 sj |
||
|
||
Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary!
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! |
Share Thread
|
||||||
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: katlaughing Date: 23 Sep 99 - 12:22 AM Thank you, Jack! Sounds like they are creating a lot of nonsense, do-nothing jobs, no doubt for people they know. That's a lot of money! |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Jack (Who is called Jack) Date: 23 Sep 99 - 12:39 AM Decide for yourself whether this is an appropriate use for half a million dollars of your tax dollars. SRES 172 IS 106th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 172 To establish a special committee of the Senate to address the cultural crisis facing America. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES August 4, 1999 Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. MOYNIHAN, Mr. LOTT, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. COVERDELL, Mr. SESSIONS, and Mr. CRAIG) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration RESOLUTION To establish a special committee of the Senate to address the cultural crisis facing America. Resolved, SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE. (a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established a special committee of the Senate to be known as the Special Committee on American Culture (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the `special committee'). (b) PURPOSE- The purpose of the special committee is-- (1) to study the causes and reasons for social and cultural regression; (2) to make such findings of fact as are warranted and appropriate, including the impact that such negative cultural trends and developments have on the broader society, particularly in regards to child well-being; and (3) to explore means of cultural renewal. No proposed legislation shall be referred to the special committee, and the committee shall not have power to report by bill, or otherwise have legislative jurisdiction. (c) TREATMENT AS STANDING COMMITTEE- For purposes of paragraphs 1, 2, 7(a) (1) and (2), and 10(a) of rule XXVI and rule XXVII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, and section 202 (i) and (j) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, the special committee shall be treated as a standing committee of the Senate. SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE. (a) MEMBERSHIP- (1) IN GENERAL- The special committee shall consist of 7 members of the Senate-- (A) 4 of whom shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate from the majority party of the Senate upon the recommendation of the Majority Leader of the Senate; and (B) 3 of whom shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate from the minority party of the Senate upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate. (2) VACANCIES- Vacancies in the membership of the special committee shall not affect the authority of the remaining members to execute the functions of the special committee and shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments to it are made. (3) SERVICE- For the purpose of paragraph 4 of rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, service of a Senator as a member, chairman, or vice chairman of the special committee shall not be taken into account. (b) CHAIRMAN- The chairman of the special committee shall be selected by the Majority Leader of the Senate and the vice chairman of the special committee shall be selected by the Minority Leader of the Senate. The vice chairman shall discharge such responsibilities as the special committee or the chairman may assign. SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE. (a) IN GENERAL- For the purposes of this resolution, the special committee is authorized, in its discretion-- (1) to make expenditures from the contingent fund of the Senate; (2) to employ personnel; (3) to hold hearings; (4) to sit and act at any time or place during the sessions, recesses, and adjourned periods of the Senate; (5) to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance of witnesses and the production of correspondence, books, papers, and documents; (6) to take depositions and other testimony; (7) to procure the services of individual consultations or organizations thereof, in accordance with the provisions of section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946; and (8) with the prior consent of the Government department or agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and Administration, to use on a nonreimbursable basis the services of personnel of any such department or agency. (b) OATHS FOR WITNESSES- The chairman of the special committee or any member thereof may administer oaths to witnesses. (c) SUBPOENAS- Subpoenas authorized by the special committee may be-- (1) issued over the signature of the chairman after consultation with the vice chairman, or any member of the special committee designated by the chairman after consultation with the vice chairman; and (2) served by any person designated by the chairman or the member signing the subpoena. (d) OTHER COMMITTEE STAFF- The special committee may use, with the prior consent of the chairman of any other Senate committee or the chairman of any subcommittee of any committee of the Senate and on a nonreimburseable basis, the facilities or services of any members of the staff of such other Senate committee whenever the special committee or its chairman, following consultation with the vice chairman, considers that such action is necessary or appropriate to enable the special committee to make the investigation and study