I had to go back into history to find out what I now know about CZARs. Give Obama a break on this one. He was NOT the first president to use CZARs to help him run the country. Actually, it was Roosevelt, who first used them. And, then they were referred to as "dictators". Nixon even had them and since he did not like the term "dictators", he referred to them as CZARs.
So shut up you right wing hooligans. Again, Obama did not start this one, he just expanded on the idea. Last count I heard was he had about 34 CZARs running around the country. Don't ask me who they all are and how much they make or what they do. But, I have an idea on one thing, bet you they make more money than you or I.
In my schools days, I was taught and under the impression that "checks and balances" were part of our Constitution. Our Founding Fathers very much wanted it this way for a specific reason, "so that no branch of the government became more powerful than the other". I would think that no branch of Government would want to give up even some of "their own powers" to the other for that very reason.
Congress is the branch of government that controls the "purse strings" - so to speak. If they want answers on anything happening, all they have to do is ask for a "report" and they must get answers. What they do with the answers is another question. And, if they do not get answers, they can choose to halt funding. The Constitution fully gives them this authority and Congress has exercised this authority on numerous occasions throughout our history. I believe I am correct on this!
Now, members of the presidents cabinet (these folks are confirmed by the Congress) must also provide answers to the Congress. I worked for the government for over 35 years and even I would be required to give them a report, if they asked. That's how it works.
The president, on the other hand, does not answer to Congress nor do members of the "Executive Branch". All they have to do is evoke the magic words "Executive Privilege". Presidents have successfully argued this privilege from the beginning of our country's founding (Eisenhower's administration coined the term). Apparently, some CZARs are and some CZARs aren't members of the Executive Branch and feel immune to have to talk to congress. This should antagonize Congress! Who among us know them, who knows what they do, what powers they have? Not many I bet, but I bet you none of them feel compelled or want to talk to Congress!
I don't know what all this means to you or the Congress, but for me and I would like to know; members of Congress should know! As a taxpayer, I wanna know because I help pay everyone of their salaries. I think this CZAR issue may be the only one in our Government today to have total bi-partisan interest and support since members of both parties are scratching their heads!
I don't think I would mind it as much, if there were only a handful of CZARs, (other Presidents have had them during times of need) but 34, (oops! it just went up to 35) is something else all together.
I thought we were undergoing economic hard times. Hiring all these CZARs is like a business telling its staff to scale back on expenses and then the CEO goes out to hire 35 more VPs.
Perhaps, there is a bright spot to all this CZAR business stuff. Maybe hiring all of them is why the unemployment rate went from 9.4 to 9.2 percent just recently. Maybe, I'm reading way too much into all this. Maybe, Congress probably already knows the answers....maybe, ah, what the heck!~
So shut up you right wing hooligans. Again, Obama did not start this one, he just expanded on the idea. Last count I heard was he had about 34 CZARs running around the country. Don't ask me who they all are and how much they make or what they do. But, I have an idea on one thing, bet you they make more money than you or I.
In my schools days, I was taught and under the impression that "checks and balances" were part of our Constitution. Our Founding Fathers very much wanted it this way for a specific reason, "so that no branch of the government became more powerful than the other". I would think that no branch of Government would want to give up even some of "their own powers" to the other for that very reason.
Congress is the branch of government that controls the "purse strings" - so to speak. If they want answers on anything happening, all they have to do is ask for a "report" and they must get answers. What they do with the answers is another question. And, if they do not get answers, they can choose to halt funding. The Constitution fully gives them this authority and Congress has exercised this authority on numerous occasions throughout our history. I believe I am correct on this!
Now, members of the presidents cabinet (these folks are confirmed by the Congress) must also provide answers to the Congress. I worked for the government for over 35 years and even I would be required to give them a report, if they asked. That's how it works.
The president, on the other hand, does not answer to Congress nor do members of the "Executive Branch". All they have to do is evoke the magic words "Executive Privilege". Presidents have successfully argued this privilege from the beginning of our country's founding (Eisenhower's administration coined the term). Apparently, some CZARs are and some CZARs aren't members of the Executive Branch and feel immune to have to talk to congress. This should antagonize Congress! Who among us know them, who knows what they do, what powers they have? Not many I bet, but I bet you none of them feel compelled or want to talk to Congress!
I don't know what all this means to you or the Congress, but for me and I would like to know; members of Congress should know! As a taxpayer, I wanna know because I help pay everyone of their salaries. I think this CZAR issue may be the only one in our Government today to have total bi-partisan interest and support since members of both parties are scratching their heads!
I don't think I would mind it as much, if there were only a handful of CZARs, (other Presidents have had them during times of need) but 34, (oops! it just went up to 35) is something else all together.
I thought we were undergoing economic hard times. Hiring all these CZARs is like a business telling its staff to scale back on expenses and then the CEO goes out to hire 35 more VPs.
Perhaps, there is a bright spot to all this CZAR business stuff. Maybe hiring all of them is why the unemployment rate went from 9.4 to 9.2 percent just recently. Maybe, I'm reading way too much into all this. Maybe, Congress probably already knows the answers....maybe, ah, what the heck!~
The Crusty Retiree is staying busy I see!
ReplyDeleteEven more so than you can imagine....!
ReplyDelete