time spent: 30 minutes
The most important issues today for me surround the economy, jobs and taxes, so these will be the issues from which I will seek out information when considering the congressional candidates. I revisited the Library of Congress to get a sense as to how Congressman McDermott used his time addressing the Legislature when he had the floor. The link to locate the congressional records for each congress (the 111th congress presides today) is below:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r111query.html
On this page, you can make a more specific selection by member of congress, dates or sessions. I selected the congressman's name and a nice tidy list of congressional records appeared associated with his name. From this list, I could select from the various House Resolutions associated with my key interests. For myself, this link was a more user friendly approach than going through the congressman's link though I imagine I'll be referring to both throughout this campaign season.
For starters, I clicked on a link to Congressional Record 12 of 75 titled Senate Exercising Petty Partisanship on Unemployment Benefits. The words that caught my eye of course were 'unemployment' and 'benefits'. In this case, the congressman was given permission to address the House for 1 minute. From this 'sound byte' I could sense his passion and his position (in support of) the matter. The next step then was to locate the bill he was referring to and read it.
To do this I launched a new search for congressional records prior to Congressman McDermott's comments. From the link below I surmised his comments to be related to H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009, passed by the House on September 22, 2009.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r111:13:./temp/~r1118eIkNB::
This allowed me to return to the home page and do another search on the text of the bill. The search was not quite as simple as I thought, but I found the bill within 5 minutes.
Okay, I found a groove and am on my way, having found a method of tracking Congressman McDermott's record and comparing it to my own views as well as measuring his job performance against his job description.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Literacy Check
time spent: 20 minutes
Tonight I revisited the congressman's legislative records and opened the full text of one bill to see whether I could understand it what was written, without the benefit of having an attorney's background. The first bill was selected at random, H.R. 3039 regarding the preferential duty treatment of certain apparel articles from the Philippines. To my surprise and relief, I was able to read through the bill with relative ease.
Encouraged by this discovery, I launched my search for the bills that I felt were of particular interest to me. There were several candidates: HR 4183 addressing assistance for unemployed workers, HR 3548 addressing emergency unemployment compensation, HR 3038 addressing the civil rights act and others. Unfortunately a number of these were amendments, so the format was more cryptic and less comprehensive than that of a new bill, which meant that in order for me to fully appreciate the context of the amendment I would have to refer to the original language of the bill. Not enough of a deterrent, but definitely more work. Perhaps there is another way....
Tonight I revisited the congressman's legislative records and opened the full text of one bill to see whether I could understand it what was written, without the benefit of having an attorney's background. The first bill was selected at random, H.R. 3039 regarding the preferential duty treatment of certain apparel articles from the Philippines. To my surprise and relief, I was able to read through the bill with relative ease.
Encouraged by this discovery, I launched my search for the bills that I felt were of particular interest to me. There were several candidates: HR 4183 addressing assistance for unemployed workers, HR 3548 addressing emergency unemployment compensation, HR 3038 addressing the civil rights act and others. Unfortunately a number of these were amendments, so the format was more cryptic and less comprehensive than that of a new bill, which meant that in order for me to fully appreciate the context of the amendment I would have to refer to the original language of the bill. Not enough of a deterrent, but definitely more work. Perhaps there is another way....
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Legistlative Activities for Congressman McDermott
time spent: 25 minutes
For the longest time I put off using my highly coveted vacation time to visit the likes of Washington D.C., when my preference clearly involved travel to Europe. Finally, two years ago, budget and time constraints presented the opportunity to rethink this. In order to maximize my trip I decided to read a book on the American Revolution to get a refresh on the key figures, battles and decisions made in the founding of our country. When we finally arrived at Washington D.C., it became apparent almost immediately that this was going to be a fantastic experience and it was. To put things in perspective realize that just about every tourist attraction is free. Moreover, the catalogue of information and national treasure has got to be among the finest in the world. I personally validated the claim that it is virtually impossible to take in all our Capital has to offer in a single trip. My indulgence in posting this reflection was triggered by the very fond memories of visiting such places as the Library of Congress.
It is from the Library of Congress that I am able to locate the legislative activities of Congressman McDermott thanks to the electronic cataloguing on the web (the congressman's website also offers a direct link) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d111&querybd=@FIELD(FLD003+@4((@1(Rep+McDermott++Jim))+00766)).
