Another government shutdown - Utah Senator’s Mike Lee and Mitt Romney Support the ridiculousness of a border wall with Mexico.
Folks, as a former international border security authority with the U.S. Department of State, I have written why the border wall is ridiculous (see www.utahbullmooseparty.com platform), and it’s inevitable that history will prove me right on this. And, though its not my normal behavior to demonize our elected Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, I will take a momentary leave from my efforts to exercise good form, which I sincerely apologize for in this article, and beg your forgiveness up front and vent a little today.
Senator Mike Lee is quoted 3 days ago:
Senator Mike Lee: “Securing our nation’s borders is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government. Five billion dollars for border security efforts that will save lives is a very reasonable request, and I hope Democrats will end this spending impasse soon.”
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 22, 2018 (https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/12/22/shutdown-continues-utahs/)
Really Mike?! Is the wall an effective use of $5B we don’t have, for a threat you deem so urgent that you support shutting down the government for? What about our deficit and debt? Ah, yes, I forget… perhaps you seek re-election and must avoid worrying about those matters which are not politically expedient? My bad. Mike, Teddy would accuse you of sitting on the fence.
And Mitt Romney continues to support Donald Trump on the border wall too, as Mitt must since his leader, President Trump, insists on it. Eh, carpet bagging sometimes becomes a burdensome cross to bear when you sell your soul to get what you want – painful I suppose. Though, throwing Mitt a bone, in his heart of hearts, I believe Senator Romney also does not approve of President Trump’s constituency pandering campaign promise of building a $5 billion dollar physical border wall, which President Trump originally, and ridiculously, said Mexico would pay for – HA! And, which underscores why Senator Romney falls a tad short of being the kind of leader with the courage we need to move us forward. Sorry Mitt, I really like you… I wish you would reach a little deeper though.
Senator Mitt Romney: “For me, it’s whatever is an effective physical barrier," he said. (https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/10/15/immigration-mitt-romney/). Com’on Senator Romney, stop walking the fence, you always get right up close to the finish line, but you just can’t muster the will and strength to cross it. What would Teddy Roosevelt say about you?!
As I wrote on October 25th, 2018, regarding the wall in my piece: “Current National Political Environment – A Report Card”
“A better answer is empowered and well-funded modern border management infrastructure and immigration law (both nationally and internationally with our neighbors). Sure, waste the money, embrace the unfavorable optics of what America is and stands for, and build a physical wall if that’s an itch that just must be scratched. Then, let’s get on with intelligent and modern techniques of border control and immigration policy – before more unintended consequences such as the South and Central American “Caravan” approaching our southern border festers out of control and provides America another punch in the nose we could have avoided.”
A prediction if the U.S. wastes another penny, little lone $5 billion dollars it must borrow to fund the wall: Some time not too distant from now, after President Trump fades into history, you’ll see a piece in one of the national news sources about the decaying wall that President Trump created a national non-emergency on, and shut the U.S. government down for during the Christmas 2018. The piece will show a wall in disrepair and falling down since annual congressional budgets simply will not opt to spend thel millions of dollars in maintenance money for an ineffective barrier at the expense of more effective modern approaches to border management. And we’ll say collectively, but in quiet, “uh, yeah, that was kind of embarrassing.” The question is, will we have learned anything?
As for the federal employees that are furloughed during this Christmas, not to worry. If you’re a federal employee, history has shown us that each government shutdown is merely a vacation that pays the federal employees in arrears after the shutdown is resolved - with more debt money - a great gig if you can get it. In fact, maybe we should not call these government shutdowns at all, maybe we should call them “Paid Holiday Furloughs?” I want a paid shutdown too!!! Where’s my paid shutdown!!! I know, I know, if I were so smart, then why am I not on the same gravy train… my bad!
As for our elected officials in Congress, furloughs do not affect their continued pay (https://www.washingtonpost.com/ “Congress gets paid during a shutdown, while staffers don’t. Here’s why.” By Brad Plumer). I wonder, how does your elected official feel about taking money during a “Paid Holiday Furlough?” Personally, I would be ashamed (www.utahbullmooseparty).
So, we collectively sigh and lament, we do little beyond a passing thought, and allow our leaders to continue to grow the national deficit and debt without concern since few of us feel any personal accountability, threat, or relationship with the difficult to relate to abstraction U.S. debt has become – but in fact there remains, a looming crisis we ignore at our peril.
Man, if I were a senator whose found himself out of his league, I would at least be on the record as trying to do something about it with every position I took! Ah, let the insanity reign.
Hmmm, on second thought, maybe I could transform The Mad Moose Cafe into a border wall maintenance contracting company? With the profits I could make repairing the wall, a profitable business infinitum, I could comfortably retire someplace safe while those less fortunate figure out how to pay me for my wall repair services with a diminishing foreign supplied credit line. Ow… somebody stop me, that hurts!!!
Thank you, Senator’s from Utah.
And while our enemies laugh at us as they supply us the opioids, we call national deficits and debts, our “leaders” worry little since when the piper comes calling, they know they will be long gone.
Folks, this is not leadership.
Let’s get on with it: Utah Bull Moose Party – 2022.