%.

So what does this say about the good old U.S.A.? It's not so much about the Muddler himself? It's not about healthcare, tax reform, infrastructure, environment or other important policy issues. The Muddler promised to fix all those things and make them "beautiful" and "amazing", but he's not going to do it.

It's about the 40%. That's not "small potatoes" as my Grandma would have said. That's a huge chunk of the American population that is willing to support, praise or just tolerate the behavior of the Muddler. I think we should be concerned.

I would break the 40% down into basically two major groups: (1) the group that truly supports what the Muddler stands for (that's scary); and, (2) the group that is tolerating him because, despite his abhorrent behavior, he will allow them to advance their ideological political agenda. This group includes most GOP Congressional members, leaders, surrogates, strategists and D.C. insiders; all willing to sacrifice fundamental, human and democratic principles for party passion and ideology. 

It's the second group that bothers me the most. Maybe the country can endure 15 to 20 percent of the population that actually supports what the Muddler stands for; but, it's the ones that know better who continue to fall in line that is really troubling.

I'm convinced that there are many, diehard Republicans that are appalled by the Muddler's disingenuous (I'm being nice) statements, Tweets, treatment of our allies and puzzling relationship with Russia; but they are willing to continue their support for this intolerable, immoral, and embarrassing conduct of an American President.

What will it take to make them snub this insult to our Presidency and country? Or will they ever? The Muddler's shenanigans and malfeasance would have already brought down any President known to modern man. The mischief, indiscretion and misdeeds of the likes of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton seem like child's play in the wake of the Muddler. Yet, the ones that know better continue their toleration.

Our future is the hands of the GOP members that know better. Because they're in control of the House and Senate, they are the ones who must lead. So long as they remain silent and let the travesties of leadership continue they are empowering the worst among us from both sides of the political spectrum. 

Unfortunately, it's not looking good. As I have pointed out previously, the tolerance of the American public for this continued malfeasance and incompetence is not sacrosanct -- it will reach a point of eruption. The creaking sounds of a breaking democracy can already be heard. 

If the GOP leadership, the ones that know better, continue to force a one-sided, reckless, heartless health care bill through the process simply to fulfill a 7-year, half-baked, mantra ("repeal & replace") the democratic underpinnings may fracture.

Meanwhile, the delusional Muddler, who resides in an alternative fantasy land, amuses himself by Tweeting:

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump The W.H. is functioning perfectly, focused on HealthCare, Tax Cuts/Reform & many other things. I have very little time for watching T.V.9:39 AM - 12 Jul 2017

#BetterGovmt

Rattling the Underpinnings of Democracy: What Have We Become?

How can it be that our governmental processes have degenerated to the point where it is considered okay by a large portion of the public and political leadership to deny funding for needed health care services to children, old people, poor people and the sickest among us, and at the same time give huge tax rewards to the richest among us? With nearly a trillion dollars involved, this is not an incidental action; but, a massive transfer of necessary human survival services for unnecessary individual enrichment.

Tax breaks for the rich and "trickle down" economics have been a part of the political landscape for years, but the direct taking of money for lifesaving services to provide windfalls to the wealthiest has reached a new level of cold-heartedness.

Let's pause and take stock. It's 2017. The Presidency is a national and international embarrassment led by a man who is supported by about a third of the public. His actions scoff traditional norms of decency, undermine the basic foundation of American government, and threaten national security. He has established a new normal where facts can no longer be distinguished from lies. Hard to believe, but the good old U.S.A. is being led by a man so in love with himself, that he prints a fake Time magazine cover "trump"eting his phony accomplishments and resides in a constant state of alternate reality. 

Congress is non-functional because of intense political polarization that has reached a point of frantic implausibility. The two major political parties have morphed into factionalized tribes, trading patriotism for partisanship, to the point that they can no longer define or articulate what they stand for and being led by the extreme elements of their ranks.

We can't blame the current state of affairs solely on our bungling President. There are two prominent and skilled GOP leaders -- Mitch McConnell & Paul Ryan -- who could stop this madness in a New York minute if they chose to elevate reverence for country over their dogmatic passion for Party supremacy.

The breakdown of the major political parties and their growing dysfunction has led to their inability to provide the required "check" on the executive branch. Congressional paralysis in recent years provided the underpinnings for the movement that led to the election of Donald Trump and its persistence now allows the continuation of this national and international insult to the American brand.

