Tuesday, October 10, 2006

While I was away: Hey, what happened to that Foley guy and his bill congratulating the PGA?

You'll have to excuse me for my ignorance, as I am just returning from my vacation cruise (which was great, by the way...swimming with stingrays in Grand Cayman, snorkeling in Honduras, Mayan ruins in Belize, etc...great times all around), but there is something that I am confused about. If anyone out there can help me out, that would be great.

My concern is as follows: on September 13, a lawmaker named Mark Foley (I know you've never heard of him -- he's just some anonymous congressman from Florida)
introduced a bill on the House floor "Congratulating The Professional Golfers' Association of America on its 90th anniversary." On September 25, the House approved the bill, and on September 26 that bill went to the Senate.


Mark Foley (center) with lawmakers and PGA Leadership.

But for some reason, the Senate has not yet taken action on the bill. Now, again, I've been incomunicado for about 10 days, but what gives? Is the Senate dragging its heels and once again flouting the will of the people by wrapping this bill in its usual reams of red tape? Does the Senate have some sort of problem with the PGA or with the great game of golf? What, are 90th anniversaries just not important enough for a bunch of big-shot politicians to acknowledge? Accountability, Senators. That's what this is all about.

But wait, there's more. I just noticed this PGA news release does not mention Foley's name in connection with the bill, although according to House records and this article from a past issue of the PGA News, he clearly introduced it. Is there some kind of back-door dealing going on? Some kind of secret meeting? Some kind of development we don't yet know about? So many questions...but so few answers here. Not even one measly answer is apparent.


Mark Foley (pictured with John Ashcroft). Why is his
effort to honor the PGA going unrecognized?

But one thing is for certain...we must demand answers of our leaders. What is the Senatorial agenda in relation to this bill? Mark Foley is the hero of the PGA in Congress...why shouldn't they announce their partnership with him from every available mountaintop? Who is standing in the way of this bill, and in the way of the sport of golf, and of America? And why? WHY? The silence, on all sides, is simply deafening.

Hyperlinks:
- H.CON.RES.471 [
GovTrack]
- U.S. House Resolution Honors PGA of America [
PGA.com]
- House Approval [PGA News]

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(top photo credit: The PGA of America)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What benefit does a congratulatory bill have? Is there a monetary reward?


Otherwise, yes, I catch your drift on their disassociation from Foley

MSH said...

It's just an honorary thing.

Anonymous said...

Very cute tongue and cheek column. I'm sure the problem stems from the PGA and Senate finding out that Foley wanted to tip his 15 year old male caddy with a b!0w job from his Latin alter ego Felatio Foley. I hear it's par for the course in Foleytown.