H.R. 414: Camera Phone Predator Alert Act

Proposed by Representative Peter King (R-NY), H.R. 414 has found a problem: “Congress finds that children and adolescents have been exploited by photographs taken in dressing rooms and public places with the use of a camera phone.”

But don’t worry, Congress has also found a solution!

“Beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, any mobile phone containing a digital camera that is manufactured for sale in the United States shall sound a tone or other sound audible within a reasonable radius of the phone whenever a photograph is taken with the camera in such phone. A mobile phone manufactured after such date shall not be equipped with a means of disabling or silencing such tone or sound.”

It’s a good thing there are no actual cameras that are smaller than cell phones.

H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

H.R. 40 shows that Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) thinks, “sufficient inquiry has not been made into the effects of the institution of slavery on living African-Americans and society in the United States.”  Perhaps he’s never opened a history book.  Nevertheless, he wants to “examine the institution of slavery” and “de jure and de facto discrimination against freed slaves and their descendants” and then “recommend appropriate remedies.”  Presumably he sees no irony in his desire to have this bill arrive on the desk of the most powerful black man in the world.  Welcome to post-racial America.

H. Con. Res. 28: Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding sexual assaults and rape in the military

Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) wants you to know that rape in the military is not OK.  In fact, “sexual assault and rape are a threat to our national security.”  Remember: when servicewomen are raped, the terrorists win.

H.R. 729: To help keep students safe on school-run, overnight, off-premises field trips

Representative Steven Rothman (D-NJ) thinks Congress needs to step in and monitor school field trips…for the children!  H.R. 729 is concerned that “There exists no Federal law requiring public schools to develop safety plans for off-premises, overnight, school-sponsored trips.”  As we all know, nothing ever happens without federal law.  What possible incentive could parents and local school boards have to ensure their schools protect children?  Clearly, none.  Congress must act!

There are probably many more I could have chosen from.  I may even make this a regular feature.  Keeping track of Congressional mayhem is certainly a full time job.

It has been far too long since Congress last increased the minimum wage. In September 1997, minimum wage was increased from $4.75 to $5.15- where it still stands. Since then, Americans have seen a steady increase in living expenses. The price of food has increased by 21 percent, rent by 28 percent, childcare and preschool by 48 percent and gasoline by 81 percent.

It is getting increasingly difficult for a person making $5.15 an hour, even if they are working a full forty hours a week, to live off of this wage. That is a total of only $10,700 per annum! For a single mother or father with two children, this wage leaves them well below the federal poverty line. Hard working Americans who are just getting by on minimum wage are too often faced with the decision of paying their rent, or paying for groceries; paying their heating bill, or paying for medication. That is entirely unacceptable.

Once again, we see rank economic ignorance and disinformation on display at the highest levels of government. Rep. King wants you to believe that minimum wage workers are, by and large, family bread winners. Hard workers struggling to provide for their family and never catching a break. This is false. Only 19% of minimum wage earners fall below the poverty line. The average household income for minimum wage earners is $40,000. This is due to the fact that, of the 1.9 million minimum-wage earners, more than half are under the age of 24. And of minimum wage earners, 2 out of 3 will be earning 10% more within the year.

What King won’t tell you, but any economist can, is that minimum wage laws hurt, rather than help, the poor. Minimum wage laws increase poverty. They deny low skilled workers the opportunity to gain experience by increasing the costs to businesses that hire them.

Compendium File: Minimum wage laws

MATTHEWS: Republican Congressman Peter King of New York, of the New York area, is the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. And he said today that the Department of Homeland Security has declared war on New York City.

Congressman, how did this happen? Your city, New York, was the hardest hit in history by terrorism, and yet it?s been cut for anti- terrorism funds. How?d that happen?

KING: Chris, this is absolutely indefensible. The Department of Homeland Security changes the story by the hour. There has never been one allegation of even one penny being misspent on any of the counterterrorism money in New York.

This is 100% false. New York has squandered and wasted almost $10 billion in anti-terror and 9/11 funds.

Newsflash to Mr. King: New York is not at war here, America is at war. Bin Laden has said that they want to attack us in our “heartland”. They aren’t interested in just terrorizing New Yorkers, as much as the New Yorker ego might wish it to be so. They want to terrorize all Americans.