Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 17:22:50 -0400
Subject: Re: pornography of the personal






> Eric and Hugh
>
> Best seller in the UK hardback book charts - The thief of time - Terry
Pratchett
> - phantasy, comic and deeply humanistic.
>
> regarding the below - the effect of the republican senator shifting
towards
> being and independent are what in your view?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It might make a lot of difference.  As you know, there are strange rules in
our country - a candidate for President receives the most votes, but 5 key
people stop the re-count of votes, and say he didn't win.

The Senate has strange rules about filibusters, cases when a majority vote
doesn't win, etc.

What is most relevant in Senator Jeffords' switch to Independent seems to be
Senate rules, (and I don't think they come from the Constitution)  which let
the dominant party select not only the
Majority Leader, who determines the agenda, but also Committee Chairmen,
whose recommendations for new laws etc
are very important.

For example:

It is believed that one of the chairmen may start an investigation of the
Electric Power situation in California, which, according to an NY Times
article by a leading economist, is adding $1600
per capita compared to last year's power bill.  That would be $6,400 for a
family of four.  An estimated $50 Billion for
the 33 million residents of California.

There is,  as I understand it,  an official Federal Commission, the FERC,
which by law is charged with maintaining fair prices for electricity.  With
Republican leadership in the Senate, not a chance of action, because the
super-powerful energy companies in Texas are great buddies of our Texan
Prez..

With Democratic control of the Senate, a better chance.  Of course the same
companies contribute heavily to the Democrats, and both parties have for
years convinced the electorate that a third part with any power would be the
ruination of the Nation.

And so it goes.

Hugh