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About
Stop the Buck
Posted Mar 11, 2005 |
In the "old days"
(whatever those were), drunken poker players
were
alleged to have used a marker to keep track of
who the dealer was. Since this marker was often a
buck's tail, some buckshot, or even a knife with a
buck-horn handle, the terms "passing the buck" and
"the buck stops here" referred to passing this
marker to the next dealer or claiming the deal for
oneself.
Later, when President
Harry S. Truman visited a federal reformatory in El
Reno, Oklahoma, he noticed a sign that read "The
Buck Stops Here" and liked it so much that he had
the slogan emblazoned onto a desktop sign and
eventually used the phrase in several of his
speeches. Truman's usage of the term brought it back
into the public's consciousness.
Regardless of whether
any of the above is accurate or not, what is true is
that the phrase "passing the buck" has become
synonymous with shifting the burden or
responsibility of something onto someone else. When
someone says "the buck stops here," they are clearly
implying that they will not pass along their
responsibility or their troubles onto someone else
(whether they want to or not).
The purpose of this
website is to document examples of "passing the
buck." Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or
an independent, you should be concerned whenever our
government passes along its responsibility or
problems onto someone else. In almost all cases,
this "someone else" is us--the taxpayer. By ignoring
or hiding serious issues, our elected leaders are
not just avoiding accountability, they are lowering
the ethical example for every citizen in our
country. We can do better.
Special Note:
We encourage readers of this website to check the
facts and data presented herein. If you find any
errors or omissions, please let us know immediately.
We strive to be part of the solution and not the
problem. Likewise, if you have any suggestions for
the site or if you have any examples of people
"passing the buck," please . Thanks! |
