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Martin County Journal
~LetterS to tHe edItor~ ‘Let’s now remove eight zeros and pretend it’s a household budget’
To the editor of the Martin County Journal, A year ago I wrote about the U.S. debt being $14.2 Trillion explaining it by comparing it to a person’s yearly salary. Today that debt is $15.2 trillion and the president wants another $1.2 trillion. Congress still has not passed a budget in two years because they can’t agree on budget cuts. U.S. Tax revenue - $2,300,000,000,000 Fed budget - $3,600,000,000,000 New debt - $1,300,000,000,000 National debt - $15,200,000,000,000 Recent budget cuts - $ 38,500,000,000 Let’s now remove eight zeros and pretend it’s a household budget: Annual family income - $23,000 Money the family spent - $36,000 New debt on the credit card - $13,000 Outstanding balance on the credit card $152,200 Total budget cuts - $385 Wanda Harding Shoals
‘A more rounded way to gauge Congress’ To the editor of the Martin County Journal, I suspect that most members of Congress will want to forget the year that just ended. The institution that symbolizes our democracy finished 2011 plumbing depths of unpopularity it has never experienced before. Its low approval ratings set records — suggesting, as Gallup put it, “that 2011 will be remembered as the year in which the American public lost much of any remaining faith in the men and women they elect and send off to Washington to represent them.” The poor jobs picture, the lurching from one brink-of-disaster deadline to the next, the polarization that keeps the parties from working together, the widespread sense that Congress is so dysfunctional it cannot meet the nation’s challenges — all play a role. So, I believe, does the nation’s political polarization: Whatever action Congress takes, some large portion of the electorate will disagree with it. These are all valid ways of judging Congress, but they are not the only way. Every year, the Center on Congress at Indiana University polls a group of congressional scholars on how they think the institution is doing, and one of the challenges we face
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is devising a set of questions that meaningfully probe Congress’s performance. It’s not as easy as you’d think. The historic mission of the Congress has been to maintain freedom, a goal whose achievement is impossible to measure in a year’s — or even a few years’ — time. Moreover, a well-functioning Congress has to operate on many fronts: as the legislative body representing a diverse nation, as a counter-balance to the President, as an overseer of the federal bureaucracy, as a forger of policy, as two separate institutions (Senate and House) that have to find common ground and uphold processes that allow each one to perform effectively. In other words, you have to look deeply at how Congress is operating in order to get a well-rounded picture. The first of Congress’s responsibilities is to protect its constitutional role as a strong, coequal branch of government. It must stand apart from and serve as a check upon the excesses of presidential power. So how well is it safeguarding its powers from presidential encroachment? Does it live up to its proper role in determining the federal budget? How’s it doing at oversight of the executive branch? Is it generating meaningful, politically sustainable policy alternatives, or just sitting back and letting the White House take all the political risks? Does it set the national agenda, or act timidly? And does it safeguard the war powers assigned it by the Constitution? Its second great role is to represent the American people. This means making sure that all voices get a fair hearing and that diverse viewpoints play a part in crafting initiatives — all while safeguarding institutional practices that allow legislation to move forward in a timely manner. Just as important, does Congress spend its time on key issues facing the country, or instead let itself get diverted by partisan concerns or by issues of importance only to wellheeled special interests? Third, in a country as politically and demographically varied as ours, negotiation and compromise are key to crafting legislation that can enjoy broad political support. To gauge whether Congress is following sound process, you would want to know several things. Are its leaders capable of working hard to forge a consensus? If they can’t, do conflicts over legislation represent substantive differences, or mere political game-playing? Does it balance careful deliberation with making decisions? Does it protect the rights of the minority and allow all points to be heard? Is it transparent — so that its members can be held accountable for their actions? Fourth, does Congress set sufficiently high standards for its individual members? That means keeping excessive partisanship in check and making sure its members are behaving ethically. Are members well-educated on the issues they must decide and capable of educating their constituents on them — in substantive ways, not with platitudes? And finally, how strong is the connection of members of Congress to their constituents back home? Do they understand their constituents and try to represent them in Washington? Do they make themselves accessible in a variety of settings, and speak out for their communities at times of need? Do they listen well and are they closely attuned to the core needs and interests of the people they represent? All of these questions add up to how well Congress represents the interests of the American people, and as always, it does better on some than on others. Despite its obvious troubles, the picture is not entirely bleak. And I can’t help but believe that the more well-rounded our understanding of where Congress falls short and where it performs well, the better we can hold it to account. Lee Hamilton Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