provided for in this resolution. (e) USE OF OFFICE SPACE- The staff of the special committee may be located in the personal office of a Member of the special committee. SEC. 4. REPORT AND TERMINATION. The special committee shall report its findings, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable, to the Senate prior to December 31, 2000. SEC. 5. FUNDING. (a) IN GENERAL- From the date this resolution is agreed to through December 31, 2000, the expenses of the special committee incurred under this resolution. (1) shall be paid out of the miscellaneous items account of the contingent fund of the Senate; (2) shall not exceed $500,000, of which amount not to exceed $150,000 shall be available for the procurement of the services of individual consultants, or organizations thereof, as authorized by section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 72a(i)); and (3) shall include sums in addition to expenses described under paragraph (2), as may be necessary for agency contributions related to compensation of employees of the special committee. (b) PAYMENT OF EXPENSES- Payment of expenses of the special committee shall be disbursed upon vouchers approved by the chairman, except that vouchers shall not be required for disbursements of salaries (and related agency contributions) paid at an annual rate. |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Jack (Who is called Jack) Date: 23 Sep 99 - 12:41 AM OOPS! Sorry bout the double post. |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: SeanM Date: 23 Sep 99 - 01:45 AM Sounds like the "NEA MUST DIE!!!" crowd beating a drum for themselves. Strange that in an era that they (Republicans) keep beating the drum over "big government", the selfsame crew now want to fund an organization that by their own admission "No proposed legislation shall be referred to the special committee, and the committee shall not have power to report by bill, or otherwise have legislative jurisdiction." So they want to blow half a million to nag the country about "why can't you be more like Ward & June Cleaver?"... *sigh* Activism just doesn't seem to put a dent in the DC Idiot Factory. M |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: GeorgeH Date: 23 Sep 99 - 07:02 AM "to study the causes and reasons for social and cultural regression"? This crap was approved? Your senate simply accepts, without any examples or argument pro- or con- that your nation is in a state of "social and cultural regression" (and without any indication of what its regressing to . . .)? If this is the workings of the Government of the most powerful nation in the world then suddenly I DO worry about what the world is coming to! [End of rant] G. |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Jack (Who is called Jack) Date: 23 Sep 99 - 11:28 AM Yes this is what it looks like. A bunch a senators know they can drum up some votes by having a public bitch session about how South Park is ruining our youth, and have decided to use taxpayer funds to do it. BTW, GeorgH. I'm not sure they've voted on the resolution yet. When these lawyers draft these things they write as if they're allready approved.
|
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Frank Hamilton Date: 23 Sep 99 - 11:38 AM I think that if I wanted to sell a novel or ? that going in front of an investigative senate sub-committee might be a great way to do it. :) This misguided congressional attempt would be funny if it weren't so sad. I keep hearing from some pundits that "you can't legislate morality." Apparently the congress doesn't agree. Who are better as representatives of the cultural crisis in America than Mr. Lott, Moynihan, Craig, Dorgan, Allard, Conrad, Abraham, Coverdell, Sessions and Craig? They are the cultural crisis they're talking about. Frank Hamilton |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: KathWestra Date: 23 Sep 99 - 11:59 AM Amen, Frank. And in the meantime, the Congress that is required by law to pass budget appropriations bills before the new government fiscal year begins October 1 have not done their job on time. (Again!) They're hustling to put together a 3-week "continuing resolution" to keep the government open while they scramble to do in 21 days what they should have been doing during the entire year when, instead, they've been forming committees on the cultural crisis in America. Why do I live in this town?????? |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Frank Hamilton Date: 23 Sep 99 - 12:03 PM Thanks, Jack for this information. It underscores the need for preserving, archiving, and promoting our natural cultural resources in the form of traditional American folk music. That's what the Lomax's through the Library of Congress Folkarts Division and the NEA subsidized Folklife Division have been successfully doing. Now that our public schools no longer have the civilizing effect of music and art classes which have been cut back, the NEA is being challenged, and the agenda of a reactionary right-wing congress who seek to impose their "morals" on the American people, the Senate is creating that cultural crisis. The Special Committee on American Culture looks like a committee established by a branch of the late Soviet Union. The solution? Vote those turkeys out of office. Frank Hamilton |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: j0_77 Date: 23 Sep 99 - 12:42 PM Frank .. amazin just what I thought :) What really suckers me here is what exactly do they mean by 'regression' - if concerned with what imagery gets into the mind's of little children why the very graphic accounts of the 'Monica' affair were so public?
