Is this all there is? Guns, Same Sex Marriage and Immigration? I guess so!

The chilly weather still lingering in Washington will eventually go away to better days. It is a climatic certainty.

 

In contrast, the political climate is stuck. Everyday brings the same and has been so for some period of time. The issues de jure have nothing to do with the economy but are, in no particular order,-guns, acceptance and non-rights of homosexuals and what to do with the 5 billion or so illegal aliens in the country.

I am not very excited or interested in these topics. First of all, I know little about them. However, let us recap because they are all political. 

It seems you either want to get rid of guns or you do not. Further restrictions (outside of confiscation) cannot prevent crazy people from going amuck and shooting people and restrictions have shown criminals can still get guns and plenty of them, so the whole gun issue is political. Mr. Obama runs around the country with his gun control program and fund raise along the way (like you can control the billion guns in existence) but Congress is not going to do anything meaningful. A glancing blow for the President, it would seem.

The issue of same sex marriage is before the Supreme Court in two cases. The first one is the validity of a California voter approved initiative added the State Constitution forbidding same sex marriage and the second involves a Clinton-era Federal statute essentially denying martial status (and the benefits bestowed on traditional married people, (i.e. man and women), like tax rates and much more) to those who are married but not man and woman)

I know, confusing. This is a political issue also. Each day it seems some politicians comes out for same sex marriage or reveals some family member is gay or lesbian. If I was to guess, I believe the Supreme Court will strike down the Federal law. Remember this is the same Court that rendered a legally tortured opinion that the Affordable Healthcare Act was Constitutional. It was probably the most significant decision affecting the economy and expansion of government since the 1930’s. The California challenge probably gets struck down but they can always re-vote or do whatever they do there. The Court has become not a legal institution interpreting the law and Constitution but the arbitrator and slave to public opinion. Sad, I think.

The final issue is the huddle of 4 Democrat Senators and 4 Republicans to put forward a proposal to change the immigration laws. Their proposal will be the starting point for what is sure to be a legislative donnybrook again.  It is, of course, more than just immigration, the act of entering the country. It is about the millions of people who entered the country illegally, it also about the future waves of people to come across the border. It is also about the economy and conferring benefits to those that did not follow the rules and then allowing them to vote.   

The Federal government has failed to protect the border since, well, forever.  Spurred on by business wanting cheap labor and the desire by millions to have a better life here, the numbers are staggering. No reason whatsoever, that will change. The Washington metro gave up as well as it now gives loudspeaker announcements in Spanish. How could it be, you may ask?

This is also a political issue. Republicans lost a great deal of the Hispanic voters in 2012. They know it and the Democrats know it. The Democrats will push for all the amnesty, open border, granting of benefits and voter status as possible. Republicans will squirm and who knows how it will end.

It may be impossible to secure the border but until there is a real effort made and employers are forced to check immigration status and only hire legal workers, the scenario will be replayed again.

In any event, that is the issue report, not very exciting for a person who has been known to take the Internal Revenue Code on vacation. However, I can also report, the government borrowed about $3 billion plus today like every day to keep its operation going. But, cheer up; tax filing is here so plenty to really moan about.