Well I'm glad our government is run by children...aren't you?

Remove all ads!

Ooooh boy.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/14/texas.legislature/index.html

Right now, in the Texas legislature, 50 Democratic state representatives have fled to another state in an attempt to block a redistricting bill that will cause them to lose seats in the House of Representatives to the Republicans and lose their majority vote of 17-15 (it will be 20-12 in favor of the GOP if passed). Their strategy is that if they aren't present, a quorum cannot be reached (2/3 majority) and the bill cannot be voted on, thus killing the bill. They claim this bill is petty, unnecessary and "an attempt at a very partisan power grab." By crossing state lines, they cannot be forced to return to work, and say they will return on Thursday when the time limit on the bill has expired. Since Congress can't philibuster or otherwise block passage of a bill, part of me thinks this is a brilliant interpretation of the rules of congressional procedure and a very shrewd move on their part. Yet I can't get the image out of my head of a spoiled child crying "You're not playing fair! I'm not gonna play anymore if I can't get my way, so there!"

Meanwhile on Tuesday of this week, the Republican representatives, after a series of biting and condescending remarks to the press about the Dems, actually went to the trouble to make a deck of cards (ala the Iraq Top 52 Deck) and milk cartons bearing the Democrats pictures to mock them. They paraded this cute little joke around like a so many class clowns, reveling in how clever they were. Oh - and did I mention yesterday they were seen playing frisby on the floor or the House in Austin? I would find all this amusing, except for the fact that grown men and women - let alone government officials - are going to such lengths to tease fellow members of congress, when what they should be doing is coming up with some form of compromise, conjures up images of schoolyard bullies touting "Neener neener neener!"

Our Governer Rick Perry, playing the "parent" or "principal" in this little story, is basically saying, "Now, you kids play nice! Democrats, you kids come home this instant!" In a very Brady Bunch-father knows-best-moral-lesson kind of speech he said, "The democratic process is to debate and vote them. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. All the people of the state of Texas are asking is to let democracy ... work," and if the Democrats care about issues such as children's health care, "they'll come back to Austin and go to work." God forbid he actually remain neutral and see that both parties are to blame for the standoff and force a resolution.

And here's my favorite part:

Hypocracy anyone? How about a little childishness to go with that? Apparantly the legislature has plenty to go around. Boy am I glad I pay taxes! They sure are being put to good use. We wouldm't want our political leaders to actually...oh my god...WORK TOGETHER now, would we? A$$holes.

[ May 15, 2003, 02:20: Message edited by: Death Rabbit ]

 

Death Rabbit,

I am embarised to admit that I live in the state who's Govorner refused to let the Rangers come accross the border to escort the children home.

The democrats in Oklahoma are going to face the biggest loses in this states history in the next election, and I am so going to enjoy it!

 

@ Darkwolf

Was that a pot shot? I can't tell...

The point of my post is that I'm pissed off at the lengths our government will go to conduct the Democrats vs. Republicans pissing contest. I haven't made up my mind yet which party is better (or worse) for the country - I'm very much a moderate. But what I'm certain of is that if they both spent half as much time working together as they did trying to make each other look bad, this whole country would be in a hell of a lot better shape. IMO, both sides have good ideas. But right or left...you have to admit both sides here are being childish dickheads here.

 

TEXAS ROCKS!!

Anyways.

That's how the game is played in America.

The deal is it's like a filibuster (sp?). In Texas, it's required to have at least 3/4 of the representatives, in session, to vote on anything. So when all of them bailed, it's down to like 2/3's.

They are, however, libel for deriliction of duty. It's also called "failure to execute the responsibilities of elected office". But good luck trying to nail anyone on it.

It's all fun and games until you start rezoning, babe.

 

Death Rabbit,

No, I am not taking a pot shot. I think that the actions of the elected representatives of the people of Texas is disgraceful. I am only saying that I am embarrassed by the fact that the invisible man known as the Governor of Oklahoma actually appeared to support the shameful act.

The Governor of Oklahoma is even worse than anything you have in Texas. He claimed that without a lottery, we couldn't fund schools. He couldn't get the super majority he needed to pass a lottery, so he forced a referendum by twisting of the intent of the Oklahoma Constitution. Then after he got his referendum passed, the Dems controlling the OK legislature fully funded schools, transportation, public safety and health care. The people of Oklahoma can’t vote on the lottery until November at the earliest, and not one dime of revenue has flowed in from it, but yet they just fully funded schools and all the other major functions of the state government. I guess we really needed that lottery so that the government wouldn't have to cut the fat from its budget.

They could save hundreds of millions just by consolidating school districts, not schools, just districts. There are over 200 school districts in Ok with less than 100 students in them! Every one of those has a superintendent, secretary, and various support staff. The average salary for a superintendent in Oklahoma is over $75k, for a part time job! But the Dems run out the usual emotional arguments about taking peoples jobs away from them. I don't understand why the government can't behave like the rest of us have to in tough economic times. We all tighten our belts and make sacrifices. There were over 5000 people who worked at the campus I work at; there are now less than 2000. Business can lay off people, but not government?