The search results of bills and resolutions associated with Representative McDermott illuminated for me how many activities a congressman get involved in, some of them surprising to say the least. For example, I was surprised to see a House Resolution (H.R. 517) congratulating the University of Washington's women's softball team for winning the 2009 College World Series. Then there was H.R. 750 congratulating Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki for becoming the first player in the history of Major League Baseball with at least 200 base hits in 9 consecutive seasons.
Not to take away anything from these fine athletes, but the first thought I had when I saw this was, really? We're paying our congressmen and women to bestow formal congratulations on team sports? To explore this question further I revisited the U.S. Constitution outlaying the duties of a congressman:
http://www.house.gov/house/Constitution/Constitution.html
Section. 8.
Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
Clause 2: To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
Clause 3: To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
Clause 4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
Clause 5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
Clause 6: To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
Clause 7: To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
Clause 8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
Clause 9: To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
Clause 10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
Clause 11: To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
Clause 12: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
Clause 13: To provide and maintain a Navy;
Clause 14: To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
Clause 15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
Clause 16: To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
Clause 17: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
Clause 18: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
Hmmm....nope, don't see it here. Moving on, I continued my search for bills that affected me more directly. I was both pleased and relieve to find that the majority of bills posted were more broadly in the interest of our nation than the aforementioned "hearty congratulations". Having many to choose from, I decided I would select one that particularly addressed my community (or state) and another that affected the nation as a whole.
That said, my next step is to select one of each topic from the vast list of bills.
For the longest time I put off using my highly coveted vacation time to visit the likes of Washington D.C., when my preference clearly involved travel to Europe. Finally, two years ago, budget and time constraints presented the opportunity to rethink this. In order to maximize my trip I decided to read a book on the American Revolution to get a refresh on the key figures, battles and decisions made in the founding of our country. When we finally arrived at Washington D.C., it became apparent almost immediately that this was going to be a fantastic experience and it was. To put things in perspective realize that just about every tourist attraction is free. Moreover, the catalogue of information and national treasure has got to be among the finest in the world. I personally validated the claim that it is virtually impossible to take in all our Capital has to offer in a single trip. My indulgence in posting this reflection was triggered by the very fond memories of visiting such places as the Library of Congress.
It is from the Library of Congress that I am able to locate the legislative activities of Congressman McDermott thanks to the electronic cataloguing on the web (the congressman's website also offers a direct link) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d111&querybd=@FIELD(FLD003+@4((@1(Rep+McDermott++Jim))+00766)).
The search results of bills and resolutions associated with Representative McDermott illuminated for me how many activities a congressman get involved in, some of them surprising to say the least. For example, I was surprised to see a House Resolution (H.R. 517) congratulating the University of Washington's women's softball team for winning the 2009 College World Series. Then there was H.R. 750 congratulating Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki for becoming the first player in the history of Major League Baseball with at least 200 base hits in 9 consecutive seasons.
Not to take away anything from these fine athletes, but the first thought I had when I saw this was, really? We're paying our congressmen and women to bestow formal congratulations on team sports? To explore this question further I revisited the U.S. Constitution outlaying the duties of a congressman:
http://www.house.gov/house/Constitution/Constitution.html
Section. 8.
Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
Clause 2: To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
Clause 3: To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
Clause 4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
Clause 5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
Clause 6: To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
Clause 7: To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
Clause 8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
Clause 9: To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
Clause 10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
Clause 11: To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
Clause 12: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
Clause 13: To provide and maintain a Navy;
Clause 14: To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
Clause 15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
Clause 16: To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
Clause 17: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
Clause 18: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
Hmmm....nope, don't see it here. Moving on, I continued my search for bills that affected me more directly. I was both pleased and relieve to find that the majority of bills posted were more broadly in the interest of our nation than the aforementioned "hearty congratulations". Having many to choose from, I decided I would select one that particularly addressed my community (or state) and another that affected the nation as a whole.
That said, my next step is to select one of each topic from the vast list of bills.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Back to the Congressional Candidacy
time spent: 30 minutes
Getting an early start before challengers throw their hat in the ring gives me an opportunity to take a closer look at the incumbent for the congressional position up for (re)election this fall. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S Constitution outlines the responsibilities of a congressman, so as I evaluate Representative McDermott's track record, I at least have a basis of understanding what he was hired to do in the first place.
The next thing I did was take a look at his website:
http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/index.shtml
Within this site on the left hand column I was able to drill down to the legislative issues that he had been involved with and get a read on his position. The legislative menu divides itself into five areas of responsibility and this is where my work begins.
