DURST: A Full Plate for Congress
Where local billionaire, Lowell "Bud" Paxon wants to start up the nation's seventh television broadcast network. That's giving UPN and WB a mite more credibility than they deserve.So the deal is, Congress has a full plate coming up next year, and here's some of the tasty morsels they're going to wipe off the sides of their mouths with napkins woven from taxpayers dollars.*Campaign Finance: Republican leaders in both House and Senate promise debate and votes in spring. Sure, sure, and the moon's going to fall out of the sky, and we'll all grow wings and fly to Venus. Hahahahahahahahahahaha.*Public Housing: Will try to work out differences in bill allowing greater numbers of working poor to live in public housing and change how rents are calculated. And if that doesn't work, does the term Soylent Green ring any bells?*Flag: Will propose amendment to make desecration of flag illegal. And will do it again. And again. Until every member has a clip of their support suitable for a campaign ad.*Cruise Ships: Legislation authored by Sen. Strom Thurmon R SC, would overturn 1886 law preventing foreign cruise ships from ferrying passengers between US ports. Easy for him, since he probably proposed the initial bill.*Affirmative Action: Wants to eliminate race and gender as factors in federal decision making, while their expected stand on Gay Rights will make it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Usually contradictions like this would humble groups of people. This however, is the US Congress.*HMO Reform: Opponents, surprisingly including the HMO industry, warn reform will mean higher costs and overcrowding. Apparently better care leading to fewer deaths has no effect on the bottom line. Will Durst is the bottom line.