Brakes Still on Transportation Bill

Despite an undisputed need and the prospect of thousands of construction jobs, Congress continues to struggle with legislation that would unlock funding for highway, mass transit and bike projects across the nation.

Authorization for federal surface transportation projects expired the end of 2009. Congress is now working against a June 30 deadline of the ninth extension of that statute, known as SAFETEA-LU. 

A 47-member House-Senate conference committee, which includes Oregon Congressmen Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer and Washington Congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler, is only debating a 15-month reauthorization. Most of the "debate" is being handled so far by professional staffers and a handful of conservative House members, who have rained on the idea of any compromise.

Many wonder how transportation ended up in such a partisan stand-off. House Republicans attached an amendment to approve the Keystone oil pipeline. The Senate added language to create a competitive grant program to pay for downtown redevelopment, trails, bike lanes and sidewalks.

The pending reauthorization would establish a $1 billion fund to finance projects of national significance, such as the new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River. But even if the reauthorization manages to pass, Congress hasn't agreed on a revenue source for the mega-project fund. House GOP conservatives have voiced dissatisfaction that there is any funding in the bill.

Major interest groups are pressuring Congress to act, but there are mixed views inside Capitol Hill political caucuses. Some think it is better to extend the current transportation statute for the 10th time and angle for a much better bill in the next Congress. There are different views on what constitutes a better bill.

Click to read more ...

Shoe Leather and Good Ideas

NPR's Planet Money segment carried a recent piece focusing on how fundraising affects access to Members of Congress. Money is a factor in the political world of Washington, D.C., but don't underestimate the old-fashioned values of shoe leather and a good idea.

Planet Money reporters interviewed former lobbyist Jimmy Williams who recalled an incident where a congressman questioned why he should me with Williams or his principals after they had failed to respond to his campaign contribution solicitation.

Working Capitol Hill may not be that politically raw all the time, but money does talk in the halls of Congress, just as it does anywhere else.

If you don't have lots of loot, your best options are hard work and clear thinking.

Most federal lobbying is conducted with fact sheets and field trips, not briefcases full of cash.

Good lobbyists work with their clients, which can rang from big corporations to local cities and towns, to sharpen their agendas, making sure their asks are reasonable and fit the times.

For example, you can save the plane fare to Washington, D.C. to plead for an appropriations earmark. They are so last Congress.

Click to read more ...

Congressional Republicans Out-tweet Democrats

More Congressional Republicans are on Facebook than Democrats and GOP lawmakers tweet more often than their counterparts across the political aisle.

According to a survey conducted by the Associated Press, 86 percent of House Republicans tweet compared to just 75 percent of Democrats. Forty-one of the 47 Senate Republicans and 41 of the 51 Senate Democrats tweet. Eight of 10 members in both the House and Senate use Facebook and Twitter.

Not surprisingly, congressional tweeting has its skeptics. Some social media experts say lawmakers miss the point of this interactive space by trying to push messages instead of engaging with people, especially millennials — young adults between 18 and 29 whom AP says "practically live online."The Pew Internet and American Life Project says one third of Americans in the millennial age group seek to connect with their governmental officials online.

"I want it to be something that's going to be valid to me as an 18-year-old, as a new voter," says Emily Bartone, a student at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. "They can talk and talk and talk about whatever their agenda is, but if they don't personalize it to their views and their audience, then they're not going to get anywhere with it."

Heather Smith of Rock the Vote tells AP, "Have a real conversation. Talk about the issues and engage them in authentic ways. Be yourself, use the technology and people will write back."

The shadow of former Congressman Andrew Wiener getting way too personal in his tweets still looms over the Capitol, but federal lawmakers seem to be opening up to the possibilities afforded online. Some are holding online townhall meetings. The House Republican caucus held an online group townhall called "America Speaking Out."

Click to read more ...

Summer Reading: What's in Our Constitution?

As of today (August 22), the 2012 Presidential and General Election is 442 days away. Do we have the “constitution” to make it all the way given what we’ve already witnessed?

Pun aside, how well do we and the many candidates vying for office understand the fundamental governing principles set forth by the Founding Brothers more than 200 years ago? The average American’s understanding of the U.S. Constitution is limited.

“Fewer people than you may think have actually read or heard the Constitution,” observes Deaver Brown, narrator of “The United States Constitution,” by James Madison.

So, add to your summer reading list this short reading of the Constitution and a few basic facts about the birth of the ”supreme law” of the land. “United States Constitution” (Simple Magazine, Inc.) may be downloaded for $1.95 through iTunes, Amazon and other book sources.

The audiobook may be listened to In almost the same time — 37 minutes ­— it takes a MAX light rail train to travel from the Beaverton Transit Center to Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland.

Brown stresses reading and rereading the book as an economic and productive use of time. It is something all of us should do before much more of the campaign season passes. This is a good time to get grounded in the basic rules guiding our republic. The book is easy listening. Considered the primary author of the Constitution, Madison’s 18th Century lawyerly language surprisingly is clear and precise.

Not counting the first 10 amendments (the Bill of Rights), the Constitution has only been changed 17 times. It is remarkable to think how much has changed in the world since the Constitution became law, says Brown, but how so little has changed in this document.

Click to read more ...

Starbucks CEO Urges Contribution Boycott

From his Seattle office, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has seen enough and is leading what amounts to a boycott of political contributions until Congress and President Obama work out a plan that restores faith in the American economy.

"Right now, our economy is frozen in a cycle of fear and uncertainty," Schultz wrote this week to other corporate leaders. "Companies are afraid to hire. Consumers are afraid to spend. Banks are afraid to lend."

"Our national elected officials from both parties have failed to lead," he says. "They have chosen to put partisan and ideological purity over the wellbeing of the people. They have undermined the full faith and credit of the United States. They have stirred up fears about our economic prospects without doing anything to truly address those fears."

Schultz said the way to get the attention of politicians is to cut off campaign contributions. "We invite leaders of businesses — indeed all concerned Americans — to join us in this pledge."

The initial communication was an email to 3,000 publicly traded companies. Apparently officials at U.S. stock exchanges forwarded the letter to a broader audience, where his appeal appeared to gain traction. While Starbucks isn't a major political contributor, Schultz' call to action could catch on and hit political figures where it hurts — their campaign war chests.

Click to read more ...