Representatives who voted against the Boy Scout commemorative coin

[fgoodwin]

Representatives who voted against the Boy Scout commemorative coin

 

HR 5872, authorizing the US Mint to issue a coin commemorating BSA's 100th anniversary in 2010, was passed by a vote of 403-8. The eight representatives who opposed the Resolution are:

 

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Pete Stark (D-CA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)

[scottteng]

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA) get a pass because their favorite constituency hates BSA with a passion. We should see what we can do about un-electing the others. A small contribution to their opponents maybe?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Pete Stark is an atheist. Of course, some here think the BSA should be supported even as they denigrate gays and atheists.

 

Since they're all Democrats, good luck getting a Republican elected against an incumbent this election year.

 

And as I recall, a gay man sued to stay IN the BSA; doesn't sound like they used to "hate the BSA with a passion."

[CA_Scouter]

"Of course, some here think the BSA should be supported even as they denigrate gays and atheists. "

 

At least 403 do. Out of the 411 who voted.

 

 

[Lisabob]

Don't "misunderestimate" me or anything but, c'mon, is this really a salient issue upon which to make one's voting choice? Or to encourage others to change their elected representatives? It's a COIN for goodness sake! Let's look, instead, at how they voted on health care, taxes, Iraq, something - anything - of some real substance. And then, let's each focus on our own districts, hmm? Someone showing up from who-knows-where in my district trying to tell me how to vote based on THEIR special interests (which might, or might not, match my own) is going to get a mighty cold reception.

 

 

[FScouter]

I'm wondering why they wasted valuable legislative time on such a trivial "issue". I'd have voted NO just to protest the waste of time even thinking about it. I just hope they had sense enough to price the thing to FULLY recover all the expense involved, AND to generate a profitable revenue stream.

 

If they have some kind of preoccupation with coins, they could do something GOOD for the country by eliminating the penny AND the nickel.

[Gold Winger]

What about all the other idiotic things that get voted on? Father's Day? Mother's Day? National Potato Week?

[GernBlansten]

Ditto FScouter. Including the nickle and penny.

What a phenomenal waste of legislative energy when our men and women are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least Bush gave up golf for the war, you'd think Congress could give up stupid, meaningless legislation.

[Gold Winger]

Even during the Big One, WW Deuce, the Congress was passing silly laws and resoloutins. Mother's Day, Firefighter Recognition Day, the new statue of whoever, all silly things that continue no matter what else is going on in the world. That's the Congress of the United States.

[fgoodwin]

By law, Congress can authorize no more than two commemorative coins per year. Since 2010 is the Centennial of Scouting, and since Congress charters the BSA, I think it appropriate that one of the two coins for 2010 be a BSA commemorative.

[Gold Winger]

"By law, Congress can authorize no more than two commemorative coins per year."

 

Since Congress makes the laws, they could change it to three or seventeen if they wished.

[evmori]

Another one of those "missed that one in the news" stories. Big whoop!

[GernBlansten]

Good to see that the numismatic lobby hasn't lost any of its currency.

[OldGreyEagle]

Hey now, lets be careful of what we say about our legislators. After all, we have the finest Congress money can buy

[Lisabob]

I'm not saying it isn't appropriate for them to authorize this coin, fgoodwin. And I'm also not saying you shouldn't have posted this here, being a scouting website and all. My points would be more along the lines of:

 

a) it isn't something to get too worked up about, politically speaking, when there are much bigger issues on the table, and

b) it doesn't appear that the approval for this coin was ever in any doubt. If it were a razor thin margin, and a highly salient issue, then *maybe* I could see getting fired up about those who voted against it. But as it stands, 8 out of the 435 members of the House voted "no" on an issue that is symbolic and was guaranteed to pass anyway, and

c) supposing that the coin had been denied (clearly not likely, but suppose...), would that have truly detracted from the ability of the BSA and its members to celebrate our 100th anniversary? I don't believe it would.

 

So sure, if a person lives in the district of one of these 8 members, and if this particular issue is the deal breaker for someone who otherwise would have supported these members, hey, voice your opinion! Start a movement! Vote for the other guy! But for the rest of us? There have to be bigger issues.