THOUGHTS
of a
LOCALÂ MAN

A bill for the 'People' but also for the Republic.
March 19, 2021
America has a democratic problem. The system established in 1787 and amended over the ensuing two and a half centuries has proved durable, but all things durable eventually break if not maintained. Currently, American democracy is at the whims of two parties. That’s generally been the case for all of our constitutional history

H.R. 1, aka the 'For the People Act' 2021.
March 17, 2021
The following is an annotated version of the current attempt by congressional Democrats to reform and strengthen American voting laws. I've maintained all headings in their original forms (divisions, titles, and subtitles) as well as the statement of intent listed below. The descriptive text is all my annotation from the original bill. To the best of my ability I've attempted to include all changes to current law that this bill would enact.

The role of the opposition and the abandonment of Republican policy cohesiveness.
March 9, 2021
Over the weekend, the Senate passed the $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan and now the bill has only a brief visit back to the House before landing on President Biden’s desk. The bill will be the Biden administration and their allies in Congress’ first major piece of legislation landing only seven weeks into his administration. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) is the most expensive piece of legislation in American history.

Free speech supremacy and the arrogance of the tech bros.
March 5, 2021
As polarization and misinformation have ramped up over the last half decade, social media has become the focus of academics, political commentators, and politicians alike. No longer the darlings of Silicon Valley, social media giants like Facebook (including WhatsApp and Instagram), Twitter, and YouTube have come under pressure for what they allow to proliferate on their platforms.

Performative parliamentarianism and the incentives of the congressperson.
February 25, 2021
Embattled Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14) took to twitter recently to post a picture of her hanging a transphobic sign outside of her Congressional office. The sign reads: “There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE “Trust the science!” Greene claims the sign is in response to her Democratic neighbor rep. Marie Newman (IL-3) who erected a flag for transgender rights outside her office.