The more extreme ends of each party remain active and continue to fan the rhetorical fires that further divide the electorate. The mainstream media continues to report the constant drumbeat of lies, dumbfounding tweets and statements, and unimaginable political faux pas. The alternative media distorts reality and rationalizes the GOP and White House shenanigans and demonizes the mainstream media.

At the same time, much of the public have allowed their eyes to glaze over and begun to tune out the constant frenzy of insanity. Many are in search of distractions to avoid the insults to their intelligence. Many have run out of adjectives to describe what is happening. Many avoid discussions with family and friends because the circumstances are so sensitive and confrontational.

The vehement debate over health care is indicative of what is to come as the country faces other major policy directives and issues. The political leadership of both parties is pushing the framework of democracy dangerously close to its breaking point. The tolerance of the American public for this continued malfeasance and incompetence is not sacrosanct -- it will reach a point of eruption.

Within the next few days the GOP leadership and Presidency have a choice: to either stop the current intolerable proceedings and start anew with a bipartisan approach; or, they can continue to ram through a one-sided solution constructed with no public hearing or scrutiny that is doomed to failure and will push the public to the brink. The choice is theirs.

From my perspective, the desired process would be to develop legislation via the shared committee power process which I have continually advocated in this blog. See more on shared committee power and links to further information: https://goo.gl/LwzeuA. #BetterGovmt

My Heart Died A Little Bit Today

Editor’s Note: I wrote this poem back in December 2016. It still seems timely six months later.

Editor’s Note II: Still timely, but worse than expected February 2020

My heart died a little bit today
I watched the news and felt it skip a beat
Seeing the death and destruction on the streets
I remembered back when things seemed right
And tried to figure out when I first noticed the slide
Where was I when my country cried?

My heart died a little bit today
It didn’t seem that long ago
But I’m getting confused and not sure I know
There were other times, I’m now remembering
I was lost in my mind and not able to cope
But this seems different – like there is no hope.

My heart died a little bit today
How could this have happened while we just lived our life.
We’ve lost our way and can’t see the strife
Yet it’s all around and hard to miss
But we’re all going on doing the stuff we must
While our leaders have stumbled and lost our trust.

My heart died a little bit today
It’s like we’re drifting in a sea of hate and divide
While serious things keep slipping aside
Simple decisions are hard to make without a fight
Working together seems not an option any more
People are thinking and talking about a civil war.

My heart died a little bit today
We can now see our globe from afar
And know that all our life depends on a little star
We’ve lost respect for land and water
The air we breathe -- the animals and seed
Have lost their value and been replaced with greed.

My heart died a little bit today
It’s becoming hard to find the truth
And I fear what will become of the world’s youth
It is now okay to ignore the facts and make things up
Education and learning may fail to meet the test
As officials and leaders claim they know best.

My heart died a little bit today
We see the oceans rise, the ice melt and the sun beat down
Yet some in power simply reply with a silly frown
They claim it’s a hoax, an international trick and a university scam
Their goals are uncertain but they confuse the masses and increase the gasses
Now with victory at hand they smile with glee and hoist their glasses

My heart died a little bit today
I try to imagine what the rest of the world perceives.
What happened to the global leader of the free world they believed?
Disrupting partnerships, breaking agreements and doing deals
Some countries and individuals may see opportunity and financial gain
But many I suspect may think we’ve gone insane

My heart died a little bit today
We have a new style that seems to be catching on
Civility, statesmanship, politeness and respect are all but gone
Bullying, bigotry, name calling, lying without guilt are now accepted
There’s no excuse; it seems senseless and cruel
But with leadership’s endorsement it is becoming the rule.

My heart died a little bit today
By hook or crook they’re now in control and arrogant in style
Previous enemies shed hate and disgust as they fall into single file
The rest of us wait with our fate in the balance as suspicion abounds
They insist they will act with our best interest in mind
But the actions we witness seem counter to promises and more mastermind.

My heart died a little bit today
I now feel a little hollow, sad and confused – extremely perplexed
Not knowing quite how to react or what to say – seriously vexed
It’s unfamiliar, strange, odd, weird, baffling and inexplicable
My faith and trust is now buried deep in the past
As I hope the Founders’ wisdom and written structures will last.

My heart died a little bit today. . .