The not-so-long hot summer

Posted

Our summers tend to all be alike. They start out with the July Fourth celebrations, and before the blink of an eye we’re into August, when everyone complains about how fast the clock is moving. For a handful of people in the political world, this is the summer of blame, shame and credit. While everyone else is trying to get some free time, the political world is immersed in its frenzy to get the attention of almost no one.

There is no place worse than Washington, D.C. The current Congress is no doubt the most useless one in the past 100 years, absorbed with sound bites, verbal attacks and pure nastiness. No matter where you look, you’ll find some senator or House member beating up on someone and totally ignoring the few priorities that must be faced before their adjournment for the summer.

Mothers and children are pouring over the borders, seeking refuge from drug gangs and poverty. Something must be done to get them either deported or resettled, but a small group of our elected officials keep insisting that they “don’t want to give the president a blank check.” Maybe something will get done this week, but the obstructionists may stop anything from happening, and meanwhile the people will keep on coming over the border.

In Washington there’s no time for work, just mischief. The District of Columbia has the misfortune of being under the jurisdiction of Congress, which uses the city as a full-time punching bag. Its jails are loaded with people accused of possessing small amounts of marijuana. The city wants to concentrate on arresting killers, and Congress is upset that somebody with a tiny amount of pot is walking the streets. Back here in Brooklyn, the district attorney has stated that he won’t prosecute these minor offenders, but Congress has nothing else to do but meddle.

Page 1 / 2