Congress

The Gerontology Generation

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Age of US Congress

According to Statista.com, the median age of the U.S. population on in 1960 was 29.5. That average has moved up to 38.8 as of 2021.  As the numbers indicate, America is getting old, and our representatives are getting older as well. Our president, Joe Biden, is the oldest-serving president at the age of 80, and as of September 2023, has every intention of seeking re-election. The U.S. Senate is the oldest in history, with an average of 63.4 years old, and almost a quarter of those senators are over the age of 70. The 2023 House of Representatives is the third-oldest in American history, with an average age of 57.5 years old. Crunching the numbers, the average federal representative is at least twenty years older than the median age of their constituency. Some would say that the U.S. is a gerontocracy, that is an “oligarchical rule in which an entity is ruled by leaders who are significantly older than most of the adult population.”  Does time make people more wise, or just better politicians?

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Safety in Public Schools – NEA or NRA?

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Newspaper Headline - Victims

PORTLAND — If I were a kid or a teacher in America, as I have been in the past, I would not want to go to school tomorrow. If I found myself there anyway, I’m sure I would spend half the day looking over my shoulder to see if there was a kid with an assault rifle coming down the hallway.

It is beyond shameful that in this great country, loudly proclaiming “America First”, kids are last.  Our children are collateral damage along the path of payoffs, bribes, backroom deals and gentlemen’s agreements.  Of all the despicable things the current occupant of the White House is – and the list is long and varied – being a whore for the NRA is the worst.  Anyone with a shred of a human soul remaining and the power to affect change that is not in the pocket of the NRA would be compelled to do so.

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Don’t Putin a President

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Putin & Trump Shake

MIAMI — Why are we twisting the meaning of an independent counsel?

Robert Mueller, a registered Republican, has the reputation of having unwavering morality and being experienced, fair, responsible, tight-lipped, and dutiful. There won’t be trumped up charges or fabricated evidence if there is nothing there. The innocent will go free. Let the investigation run its course without any hullabaloo or character assassinations. Anyone that believes external forces have backed off bots or intelligence gathering against America’s democracy, doesn’t live in truth.  

Robert Mueller
Special Counsel Robert Mueller

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Congressman Mike Grimm Eyes Political Comeback – Video

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Congressman Mike Grimm

WASHINGTON — In Slanted’s first ever video interview, Congressman Mike Grimm sits down with Manila Chan to discuss his  political comeback, human trafficking and prostitution, Steve Bannon, the current political climate in Washington DC, Asian voters, and issues important to Brooklyn & Staten Island constituents.

Take a peek into the world of one of Capitol Hill’s most controversial figures in this candid one-on-one talk, as Grimm looks to take back his seat in 2018.

Oh, BTW, some of the audio gets choppy now and again. We’re aware. It’s Skype. It happens. But stick it out, it’s worth it. We’re a startup. Bear with us. We’re working on video quality to better serve you soon.

Thanks for watching.

Government Shutdown – Minimal Impact for most Americans

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Government Closed

* Op-Ed

 

Everyone calm down.

WASHINGTON — From an economic perspective, the shutdown of 2013 led to a GDP decrease of 0.25%.  It’s true that hundreds of thousands of federal employees received no pay, or late pay as a result of the previous shutdown, that inconvenience merely impacted their discretionary spending.  While contracted employees may not be impacted, the ability of the government to enter into new contracts, the execution of existing contracts may be impacted, and could lead to increased costs for follow-on research and development type efforts.

Tourism related industries are affected by the shutdown, as national parks closed, museums gift shops sat empty, and there were additional costs labeled as “lost productivity.”

But for the most part, a short shutdown would have minimal impact for most Americans, at least in the immediate term.

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Land of Shit House Opportunity

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American Flag Behind Barbed Wire

MIAMI — Don’t get lost in the media buzz. Several friends have identified places in the US where they grew up as shitholes. The issue raised is not shithole or shithouse in describing countries or locations. Several come to mind. One issue is the concept of restricting opportunity as described in our Constitution. The other issue is the dishonesty that grew from the DACA meeting. Let’s summarize what’s been done or said.

Last Thursday morning, the president summoned Senators Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin, thinking the immigration bill proposed by Graham, Durbin, Flake, Menendez, Bennet and Gardner would be signed. Reports say advisors told the president that his base could be upset so he extended the invitation to Sens. Cotton, Perdue, Goodlatte and McCarthy.

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