Posted on 01/19/2017 12:33:57 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
“Elections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won.”
These were the infamous words President Barack Obama used to scold congressional Republicans just three days after his inauguration in 2009, foreshadowing how he would approach policymaking for the next eight years.
Rather than listening to and trying to work with Republicans, Obama governed through brute force—with his “pen and phone” more often than with the consent of Congress—guided by the dictates of his progressive ideology rather than the interests of the American people.
In virtually every policy area—from health care and immigration to the deployment of American troops and the accession to new international treaties—Obama ignored those who dared to dissent from his agenda and used whatever means necessary to accomplish his goals.
The result is a precarious legacy burdened by a host of deeply unpopular and highly controversial policies, many of which can be repealed, replaced, rolled back, and otherwise reformed by the new Republican majorities in Congress.
But Republicans should take care to avoid adopting the same high-handed, condescending governing style exhibited by Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress.
Instead of ignoring the concerns and preferences of the American people—and their elected officials at the state and local level—we should listen to and learn from them.
Rather than forcing diverse communities to abide by inflexible, burdensome rules and regulations devised by federal bureaucrats in Washington, we should empower local decision-makers to find solutions that address the unique needs of their families, neighborhoods, and businesses.
One of the areas of federal policy most in need of local empowerment is housing.
For instance, in 2015, the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which requires cities and towns across the country to audit their local housing policies.
If any aspect of a community’s housing and demographic patterns fails to meet the department’s expansive definition of “fair housing” under the fair housing rule, the local government must submit a plan to reorganize the community’s housing practices according to the preferences and priorities of the department’s bureaucrats.
Failure to comply will result in the department withholding Community Development Block Grants, federal grant money that local officials have traditionally been free to use as they see fit.
Proponents of the fair housing rule claim the rule establishes a collaborative process, with local government officials in the driver’s seat while the bureaucrats at the Department of Housing and Urban Development merely provide “support” and “guidance.”
But the track record of the fair housing rule proves the opposite.
Many local housing officials from across the country, including in Utah, have told the same story: The costs of complying with the fair housing rule stretch their already thin resources, add hundreds of hours of bureaucratic paperwork to their workloads, and eliminate their autonomy to determine the best ways to provide adequate low-cost housing to their community.
To provide some measure of relief to local public housing authorities, a group of Republicans in Congress has supported legislation to restrict the department from using federal funds to implement the fair housing rule.
The Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act is the latest iteration of this legislation, which I joined Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., to introduce last week.
For the past 18 months, with Obama holding the executive veto pen and unwilling to believe that his policies are unpopular, there was very little chance this bill would be signed into law.
But on Jan. 20, when Donald Trump is sworn into office, that will change, and I will do everything in my power to ensure its swift passage.
After all, elections have consequences.
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PING!
Obama has said a lot of absurd things. Such as, lecturing Republicans that they can’t listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done in Washington.
He has slammed Fox News many times, and said his if he believed what was said about him on Fox News, that he wouldn’t have voted for himself either.
He told us to get off our high horse because atrocities were done in the name of Christ during the Crusades and in medieval Europe.
I would like to see someone write a book, about the dumbest things ever said by Obama.
Now TRY to teach the libtards a lesson- if you govern by executive order and bypass the Congress then you lose everything by executive order too.
Executive orders are merely TEMPORARY laws, when there is a congress with not enough balls to stop you.
Such a book would need a space on the bookshelf large enough to fit one of those huge desktop dictionaries.
What is the purpose of “federal grant money that local officials have traditionally been free to use as they see fit”, anyways? Wouldn’t be best way to provide money that local officials are free to use as they see fit be to never collect it in the first place?
0bama=Bubba=Bubba’s wife...reverse, or perverse degradation.
Mike, I hold you in the highest esteem but the fundamental fix for this unconstitutional department is not to give local leaders more discrection on how block grants are spent but to shut HUD down.
