Living Week by Week

I was going to write about my outrage at Congressional committees using their new power to politicize absolutely everything. I swear I saw the links at the top of the House Committee on Judiciary had the usual headings 'Home', 'About Us', 'Legislation', 'Publications', and also 'The Failed Stimulus'.

But now I cannot find it. Maybe it was hacked. Maybe there are right-wing hackers out there as well as any other kind.

Well what about the next continuing resolution, and its 3-week timeframe (funding the federal government after 3/18, when the current 2-week one expires, and all the way out to 4/8). Is that progress? If they gain a new week each time, we can go to 4 weeks next time, then 5, and only 16 more iterations later we will have gotten through the entire fiscal year (to 9/30).

Actually only 5 more iterations will be needed, please don't try this math at home, it is only for policy professionals. Your blog warranty will expire if you try this, so be forewarned.

Maybe this is the way a revenue-starved government behaves. I didn't understand that before, but people who live day to day, without a steady job, really can't plan ahead. One of my managers used to work at DHS, social service agency. There was a job training program that allowed recipients to save for their education. Most of the 'saved' money in their accounts went unused. They just didn't get the concept.

So, since our federal government is broke, how shall we deal with this? Shall we all offer to help, 1000 points of light style, to offer to fix the potholes in our own neighborhood? Maybe hold a bakesale to build a bomber (just where *is* my t-shirt collection anyhow!). Have town hall meetings, New England style, to decide whether to invest in a new fire engine, or hand out welfare checks?

Is this a chance for community engagement? Or just living day to day. While the bureaucrats in Washington come up with master policy plans, as long as they can slice and dice them to fund them several weeks at a time.