Getting an early start before challengers throw their hat in the ring gives me an opportunity to take a closer look at the incumbent for the congressional position up for (re)election this fall. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S Constitution outlines the responsibilities of a congressman, so as I evaluate Representative McDermott's track record, I at least have a basis of understanding what he was hired to do in the first place.
The next thing I did was take a look at his website:
http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/index.shtml
Within this site on the left hand column I was able to drill down to the legislative issues that he had been involved with and get a read on his position. The legislative menu divides itself into five areas of responsibility and this is where my work begins.
Naturally, there are numerous House resolutions so I will have to make a selection within this catalogue of those issues that resonate with me on some level. The page, entitled U.S. House of Representatives Roll Call Votes is identified by the congressional session (ex. 1st session, 2009) of the 111th Congress. What are helpful on this page are the category columns, including
- the date of the resolution
- the issue number
- a summary of the question (or issue)
- the result (i.e. pass or fail)
- a title/description field which may provide more clarity on the question
Once I go behind this curtain I am faced with the grueling task of trying navigate through a multitude of links relating to the resolution. This begs the question, how much information do I need to satisfy my research? How far will it be necessary to drill down to understand the measure, the circumstances behind it and the supporting information before I feel I can make an informed decision?
It becomes obvious rather quickly that this answer will vary on a case by case basis. It also clearly emphasizes the need to do the best job possible in electing people into office and this year I plan to do a more thorough job than I ever have in the past.
Possible Resources
time spent: 5 minutes
I was listening to the radio the other day and learned of a few websites that may be helpful in my research throughout this project. I must caution however that I have not yet researched these sites extensively and thus unable to post an evaluation regarding their objectivity:
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget http://crfb.org/about-us
U. S. Budget Watch http://usbudgetwatch.org/
Stimulus.org http://stimulus.org/
Peterson/Pew Commission on Budget Reform: http://budgetreform.org/
In addition, I heard of another site that supposedly is tracking the economic stimulus:
http://www.onvia.com/governmentstimulus/fp/default.aspx
The above site also linked to another that supposedly tracks the economic recovery projects on a state-by-state basis.
http://www.recovery.org/
I was listening to the radio the other day and learned of a few websites that may be helpful in my research throughout this project. I must caution however that I have not yet researched these sites extensively and thus unable to post an evaluation regarding their objectivity:
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget http://crfb.org/about-us
U. S. Budget Watch http://usbudgetwatch.org/
Stimulus.org http://stimulus.org/
Peterson/Pew Commission on Budget Reform: http://budgetreform.org/
In addition, I heard of another site that supposedly is tracking the economic stimulus:
http://www.onvia.com/governmentstimulus/fp/default.aspx
The above site also linked to another that supposedly tracks the economic recovery projects on a state-by-state basis.
http://www.recovery.org/
Moving On
time spent: 0 minutes
I didn't record any time to this post because I didn't actually do any research since my last post; instead I spent time considering the question put before me on Initiative 1068. When I first saw the initiative posted, I had expectations of something beyond a group of people wanting to legalize marijuana. I've been hearing through the media that some states like California might consider changing the laws in order to generate new revenue through sales taxes imposed on the 'product'. Not only that but based on what I had initially perceived to be the case in Amsterdam, I thought there would be some sort of regulations accompanying the measure to ensure that the product sold met certain 'standards'. What those would be I'm unsure of, but just as the tobacco industry got busted some years ago, it stands to reason that I would be equally concerned if an unsuspecting marijuana consumer bought a product that was laced with something else, perhaps more addictive.
In the absence of all those things, the question on the initiative so far appears straight forward: Do I want to lift restrictions of the cultivation, possession, sales and consumption of marijuana on individuals over the age of 18? It seems simple, but what happens if/when it passes? Would the State automatically apply associated laws as a consequence or would they have to introduce subsequent ballot measures? I'm interested in the consequence of this measure passing beyond what is written in the text of the proposed initiative.
In the meantime, until this becomes a formal ballot item, there is really nothing further to research other than my own personal views on what I believe the impact would be in passing this measure. Certainly I can research more on the medical effects of marijuana, but there are just as many arguments for as there are against. This project is not meant to deliver a dissertation on the medical effects of marijuana, so I will leave that to others to pursue at their own discretion. Thus, for all intents and purposes my research on this initiative has, at least for now, come to a close.
