While Congress rests, Will rolls on

COLUMBUS: Congress left Washington for a month, claiming they need a vacation. The old town needs a break more than they do.

Whether they’re vacationing at home or campaigning for President in another state, you might suggest to ’em, if you’re gonna grab our tax dollars for pork and earmarks, use it to repair and replace bridges instead of building more. Might be surprised how far $27 Billion would go.

That Minnesota bridge collapse was a tragedy for the fifteen or so that died, and a mighty inconvenience for everyone else in the habit of driving across it. But these old bridge engineers know their business. They’re going to lose one once in a while, but can you think of one collapsing on its own accord since the Silver Bridge fell into the Ohio River forty years ago? Very seldom do they fail without an overweight truck trying to cross it, a barge hitting a pier, or a tidal wave washing over it. This I-35 bridge will be built back better than ever.

Driving in this country you have less to fear from a bridge dropping out from under you than you do from hitting a deer or a moose. And if you’re flying you’ve got even less chance of hitting one.

Last week I made a mistake in writing about the Farm Bill: I said the Senate had passed it, but it was only the House. A college professor caught it and kindly let me know. It was an honest mistake; see, when they stumble out of their Chambers after being in session till 4:00 a.m., believe me, they all look pretty much alike.

So if the farm bill don’t have the provisions you were counting on, you’ve got till September to gnaw on your Senator to accommodate you. The farmers get the blame for the farm bill, but most of the money goes to those that are eatin’, not those that are raisin’.

Historic quotes from Will Rogers:

“If we could just send the same bunch of men to Washington for the good of the nation, and not for political reasons, we could have the most perfect government in the world.” WA#78, June 8, 1924

“Congress has promised the country that it will adjourn next Tuesday. Let’s hope we can depend on it. If they do it will be the first promise they have kept this session.” DT #571, May 25, 1928

“Have you been reading about the disgraceful way the Senate has been carrying on lately? You know our old Forefathers that laid out the time that our Congress was to meet knew something: they always held Congress in cool weather. They knew a Senator couldn’t stand up under the heat and his position, too. When hot weather hits him not only his body but his brain perspires and the discharge from both is equally useless.” DT #899, June 13, 1929

“We cuss ’em and we joke about ’em, but they are all good fellows at heart; and if they wasent in Congress, why, they would be doing something else against us that might be worse.” Saturday Evening Post, July 24, 1926