Bits ‘n’ Pieces: July 1, 2021

By Lorraine H. Marie
Reader Columnist

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

As expected, even with a For the People Act re-crafted to appeal to Republicans, Republicans blocked it last week via filibuster. The blockage upholds Republicans’ vow to block all the president’s plans. The proposed Act included provisions for protecting the right to vote, ending partisan gerrymandering, limiting the influence of money on politics, and ethics rules for federal officeholders.

How to move past partisan gridlock: The Nation recently presented two ideas. One is to transition to a parliamentary system, with no president. The U.S. is the longest-running presidential democracy, but, The Nation says, the vast majority of advanced democracies have converted to parliamentary systems that are “less contentious and more productive.” Under a parliamentary system there are multiple parties, which often form coalition governments through compromise. The Nation explains that in a government with two opposing parties, there is “zero incentive” to support the president, since there is a strong tendency to jockey for ultimate control by undermining the opposing party, negating a work-together scenario that benefits all citizens.

The other idea presented by The Nation: Secession by Blue States, who currently pay more in federal taxes but get less in return. The Rockefeller Institute of Government, based on five years of stats, found that New York State taxpayers sent $142.6 billion more to the federal government than they received back. New Jersey received back 91% for every federal tax dollar they paid, and Connecticut had a return of 89%. That was compared to Mississippi which received $2.09 for every tax dollar paid to the federal government, Kentucky’s return of $2.89 and South Carolina’s return of $1.71 for every tax dollar paid. Not only are federal tax dollar returns lopsided, with blue states propping up red states, The Nation says the Senate’s filibuster rules, where 41 Senators can represent as little as 11% of the population, can result in any bill, no matter how popular, from failing to come to a vote.

CBS News: Health experts are contemplating the toxic mix of low vaccination rates in the U.S. and the COVID-19 Delta variant, which they say is 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant discovered in the U.K. Predictions are that the Delta variant will spark a third wave of the COVID pandemic, primarily impacting the unvaccinated.

President Biden recently presented his five-point proposal for addressing gun violence. NPR reported that includes a zero-tolerance policy for gun sellers who violate federal laws; more support for local law enforcement to help with typical summer crime increases; investing in community violence intervention programs; broadening summer employment and services, especially for teens and young adults; and helping the formerly incarcerated to successfully re-enter their communities.

Causes of the climate-change driven Pacific Northwest heat dome (also in parts of Europe, Scandinavia and Russia): a broad ridge of high pressure that brings lots of sun and sinking air, compounded by a low thermal trough that blocks cooling sea breezes, according to the Washington Post.

Close to four million people quit their jobs in April, a report in The New York Times says. Those quitting come from all spectrums of the employment scene. They have a wide variety of reasons, including fear of contracting the COVID virus, child or elder care challenges, refusal to give up the flexibility of remote work, lack of respect from employers, an unwillingness to put up with inadequate wages, and job burn-out.

A House select committee will be created to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Axios reported. It will consolidate several House investigations, and comes on the heels of Senate Republicans blocking a bi-partisan 9/11-style commission to do the investigation.

Blast from the past: The fallout from obstructionist politics in Congress: Historian Heather Cox Richardson points out that Congress’ job is to make laws, and the president’s job is to put them into action. But since the mid 20th century, the president’s office has seen an increase in power, often due to obstructionist tactics that prevent the office from moving forward with electoral promises. That prompts a president to act instead by executive order, where there is the capability. It has also resulted at times in presidents sending out troops without a congressional declaration of war.