Sanity is Lost in the Shuffle

In dubious tribute to the status quo of America's public education system, many voters seem to have abdicated both of their key responsibilities. Voting participation is low compared even with Iraq. This certainly lightens the jobs of unscrupulous politicians and incompetent journalists, but it also lightens the load of lazy, dumbdowned citizens.



Here are two examples that could benefit from another key responsibility, invoking SANITY TESTs:



1 - Jim Hansen, the director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, argues that one of the major problems associated with global warming and climate change is the possibility of significant rises in sea levels. - April 13, 2009



yet,



Leaders urge Obama to use stimulus for beach sand - April 13, 2009

Virginia Beach wants all of that and sand, too. Beach officials are concerned the Obama administration will disqualify sand replenishment projects from receiving stimulus cash and have launched a pre-emptive lobbying effort. Virginia Beach is ...upset about reports the White House Office of Management and Budget pulled the Army Corps' list of beach renourishment projects. Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and Rep. Glenn Nye of Norfolk were among 30 members of Congress who signed a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to reconsider the decision.

Oh, what's that? You really don't believe Al Gore's anecdotal hype?

Voters should invoke the obvious SANITY TEST. Wouldn't printing money to replenish sand be the worst use of stimulus funds, if one believes the possibility of significant rises in sea levels?

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2 - Here's a final example:

Invoking time limits on existing financial derivatives: If allowed to expire worthless in one year, taxpayers might be better served.
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A regulatory policy on issuance of all NEW derivatives: The American public has the right to know when and what it will be.
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Corporate accountability - chief executive offficers who stoodby as subprime mortgages allowed corporate assets to sour should be more accountable to their shareholders. Where is the push for improved corporate governance that Obama promised?
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Political accountability - shouldn't those who injected the actual poison (subprime mortgages) into the otherwise viable derivatives market be identified and drummed out of politics?