tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post8965068547942220231..comments2024-03-27T15:44:43.564-08:00Comments on What Do I Know?: Gun Lobby Example: Here's Why The Public Interest Regularly Gets SabotagedStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-76170041822445010242019-08-10T12:38:24.143-08:002019-08-10T12:38:24.143-08:00Kathy, today's monthly CCL meeting was a direc...Kathy, today's monthly CCL meeting was a direct answer to your pessimism here. I'm going to post about it because it's an issue for a lot more people - feelings of powerlessness on things like this. In the meantime you can watch the meeting here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnQl9pikHIQ&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnQl9pikHIQ&feature=youtu.be</a> The intro starts about 3:30 and 's talk begins about 5:00. But you might want to listen to the first minutes anyway. I hope you'll find it as empowering as I did. Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-77683601384178148062019-08-10T04:38:07.729-08:002019-08-10T04:38:07.729-08:00I'll buy the champagne when that bill passes! ...I'll buy the champagne when that bill passes! Which will be right after my own dear senator lets the Senate consider protecting our elections from Russian hacking. <br /><br />I doubt whether the time is ever going to be ripe under our current setup, for climate change legislation, for gun control, for healthcare reform, for immigration, for whatever needs to be done. The system is broken.<br /><br />I hate to be a pessimist -- against my nature -- but there's little to make me feel good about how our government is being poisoned by the special interests, the racists, the demagogues.kathy in KYnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-53944439125518346362019-08-09T15:32:41.733-08:002019-08-09T15:32:41.733-08:00It's not easy now, but CCL has a carbon fee an...It's not easy now, but CCL has a carbon fee and dividend bill (HR 763). The Climate Solutions Caucus has about 70 members including 22 Republicans. You can't give up on the important stuff. When the time is ripe, CCL has everything ready to go. All the research has been done and it's clear this is the best feasible way to cut the most carbon. Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-73899113573312704932019-08-09T13:36:46.125-08:002019-08-09T13:36:46.125-08:00Steve, I wish you were right that the citizens lob...Steve, I wish you were right that the citizens lobby model would work, but I don't think it will. (Case in point: despite the excellent lobbying effort, no carbon fee/dividend law is even a gleam in any lawmaker's eye.)<br /><br />One problem is that lobbying FOR something is a lot harder than lobbying AGAINST. People say they want something done about gun control but what? Republicans are (maybe) backing red flag laws, but many say that's just a band-aid. But what should we be lobbying for? Ban automatic weapons? Prohibitive tax on ammo? More background checks? No private gun sales at gun shows? etc, etc, etc, with proponents disagreeing among themselves as to what would be effective, what would be feasible, what would be possible. Meanwhile the NRA just has to say "no" to whatever is proposed and keep making contributions to congressional campaign funds.<br /><br />I was a committed member of the League of Women Voters for decades until I came to believe that there is no room in our current political system for "the informed participation of citizens in government," LWV's mantra. I think our system of representative government is fatally flawed unless we can find a way, through constitutional amendment or Ebola hitting the Supreme Court, to overturn Citizens United. kathy in KYnoreply@blogger.com