An Older Lady Who Loves Obama
This is certainly a different way to look at what is happening...
One 82-year-old lady loves Obama and she may have a very good point.
She says that Obama is amazing, and is rebuilding the American dream!
She gives us an entirely new slant on the “amazing” job Obama is
doing, and she says that she will thank God for the President. Keep
reading for her additional comments and an explanation. When discussing
Obama, she says:
1. Obama destroyed the Clinton Political Machine, driving a stake
through the heart of Hillary’s presidential aspirations - something no
Republican was ever able to do.
2. Obama killed off the Kennedy Dynasty - no more Kennedys trolling
Washington looking for booze and women wanting rides home.
3. Obama is destroying the Democratic Party before our eyes! Dennis
Moore had never lost a race. Evan Bayh had never lost a race. Byron
Dorgan had never lost a race. Harry Reid - soon to be GONE!
These are just a handful of the Democrats whose political careers
Obama has destroyed. By the end of 2016, dozens more will be gone.
Just think, in December of 2008 the Democrats were on the rise. In
two election cycles, they had picked up 14 Senate seats and 52 House
seats. The press was touting the death of the Conservative Movement and
the Republican Party.
However, in just one term, Obama put a stop to all of this and gave
the House and the Senate - back to the Republicans.
4. Obama has completely exposed liberals and progressives for what they
are.
Sadly, every generation seems to need to re-learn the lesson on why
they should never actually put liberals in charge. Obama is bringing
home the lesson very well: Liberals tax, borrow and spend. Liberals
won’t bring themselves to protect America. Liberals want to take over
the economy Liberals think they know what is best for everyone.
Liberals are not happy until they are running YOUR life.
5. Obama has brought more Americans back to conservatism than anyone
since Reagan. In one term, he has rejuvenated the Conservative
Movement and brought out to the streets millions of freedom loving
Americans. Name one other time when you saw your friends and
neighbors this interested in taking back America!
6. Obama, with his “amazing leadership, “has sparked the greatest
period of sales of firearms and ammunition this country has seen. Law
abiding citizens have rallied and have provided a “stimulus” to the
sporting goods field while other industries have failed, faded, or moved
off-shore.
7. In all honesty, 4 years ago I was more afraid than I have been in
my life. Not afraid of the economy, but afraid of the direction our
country was going. I thought, Americans have forgotten what this
country is all about. My neighbors and friends, even strangers, have
proved to me that my lack of confidence in the greatness and wisdom of
the American people has been flat wrong.
8. When the American people wake up, no smooth talking teleprompter
reader can fool them! Barack Obama has served to wake up these great
Americans!
Again, I want to say: “Thank you, Barack Obama!” After all, this is
exactly the kind of hope and change we desperately needed!!
9. He has saved Carter’s legacy and made Jimmy Carter happy, since
Jimmy is no longer the worst president we’ve ever had. Credit goes
to where credit is due. I feel better now!
THANK YOU OBAMA
so when the dems are in charge, they call the shots wuthout repubs, but when repubs are in charge they need to kowtow tpo the dems??? really?
the dems set the precedent, let them live with it
It would be the size of Churchill’s Historical works.
Very well said. Bravo!
It was Jimmy Carter's legacy that brought about the radical Islamics rise to power.
Keep that in mind as we enter into the next war with them.
Jimmy Carter allowed the Shah to fall with no acceptable alternative on behalf of the political prisoners who were eventually killed anyway.
Jimmy Carter's legacy lives on with 0bama throwing it into high gear and providing these nuts with nukes.
He didn't "save" Jimmy Carter's legacy, he enhanced it with Weapons of mass destruction.
Jimmy Carter's legacy will be the biggest challenge the west has ever experienced with 0bama's help.
I wonder if one were to ask millenials who said this, and gave them multiple choices, one being Trump, if they would select Trump instead of Obama. Maybe they could include this on Watter’s World.
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