Goldtent TA Paradise

IS THERE AN ETF FOR THIS ?

1. Fullgoldcrown says:

   December 22, 2024 - 9:48 am at 9:48 am

   Biden wasn’t the only politician not doing their job this week. This is getting ridiculous. This record-smashing month featured the senescent Republican leader of the Senate and the geriatric Democrat leader in the House both falling and getting serious senior injuries, while just walking around, within days of each other. But yesterday, the Year Beyond Description delivered more, embodied in an unscriptable tragi-comic Daily Mail headline: “‘Missing’ GOP Congresswoman Kay Granger found living in Texas assisted living facility for dementia patients.”

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   What. The. Heck. On the plus side, the GOP’s longest-serving Representative Kay Granger (R-Tx.), 81, has been very much enjoying her new home recently. On the minus side, she’s enjoyed it so much she hasn’t shown up for work lately at the House of Representatives and has missed a few votes. Technically, she missed all the votes since July, when she was last seen in the Capitol.

   To be completely honest, it turns out Kay hasn’t shown up for work at all, in six months. She has a very good reason. And that reason is the same reason for her new home and everything else: Kay’s new living arrangement is with Traditions Memory Care in Forth Worth, Texas.

   Kay likes it so much a Traditions, she already can’t remember living anywhere else.

   That is the tragic part of this tragi-comedy. And, before you ask: yes. Yes she did, right out of the gate. Forbes headline, January 2021:

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   The covid shots have been linked to neurological injury. Here’s one published study. Here’s another one. I’m just saying.

   The comedic part begins with Kay’s official legislative X account, which has been fraudulently tweeting away, in fine Weekend-at-Bernie’s fashion, right up till two days ago when the story broke. It seems unlikely Kay has been tweeting from Traditions, in between water walking, music hour, and art time.

   Perhaps we can find a clue in what is destined to be the very last post on Kay’s X account:

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   Somebody needs to round up those smiley interns and ask them a few questions.

   Lest we get carried away, it’s not like the world has been teetering on the brink of an apocalyptic world war, or the Republican majority in the House razor-thin, or the Representatives have been voting on critical issues like stopping bone-chilling Porkulous bills or anything. And it’s not like Kay chaired a critical committee like Appropriations or anything (oh, wait). No.

   If any of that stuff was happening, the coverup of Kay’s “special vacation” would be downright criminal.

   It seems redundant to say it, but Corporate media is useless. The story of Congresswoman missing for six months was broken by local Texas media. Intrepid Dallas Express reporter Carlos Turcios actually followed up on a rumor. After his calls went unanswered, Carlos flew to DC, and found Kay’s deserted office mothballed. The investigative reporter heard that Representative Granger had been involuntarily committed, after being found “wandering, lost and confused” around Forth Worth. Then he surveyed local memory care centers, and when he hit Traditions, the staff confirmed “this is her home now.”

   My goodness. Where to start? The double injuries of Pelosi and the Turtle were bad enough. But this Kay Granger story makes Congress looks worse than ever. The entire House of Representatives is practically a memory care center at this point. I can get losing their lunch ticket or their cell phone. But how could they lose a whole Congresswoman?

   The truth is, a lot of people had to know about Kay’s cognitive problems and the fact she wasn’t working. The politicians and their staffs are obviously covering for each other. It’s probably because most of them —especially the party leaders— are aging and doing poorly themselves. This culture of official corruption must stop. After the first ethical concession, the road to Hell starts resembling a greasy Slip-n-Slide.

   Next, Kay Granger’s staff, or whoever has been faking her X account, may soon need to become more “justice-involved.” An example needs to be made. At a minimum, they should have reported Kay’s AWOL status to someone.

   Finally, the biggest problem is that the rules are so rigged to favor incumbents that literal mental patients can get re-elected so long as they enjoy party support. (Joe Biden is Exhibit A.) We desperately need term limits, to pry the human barnacles out of Congress. Let them serve for 10 or 12 years and then return to the private sector, where they must live with the rules and laws they helped pass.

   This isn’t normal. An eye-opening chart was making the rounds yesterday:

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   How did this happen? While I’m sure there are plenty of 70+ folks who can serve well, it doesn’t seem like there should be so many as to make up 25% of the entire Congress. One reason is that running for office takes a sky-high level of energy and stamina that you don’t usually find in seasoned citizens (Trump being a great example of an exception to this rule).

   The problem isn’t only the ancient lawmakers. And it isn’t even an age issue. That’s just a symptom. Maybe even more culpable than the seat-squatters are the parties, which are so bent on making the numbers that they almost always support incumbents —no matter what— and almost always discourage primary challengers.

   We seriously need to get back to merit.

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2. Columbia says:

   December 22, 2024 - 10:19 am at 10:19 am

   Once a Congress critter gets elected, the Lobby groups work their magic and weed out the non-conformers. Those that are the most compliant and play the game are rewarded with re-election and showered with goodies until they are wheel-chaired out the door. Why should they leave?

   If term limits, insider trading and restrictions on working for industry once they retire are not addressed under Trump’s term, we will get more of the same. Nothing will change. Many times it is a younger healthy spouse who steps in and covers for them. They enjoy the perks too.

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