Washington Panorama
October 2005
The vicissitudes of life have given us a new Supreme Court Chief Justice, and a nominee for a new justice by President Bush. The fall session of the court is underway.
The Senate is working to give the state of Michigan the right to stop the importation of Toronto Canada garbage. And Senator Stabenow is gleeful about that. Torontoans have dealt with the garbage problem. They also were dealing with the tariff on lumber that the US has imposed on Canadian softwood as well as a number of internal Canadian problems. The garbage problem did not take long to work out. Some 39 Canadian sites for disposal of the 50 tons a day of garbage are available. Some wag sent email to Senator Stabenow suggesting that the garbage be rerouted to New Orleans to build up the below sea level city to make it viable without the dikes. She has not said much on the subject recently, speaking out instead on the issue of the chief justice nominee. She was against his approval. Wonder why she split with Senator Levin who supported John Roberts?
Two major hurricanes hit the U.S. late this summer. After both Katrina, which hit Mississippi and New Orleans, and Rita which ripped the Texas coast you and I witnessed a breakdown in response because of muscle showing by a big city mayor, an impotent governor and an inept federal agency head. Congress is in a position to provide solutions to all of the problems met in the poor responses to the disaster that hit New Orleans, in particular, but they probably will not quit finger pointing long enough to make anything work. Somehow these “hearings” never seem to translate into solutions for any of the difficulties.
On the issue of NAFTA and tariffs on lumber from Canada. Even though a World Court ruling said that the US was justified in placing tariffs on the materials Canadians cited a NAFTA ruling (of lesser power) that ruled in their favor and in at least one editorial opinion said “NAFTA is dead. The United States’ abrogation of the agreement in the softwood lumber ruling is very clear, “ and recommended that Canada remove itself from the agreement.
You probably have already begun getting mail about the NEW Medicare prescription program. In most of it there is an expressed urgency to sign up before the November 15 deadline. The best and latest advice we have is to not sign for anything at this time as the State of Michigan has yet to tell us how it will handle retiree prescription benefits. Our best hope is that it will do nothing to us.
While all of the fall activities are going on you and I must be observant for more than Halloween at the end of the month. Watch how our representatives attempt to cut the pie so that they can give lip service to helping out the flood and hurricane ravaged coastline to our south while enforcing rules that have been out of joint with the real needs of people for some time.
And don’t forget, as some have noticed in the voting for John Roberts, that some Democrats are already beginning to posture so that they will not leave themselves out of the potential presidential popularity poll in a year or so. Examine some of those who voted “No” and with a jaundiced eye look at why. Could it be that they are just protecting their own backsides?
Editor’s note: “Tony” Grudnoski is President of the Marquette SERA hapter and SERA’s Washington “Reporter.” He may be reached at 216 W. Hewitt Ave., Marquette 49855; Ph. 906/228-8670; e-mail tonyg25@hotmail.com.
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