Democrats
Making Government Reforms Work, an Op-Ed (Political Party)
One of the largest issues hampering our ability to move forth on key issues like health care, immigration, and climate change is the fact that each time a bill is written, it is a huge omnibus bill. I will be frank here: I think any politician that says they agree with every point in the current health care legislation is a dirty, filthy liar.Would it not be better to draw up a series of bills each tackling a different part and path of health care reform? I think there are some solutions to the health care issue that we can agree on regardless of our party affiliation. Tort reform to help lower insurance costs for physicians and help to control the punitive sums that doctors are sued for when there's a suspicion of malpractice and granting permission for insurance companies to sell their policies across state lines to encourage greater competition between plans (and potentially to bring better plans to under-served areas) are two typical areas where I'm hearing both sides agreeing.
Sure, for you hardcore liberals it's not the public option, but let's be honest, it would help the health care system become more affordable to more people and likely cost individuals less.
These large, broad, omnibus acts are often dead in the water based on only a handful of their components, often leaving many that no one argues over because they just plain make sense (and cents!). If each component was it's own bill we could go further towards health care reform and do it at a speed and with measures that are more appealing not only to the politicians casting their votes in the House and Senate but to the general American public.
Furthermore, the amount of time and money spent arguing these large omnibus bills is obscene. If you want to talk about responsible government spending, let's just not waste our tax dollars paying for these politicians to argue legislation that is, truly, one size fits none. Additionally, these omnibus acts require exponentially more work by congressional staffers, more meetings, more media, and MORE MONEY.
I am tired of the government acting like the whole country is Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Citizen's lives and hard earned money aren’t to be wagered all or nothing, they're to be treated with consideration and respect.
Janet is a former Christine Mirzayan Science and Policy Graduate Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences and has a degree in economics and political science from Chatham University. She is presently a graduate student at Marshall University and a researcher for a national university transportation center. She lives in Huntington, West Virginia.
Tags: economics, government waste, political science, government reform, tax payers, democrats, republicans, politics, us politics
Goodbye, Senator Byrd ()
Today the United States says goodbye to the longest serving member of Congress of all time, West Virginia senator, one of my senators, Robert C. Byrd.
I am a “new” West Virginian, having lived in the Mountain state for less than two years, however the impact of Byrd is undeniable. A quick drive through the center of my city, Huntington, reveals the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Flexible Manufacturing, the Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center, the Robert C. Byrd Bridge, and the Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health. Sometimes referred to as the “King of Pork” or as “Big Daddy” he brought significant amounts of money and often consequently hope to this state that is shaped by it’s dramatic terrain, unpredictable weather, and unconditionally kind people.
Compared to many states, West Virginia is often considered to be a relic of times gone by. Progress has taken more time to reach the greatest depths of Appalachia, all of Appalachia. West Virginia is a state that has had little come easy to it. The terrain has still left many corners of this state isolated from modern technology or even modern conveniences. Annually floods sweep through the southern part of the state leaving many to start over again. But for as unforgiving as this state can seem, there’s been Robert Byrd.
Byrd understood the complexities that West Virginia faced. He fully understood the uniqueness and importance that West Virginia could have. He was an avid proponent of improving the transportation network in the state, an effort that helped open it up further to both tourism and industry. He recognized the challenges faced by rural populations in gaining adequate health care, and was a driving force behind rural health initiatives in Appalachia and beyond.
Byrd was not the perfect person and made mistakes, but he was also able to look back on these mistakes and express his apologies sincerely. And despite the mistakes he did make, he also worked hard to overcome them. For a person that once opposed the Civil Rights Act, Byrd came out as an early supporter for Obama. In the fall of 2008 I had the unique pleasure of hearing Byrd speak at a rally with Joe Biden in support of Barack Obama’s campaign. Despite his frailty, the power and command in his tone was strong, and the few thousand people that had gathered in downtown Charleston, WV remained completely silent throughout. It was an experience that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. It was simply electric.
And for everything he was in politics, he is also known well for being a wonderful, caring person. Indeed he married his high school sweetheart at 20-years-old in 1937 and they remained happily married until she passed away in 2006. Erma Byrd was the joy of his life, and his enduring relationship with her was often the envy of wives and husbands alike on the hill. He was well-known for sending her flowers and gifts, and always making time to take her out for dinner.
Imagining the future of West Virginia without Byrd is not easy. While there are decisions he’s made that I personally may not agree with, his impact on this state, Appalachia, and the United States is undeniable. There is this void now, and how it will be filled is a mystery to me.
But, I thank Robert C. Byrd from the depths of my heart for what he has done—as a politician, a scholar of the Constitution, a West Virginian, and a person.
As I tweeted this morning, “Truly a sad day for all West Virginians. Goodbye Robert Byrd, enjoy the rest of all time with Erma! And thank you!”
Tags: history, democrats, politics, wv, west virginia, robert c. byrd