|
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Frank Hamilton Date: 23 Sep 99 - 07:42 PM jO, The conservative "right-wing" has always had an uneasy alliance with the arts since the artist tends to be "radical" and rebellious. The "religious" agenda offered as a solution for a supposed moral "regression" attempts to emasculate the power of art in the community, first by rejecting contemporary art as being morally invalid and second, by holding up a sanitized view of historical art and artists in comparison. Even so, the fact that Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Peter Illyich Tschaikovsky were homosexual, that Modigliani, Coleridge, had dope habits, and many were alcoholic or social outcasts such as Van Gogh or Gaugin, and others were Communists, or even facists such as Exra Pound is not lost on them. Hence for the conservative so-called "Christian" right-wing, art is considered the "enemy" that can't be controlled by "religion". The recent shootings and reported violence are being used as a political football by these reactionary senators. First they'll start on Hollywood and then look for folkies later. I lived through the period that all folk song singers were considered pawns of the Soviet Union. Hence, Burl Ives, Pete Seeger and Josh White appeared before the infamous House of UnAmerican Activities Committee which was presided over by the same reactionary politicians. The Monica expose by the House had one clear motive, to discredit the standing Democratic president. When dealing with this reactionary mind-set, you see that for them, morality and politics tend to be one in the same. Pat Robertson, Buchanan and Ralph Reed have made this very clear. No attempt is made here to separate "church and state". Thomas Jefferson would have been horrified by todays Congressional manuever. History is fraught with the model of the "Grand Inquisator" who seeks power either by burning books or destroying works of art and maligning the artist in the name of "Christianity", Communism, Facism or other prevailing cudgels of dogma. The folk singer or folk "revivalist" is pretty low on the Reactionary food chain these days but still presents a threat to them. It's time for the arts community to speak out against this kind of repression with one voice. Time for singer/songwriters to write songs about it and for folks to get together and talk about it as we're doing here. I think we need governmental protection against the abuses of political ideologues who attempt to impose their views on others. I still believe that we are the government with the power of the vote in spite of the seeming futility of that one vote. It's a shame when these "repressors" are members of Congress. This is an old problem that's been with us for years. Historically, Americans have found the wisdom to make sane decisions and not succumb to right-wing extremism. Damn, a long winded soap-box diatribe but coming from the heart. Frank Hamilton
|
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: katlaughing Date: 23 Sep 99 - 09:55 PM BRAVO!!!!! BRAVO!!!! Frank! Such passion and Truth!! Yes, Yes, Yes!!!
They say that we're immoral
Our pictures shows are lewd
Now they want to pass a law,
So sing it from the rafters KL 1999 Frank, a small effort, off the top of my head. I hope everyone else will follow your advice & try their hand at it, too. kat
|
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: katlaughing Date: 24 Sep 99 - 12:22 AM Arrggghhhh! That'l teach me to try to do 2 or 3 things at once! Took a phone call, typed and talked at the same time! Please, PLEASE, disregard the above posting, except for the praise of Frank. I gotta work, BIG TIME, on that! kathanginghead&chagrined |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: j0_77 Date: 24 Sep 99 - 12:37 AM Well done Kat :) Frank a good posting and me too - did not know how far right these people had gone. Is it Mc Carthyism all over again ? Found this today in the 'weird news' I edited the story in case anyone is offended. Florida state Rep. Marvin Couch, R-Oviedo, resigned in February, a week after he was arrested on three misdemeanor sex charges. He was caught by police in his car in a shopping center parking lot at noontime receiving '**** *** from a professional entertainer'. Rep. Couch was a member of a legislators' prayer-meeting group that called itself the God Squad. |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Jack (Who is called Jack) Date: 24 Sep 99 - 01:27 AM The thing that bugs me about a lot of this stuff is its disingenuousness. It purpose is to create a false issue in order to gain publicity or generate a distraction. Someone mentioned the Ayatollah's Fatwah against Salman Rushdie (btw, if you want a great light read, I recommend Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories). What most people missed about that incident was the fact that Rushdie was never the main point. At the time, the Iraqi war, economic hardship, and loss of personal liberties were feeding a rising wave of discontent in Iran. The 'Revolution' was losing steam, and the Government was getting besieged with questions from the public that it didn't have answers for. Solution? Khomeni issues a death sentence and puts out a contract on Rusdie for an obscure book that no one knew. They play it up in their media to first stoke the fires of public resentment towards western disrespect for Islam. Then they sit back and wait for the real fruits of this whole sham to develop. The western governments and media react with predictable rage and hostility towards Iran and the Ayatollah. The Iranian government jumps up and says SEE, THEY ARE ATTACKING US AGAIN. Viola! Iranian public no longer looking inward at what their government is doing, they're looking outward at the west, just where their government wanted them to. |
|
Subject: RE: Senate Czars-committee on culture,scary! From: Frank Hamilton Date: 24 Sep 99 - 09:19 AM Thanks Kat and jO for your supportive words. Please keep working on that song Kat. Off to a good start! More songs please! Frank |
| Share Thread: |
