Lifestyles of the rich and famous congress

First published in Blasting News:

Millionaire congress lavishes on their month-long vacation as Donald Trump visits the hellholes they’ve made in Milwaukee, Detroit and Baton Rouge

Congress is enjoying a month-long vacation while Louisiana is under water, Detroit is poisoned and Milwaukee is burning.  Yes, it’s a good life if you can get it.  With the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since Hurricane Sandy President Barack Obama and congress are languishing on yet another extended vacation.  They are unwilling to address the problems facing our nation, and they are many. 

Job protection

And, why should they it’s not as though they have to worry about re-election.  After redistricting the country to ensure they can’t be booted out by an angry electorate our pampered, coddled politicians feel entitled to a lengthy vacation.  Sure they’ve had trips paid for by private interests to vacation destinations available to the rich and famous but that’s business baby.  Greased palms, insider trading, quid pro quos it’s all legal for congressional members and their staff.   Like Paul Ryan said, there’s makers and then there’s takers.

Congress engorges their billionaire donors who give millions to their campaigns and receive trillions in return.  Where does the money come from you may ask?  Stealing from pension funds, making trillions off student loan debt and slashing healthcare and nutritional assistance.  And the American people, they are the takers, they have no choice but to just take it.

No accountability

Think you can vote the bums out?  Think again.  Paul Ryan can slash Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, guaranteed pension benefits worry free when it comes to his re-election.  According to Urban Milwaukee, “Ryan’s district Ryan’s district includes the Milwaukee County communities of Oak Creek, Franklin, Hales Corners and Greendale.”

The 2010 redistricting has Milwaukee County chopped up into four districts, effectively diluting the minority vote.  The voter ID law passed by Wisconsin GOP has disenfranchised blacks and Hispanics in Milwaukee.  But for white, privileged citizens like Ryan the voter ID law is no problem.  If Ryan can’t find his ID to cast a ballot he can get a new one at the Register of Deeds office, four blocks from his 5,796 square foot Georgian Revival mansion in downtown Janesville.

Trump visits Milwaukee, Baton Rouge and Detroit

While Paul Ryan languished on vacation as Milwaukee burned, Donald Trump visited Milwaukee.  As Barack Obama enjoys another taxpayer funded vacation golfing in Martha’s Vineyard, Donald Trump was touring flood-battered Louisiana.  Trump, reaching out to the black community in Detroit said, “What do you have to lose?” Trump asked.  “You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, fifty-eight percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?” 

But the media chose to fixate on the small number of people of color in the audience of 3,000. Kendrick Hodge, an African-American who attended Trump’s rally rejects media claims Trump is racist.  “What has he done that’s racist? What has he done that’s bigoted?” asked Hodge going on to say, “Just because other people say it don’t mean you repeat it. You’ve gotta have some proof.” 

According to David Wasserman of Cook Political Report, the GOP has the House so rigged through redistricting it is impossible for the GOP to lose, the redistricting was built to withstand even a landslide loss.  So if you are drowning in Louisiana, poisoned in Detroit or living in Apartied Milwaukee, you’re shit out of luck. For our rich and famous congress, you don’t exist. 

By Patricia Baeten