Out with the Old

So, we have a new congress being sworn-in today:

A new Congress takes office Thursday, and many of the same difficult issues that snagged the last one will fall into its lap.

President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill to avert the fiscal cliff, a deal worked out after lengthy, grinding friction between Democrats and Republicans. The political theatrics kept Americans and people around the world on pins and needles over how the outcome would affect the shaky global economy.

After the last congress, a scene out of William Golding's Lord of the Flies would be an improvement. And, after the president so deftly cleaved the House GOP in two over the fiscal cliff curb, I would expect this GOP majority to be a bit less strident than the last one.

And, credit where it's due, Chris Gibson voted against the crazies in his caucus and supported the bill. So, it couldn't hurt to give his office a call and let him know that this is a good step in the right direction if he truly intends to moderate his indefensible right-wing views. Be polite, but let him know you'll be watching how he votes in the future.

On the immediately local level, things turned out well for our free-spending legislative chair:

Terry Bernardo, re-elected on Wednesday to lead the Ulster County Legislature, laid out a plan for the coming year that relies heavily on special committees to carry out a number of her initiatives, including making Ulster County “the most drug-free county in the nation.”

Bernardo, R-Accord, was elected to a second one-year term as chairwoman, defeating former Legislature Chairman and current Minority Leader David Donaldson, D-Kingston, in a 13-8 vote.

All Republican legislators, along with Democrat John Parete, D-Boiceville, voted for Bernardo. All other Democrats voted for Donaldson, except Richard Parete, D-Accord, and Robert Parete, D-Stone Ridge, who were absent.

Her hangers-on will have another year to feed at the public trough. And notice, too, that she wants to create all these extra-constitutional super committees, chaired no doubt by flunkies she can control. Now THAT'S democracy in action.

Good to see that the county Democrats have finally woken up, all except the reprehensible Paretes, who vote based upon what's best for their political future, and not what's best for those whom they represent.

Gonna be another year of Bernardo missteps and flubs, so I should have plenty to keep me busy.