Let's Play Twenty Questions!

By Rich Kozlovich

Never heard of Twenty Questions?  Well this was a parlor game that forces everyone to think and reason logically, creatively and deductively.  It even became a radio quiz show during the glory days of radio.   Here’s the way it works.  A subject is chosen and a person is chosen to be the “answerer”.   The answerer must answer 20 questions from the audience or panel honestly.  It can be a yes and no format or it can be more explanatory, but lying is absolutely forbidden.  If the answer isn’t arrived at after the 20 questions are answered the answerer wins this round and continues to be the answerer for another round – which is the goal of the game.

An article appeared on January 24, 2015 titled, Senate GOP Building Momentum For Regulatory Reform, saying: 

“A highly controversial regulatory reform bill is gaining steam in the Senate. Long scorned by Democrats, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act has found new life with Republicans in control of the Senate. The head of the Senate Judiciary Committee announced Friday he is backing the REINS Act, adding more clout to the bill that was reintroduced earlier this week. "

The authors of  “The REINS Act” claim this act “will help cut through the “bureaucratic red tape” in Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Friday. “The new Congress brings with it a new opportunity to take a close look at the true impact of an unchecked regulatory system, and to consider common sense solutions that seek to restore accountability and transparency to the rulemaking process,” said Grassley, who is co-sponsoring the legislation that was introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

 Of course Democrats state this bill is an attempt to block rules from the Obama administration as if that's a bad thing! The reality is they should have done this during the Bush administration. He passed more regulations than any president since Richard Nixon, at least until now.

But now we’re in the midst of another tortuous level of unending claptrap, pandering and blather from those who have egos so large they think they should tell the rest of us how to live our lives – it’s called a Presidential Campaign.   

As these new candidates line up and spew out their claptrap on both sides of the aisle we will need clarity. Here's how to get it!  We’ll play a game of Twenty Questions and they must answer - and they must answer honestly.

1. Would you be willing to support repealing the 16th amendment, passing a national sales tax and abolishing the Internal Revenue Service?

2. Would you support repealing the 17th amendment?

3. The federal government owns between 25 and 30 percent of the land mass of the United States. Would you support selling that land?

4. The United States owns a huge amount of buildings that are unoccupied or under occupied. Would you support selling such buildings and installations?

5. Would you support dismantling the EPA and instituting Dr. Jay Lehr's five year plan to do so?

6. The United States owns a huge number of buildings that are unoccupied or under occupied. Would you support selling such buildings and installations?

7. Would you be willing to dismantle or reorganize the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corp of Engineers, and how?

8. Would you be willing to repeal or rewrite the Endangered Species Act, the Clear Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act and how?

9. Would you be willing to dismantle or reorganize OSHA, and how?

10. Would you absolutely repeal Obamacare?

11. Would you support restructuring Social Security and instituting a shift to private retirement plans?

12. Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Education?

13. Would you be willing to end the destructive student loan program?

14. Would you be willing to end funding to the universities and colleges of the nation, which has caused a massive increase it the cost of education, and has allowed universities to become fever swamps of socialist thinking without consequence?

15. Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Labor?

16. Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Commerce?

17. Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Energy?

18.  Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Human Services?

19.  Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Housing and Urban Development?

20. Would you be willing to dismantle the Department of Transportation?

Ohio State Senator Cliff Hite is fond of telling a joke that goes something like this.
 

A man dies and faces St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter tells him he has to choose. The man says he wants to go to Heaven. St. Peter tells him they have a system here that requires him to go down and view things down below and then choose where he’s to go. So he takes an elevator down and the doors open to a beautiful scenic golf course. The best he’s ever seen and lo and behold he sees old friends playing golf, and he joins in. He’s having the best day he’s ever had. The next day St. Peter asks him if he’s made up his mind and he answers saying he always thought he wanted to go through the Pearly Gates, but what he experienced yesterday was so wonderful he’d decided to go down below. St. Peter says fine and sends him down the elevator. When he gets there the doors open and he’s facing hot, horrible conditions and his golfing friends are miserable and suffering hauling wheelbarrows of coal to feed the fires. He sees the Devil and asks what happened to the beautiful golf course and the great conditions? The Devil says: Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted!

The problem with all of this is whether or not they’ll answer these questions, and if they do will they answer them honestly. Politicians have the tendency to “grow” after they’re elected, but if they answer these questions - honestly - that will provide all the clarity anyone could need.