I didn't record any time to this post because I didn't actually do any research since my last post; instead I spent time considering the question put before me on Initiative 1068. When I first saw the initiative posted, I had expectations of something beyond a group of people wanting to legalize marijuana. I've been hearing through the media that some states like California might consider changing the laws in order to generate new revenue through sales taxes imposed on the 'product'. Not only that but based on what I had initially perceived to be the case in Amsterdam, I thought there would be some sort of regulations accompanying the measure to ensure that the product sold met certain 'standards'. What those would be I'm unsure of, but just as the tobacco industry got busted some years ago, it stands to reason that I would be equally concerned if an unsuspecting marijuana consumer bought a product that was laced with something else, perhaps more addictive.
In the absence of all those things, the question on the initiative so far appears straight forward: Do I want to lift restrictions of the cultivation, possession, sales and consumption of marijuana on individuals over the age of 18? It seems simple, but what happens if/when it passes? Would the State automatically apply associated laws as a consequence or would they have to introduce subsequent ballot measures? I'm interested in the consequence of this measure passing beyond what is written in the text of the proposed initiative.
In the meantime, until this becomes a formal ballot item, there is really nothing further to research other than my own personal views on what I believe the impact would be in passing this measure. Certainly I can research more on the medical effects of marijuana, but there are just as many arguments for as there are against. This project is not meant to deliver a dissertation on the medical effects of marijuana, so I will leave that to others to pursue at their own discretion. Thus, for all intents and purposes my research on this initiative has, at least for now, come to a close.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Marijuana Reform Act - Initiative No. 1068
time spent: 25 minutes
I have chosen this initiative as part of this project because I am aware that some states are considering this option as a means of increasing revenue (and closing budget gaps) through taxes associated with the sale of marijuana. I don't use marijuana so I have no personal motivation for approving the initiative; at the same time I really don't know where I stand on the matter of legalizing the substance as I've heard sound arguments from both sides of the issue.
To start my own research on the topic, I downloaded the full text of the initiative being proposed: http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/text/i1068.pdf. Basically, this initiative is drafted to legalize the rights of persons 18 years or older to growing, transporting, selling or smoking the drug. What I am still looking for is the information that I would need to accompany this proposition, such as who regulates the 'quality' of marijuana being sold; where can marijuana be sold; will it be taxed; where can it be smoked, etc.
To get some background on the 'success' of legalizing marijuana, I turned to Amsterdam, where marijuana is considered a 'soft drug' and the substance is legalized on a limited level. Here is one of the sites I looked to: http://www.amsterdam.info/drugs/. I expected to find more clear cut guidance, but instead found that the laws are somewhat lax. For example, production, trade and stock of marijuana is still a criminal offense, which basically turns a blind side to where the marijuana is sourced in the first place. I did learn that only limited amounts can be in stock and sold on a per transaction basis and advertising the product is banned, but I still don't have all the parts of the puzzle in place. I need to sort out whether my concerns are one of safety, of health, of taxes or something else. In other words, what difference does legalizing marijuana make in my life, or am I simply casting a vote on behalf of someone else?
This site offers a bit more regarding Amsterdam and the guidelines for marijuana use: http://www.amsterdamescape.com/Drugs.html
I have chosen this initiative as part of this project because I am aware that some states are considering this option as a means of increasing revenue (and closing budget gaps) through taxes associated with the sale of marijuana. I don't use marijuana so I have no personal motivation for approving the initiative; at the same time I really don't know where I stand on the matter of legalizing the substance as I've heard sound arguments from both sides of the issue.
To start my own research on the topic, I downloaded the full text of the initiative being proposed: http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/text/i1068.pdf. Basically, this initiative is drafted to legalize the rights of persons 18 years or older to growing, transporting, selling or smoking the drug. What I am still looking for is the information that I would need to accompany this proposition, such as who regulates the 'quality' of marijuana being sold; where can marijuana be sold; will it be taxed; where can it be smoked, etc.
To get some background on the 'success' of legalizing marijuana, I turned to Amsterdam, where marijuana is considered a 'soft drug' and the substance is legalized on a limited level. Here is one of the sites I looked to: http://www.amsterdam.info/drugs/. I expected to find more clear cut guidance, but instead found that the laws are somewhat lax. For example, production, trade and stock of marijuana is still a criminal offense, which basically turns a blind side to where the marijuana is sourced in the first place. I did learn that only limited amounts can be in stock and sold on a per transaction basis and advertising the product is banned, but I still don't have all the parts of the puzzle in place. I need to sort out whether my concerns are one of safety, of health, of taxes or something else. In other words, what difference does legalizing marijuana make in my life, or am I simply casting a vote on behalf of someone else?
This site offers a bit more regarding Amsterdam and the guidelines for marijuana use: http://www.amsterdamescape.com/Drugs.html
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