Roy Exum: Do You Agree With This?

  • Wednesday, April 19, 2017
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

There is a popular report zipping around on the Internet right now called “The Trump Rule.” It is not true but that is “false with an asterisk.” It claims that President Trump said, in a recent interview with CNBC, “I could end the deficit in five minutes. You just pass a law that says anytime there is a deficit of more than 3 percent of the GNP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for reelection.” (GNP is Gross National Product. GNP is the total value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a particular year.)

While Trump never said it, the famed Warren Buffett did indeed say exactly that during an early-morning interview with CNC reporter Betty Quick on July 7, 2011. Back then there was a big debate going on about the debt ceiling and the prospect of a potential government shutdown was in the air. Buffet made the comment in an off-handed way, not as a solution, but because distrust and a lack of respect for Congress is much greater today, the “Trump Rule” makes for great reading and wide acceptance.

Some Internet versions call the hoax “a proposed 28th Amendment” but the fact checkers at Snopes reveal that much of “The Trump Rule" fodder is from the Congressional Reform Act of 2011, which, for what it’s worth, has never been submitted to Congress.

In 2013 a couple of Congressmen proposed an amendment that “Congress shall make no law respecting the citizens of the United States that does not also apply to the Senators and Representatives,” but, are you kidding me, the bill died in committee. A Snopes report said that any similar bill would have little chance.

A bill can be passed without the approval of Congress but it has never happened in U.S. history. Snopes says the way it works is “for two-thirds of states legislatures to call for a constitutional convention at which new amendments may be proposed, subject to ratification by three-fourths of the states. The constitutional convention method allows for the Constitution to be amended by the actions of states alone and cuts Congress out of the equation — no Congressional vote or approval is required.”

The Trump Rule document claims members of Congress draw their salaries for life – not true – and that members of Congress do not pay into Social Security. Since 1984 every member has paid into Social Security and every member of Congress is paid a pension.

 From Snopes: “The size of their pensions is determined by a number of factors (primarily length of service, but also factors such as when they joined Congress, their age at retirement, their salary, and the pension options they chose when they enrolled in the retirement system). By law a pension cannot exceed 80% of their salary at the time of their retirement.

It is false that the children of representatives and senators do not have to repay student loans and, in 1995, the Congressional Accountability Act made laws related to workplace regulations and civil rights the same as those for the public.

* * *

After the way Republicans from Tennessee have coddled the “Dirty Lick” faction of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry in Washington, I have become a strong proponent of term limits. One formula I like goes like this: 12 YEARS ONLY A) Two six-year Senate terms, or (B) Six two-year House terms, or (C) One six-year Senate term and three two-year House terms. Oh, and “12 means 12” – there is no way around 12 years total. I don’t care who dies, about any emergencies, or special elections. (If someone has worked 8 years in the House, the person is ineligible for a six-year Senate term.)

* * *

WHY WE LOVE OUR KIDS

A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he'd found a cat, but it was dead.

"How do you know that the cat was dead?" she asked her pupil.

"Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move," answered the child innocently.

"You did WHAT ? ! ?" the teacher exclaimed in surprise.

"You know, “explained the boy, "I leaned over and went 'Pssst!' and it didn't move."

* * *

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him "How do you Expect to get into Heaven?" 

The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Jack, come in or stay out!'"

* * *

One summer evening, during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?"

The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug.  "I can't dear," she said.  "I have to sleep in Daddy's room."

A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice:  "The big sissy."

* * *

It was that time, during the Sunday morning service, for the children's sermon. All the children were invited to come forward. One little girl was wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat down, the pastor leaned over and said, "That is a very pretty dress.

“Is it your Easter Dress?" The little girl replied, directly into the pastor's clip-on microphone, "Yes, and my Mom says it's a b***h to iron."

* * *

When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three-year-old came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the shower. She said, "Mommy, you are getting fat!"

I replied, "Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy."

"I know," she replied, "but what's growing in your bottom?"

* * *

A little boy was doing his math homework. He said to himself, "Two plus five, that son of a b***h is seven. Three plus six, that son of a b* * *h is nine."

His mother heard what he was saying and gasped, "What are you doing?"

The little boy answered, "I'm doing my math homework, Mom."

"And this is how your teacher taught you to do it?" the mother asked.

"Yes," he answered. Infuriated, the mother asked the teacher the next day, "What are you teaching my son in math?"

The teacher replied, "Right now, we are learning addition."

The mother asked, "And are you teaching them to say two plus two, that son of a b* * *h is four?"

After the teacher stopped laughing, she answered, "What I taught them was, two plus two, THE SUM OF WHICH, is four."

* * *

One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

The teacher paused then asked the class, “And what do you think that farmer said?"

One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: 'Holy S***! A talking chicken!'"

The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

* * *

A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply, "I'm Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter."

Her mother told her this was wrong, she must say, "I'm Jane Sugarbrown."

The kind priest spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter?"

She replied, "I thought I was, but mother says I'm not."

* * *

A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with the boys?"

Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the boys, they're too rough."

The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, "If I can find a smooth one, can I play with him?"

royexum@aol.com

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