New Beginnings Church W eekly M essage
By ernIe CAneLL Pastor, New Beginnings Church It only takes a little Matthew 14:13-21 If you are a person that is far from God, whether you are a professed Christian or someone who just lives their everyday life without the consideration of who God is, you would be glad if you understood what God wants to do with your life. In the Story of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus wanted to show how He wants us to do something that is far beyond what we can think is possible for us to do. He has a task for everyone. First, is to know how much He cares. Jesus had compassion on the people who were following Him and didn’t want to send them away. He wanted the disciples to feed them. But they only looked at where they were at, how much money they had and how big the problem was. The task was humongous. Sometimes the task God gives us is way beyond our capacity. But God wants to show us that He is more than able to handle every situation. He is able to take the little we have and multiply it, so that the task is not only able to be completed but there will be an abundance left. He took 5 loaves and 2 fish and blessed them, thanked God for what they had, gave them back to the disciples and took care of the need. God likes to do that with us, if we will trust Him, thank Him for what He has already given us, He will give it back to us in abundance. It might be your life, your fam-
ily, your job, your relationships, whatever it might be, if you will trust God for your life and thank Him for what you have, He will take it and fill the need you have. We don’t thank God for the little things. It’s like the man who complained that he had no shoes till he seen the man with no feet. Too often we compare ourselves to someone else and think why can’t I have what they have, and we forget what we already have. But God wants to show us there is so much He can accomplish if we first give it to Him, know that He will use and multiply it and that through that, the task will be fulfilled and there will be plenty of leftovers. And leftovers are great when you are hungry. So maybe you are reading this and you feel like you are far away from God. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. He wants to have compassion on you and do awesome things with whatever little you have. At New Beginnings Community Church we are planning an audacious year. (My new word for this year, lol). God is going to take the little we have and fulfill many needs. Come join in the journey that God has planned, 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning is our praise time. Coming up is our Valentine dinner and movie, open to the public on February 10th at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available from any member of the church or at Printing Express. If you want to reconnect with God, call Pastor Ernie at 709-0258. Remember it only takes a little for God to do great things!
twin rivers to enroll students Twin Rivers will be visiting the area schools to highlight their program offerings for next school year (2012 – 2013) starting the week of January 30th. While at the schools, the instructors will explain their programs and answer questions for sophomore and juniors who can enroll in the programs. All of the Twin Rivers courses offer college credit for those interested. In addition some courses on the Vincennes University campus are open for enrollment in the technology area. An entire listing of programs can be found on the Twin Rivers web site: www.twinriversarea.org If a student might be interested in any of the programs, they should attend the presentation at their school. Every sophomore and junior should have received correspondence about the Twin Rivers staff visitation. An open house for prospective students and parents in Automotive Service Tech , Building Trades and Health Careers will be Thursday, February 16, 4:30 to 6 p.m. at
each of the classrooms. Current students and the instructor will be available for questions concerning the program during the open house. For students living in Daviess, Knox or Martin County the addresses for the programs are: Automotive Service Tech, 215 W South Street, Washington Building Trades, 4393 Horrall Road, Washington Health Careers, 1401 Memorial Ave, Washington Applications for Twin Rivers are due to the high school counselor by Friday, February 24. The applications may be picked up at the counselor’s office or on the Twin Rivers web site www.twinriversarea.org Twin Rivers will be at the following schools on Monday, January 30: Washington, Barr Reeve, Loogootee, and North Daviess On Wednesday, February 1: Lincoln, South Knox, and North Knox
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