Meanwhile the Dems won't even tell the people of this state that the lottery opens the door to class 3 gaming (Las Vegas style). I don't care if gaming is legal here or not, I have no moral offence to it, I even worked in a casino for a year after I graduated college (it was in a mountain resort, and I got 53 snow skiing days in that year), but I want people to understand what they are voting for. Unfortunately the government treats us all like mushrooms, and most sheeple just don't care enough to look at issues before they mark the ballot.

 

Those Dems crossing the lines should face some pretty severe sanctions for not showing up to work. The Republicans are also acting like idiots, but at least they are at work (though they should be working on some sort of court challenge to force the Dems back.)

I should point out, though, that no country is immune to such stupidity. The Canadian government is rife with people singing 50 verses of the national anthem, people reciting entire Homeric poems, and other such stupid maneuvers used to hold up or kill a bill before it becomes law. I can't stand that sort of thing. Makes me wish I were rich and could purchase a tiny island and declare myself the Grand Master thereof.

 

It truly is disgusting. This is the only way to resolve differences? By running away and hiding? I hope that the lot of them are voted out of office.
This is politics, not leadership.

 

Without defending the actions of the Democrats (I'm not), let me point out that the districts the Republicans are trying to draw are gerrymandering at its finest. For example, one district joined two mostly-Republican areas that are 300 miles apart! In some places this "district" is only two blocks wide.

Childish is as childish does.

 

@ Jack Funk

I agree, it is disgusting - but my disgust is for both sides. I don't 100% agree with how and what the Dems did in this instance, but I do see why they are doing it. There is no excuse, IMO, for the actions of the Repubs in response to it. Rather than having a grand old time mocking the Dems, you would think they would put the purpose of getting the job done and reaching a compromise above gloating and throwing spit-wads, so to speak.

The Dems aren't totally to blame for the disgrace here. The Repubs in Texas should be ashamed of themselves, too. If they really wanted to prove how mature they are and how immature the Dems are, they wouldn't be printing Democrat most wanted cards and playing frisbey in the state House. Are they any less childish, honestly? Please explain this to me - because I really fail to see how the Repubs are taking any kind of higher road here. I'm not picking a fight with you here, I just fail to see how anyone (not just you), regardless of political leanings, can see this as a one-sided dispute. If by "the lot of them" you meant both sides, then I guess we are in agreement and nevermind.

 

Rally,

I can't speak for Texas, but here in OK the democrats have been doing what the republicans in Texas are doing for a long time (decades). I would bet that it is the same in Texas.

Edit
Realized that this is vague, I was speaking of the gerrymander of voting district lines.

[ May 16, 2003, 17:29: Message edited by: Darkwolf ]

 

@Deathrabbit
My response was non-partisan (where did you get the impression that it wasn't?). The Republicans making posters mocking the Dems is absurd. However, I don't believe that this is as serious an action as the one the Dems took. Immature? Yes. Illegal? No. In the case of the Democrats, there actions are illegal in Texas and one of them has already been arrested.

For the record, I am independent. I think that both parties playing partisan politics (rather than leading) is the biggest problem in our government.

I agree whole heartedly with Darkwolf. I lived in Massachussets (the great Dem stronghold) for a few years (still work there) and this kind of redistricting is not limited to one party.

 

Aren't you Texans paying those dummy-crats (yes, childish ) a salray??? If I don't show up, I get docked some money.

 

Pay their salary? I would pay both sides if they did stay away. Texas would be better off if they all just moved to Oklahoma. This is only one of the debacles here. Death Rabbit could probably mention the Michelangelo copy that was banned from one of our shopping centers (I think we both live in the same area). I'm just too embarrassed to go into the silly details of the big republican offensive against the Italian Master of "porn."

[ May 16, 2003, 07:00: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

@ Jack Funk

I got the impression you were being partisan when you said "By running away and hiding?" Thought you were referring only to the Dems.

@ Chandos

Yes, we do live in the same city (cool!) but I've heard very little about the Michaelangelo thing so feel free to share.

 

The Republicans didn't run away and hide. They sat there, unable to continue doing there jobs and chose to behave like children. Again, while immature, I don't really see how it is any different than if they just went home. They couldn't continue to work because of the actions of the Dems.
I see it as the Dems hijacking the process illegally. This is FAR worse (in my eyes) then putting pictures on milk cartons.
I think that all who participated (on both sides) are a bunch of clowns and should be voted out in the next elections. They all have disgraced their office and the responsibilities given to them by the taxpayers.

 

Death Rabbit -- I hope this is not off-topic, but we are talking about the republicans and democrats in Texas. You probably are in Harris County then, Death Rabbit. In Montgomery County, a few months back, the repulicans showed up to convince the county board that a statue of Michelangleo's David, which was on one of the strip-centers across from the Woodlands Mall, was an affront to decency. After several meetings of their constant ranting, the board finally passed a resolution to ban the statue.
The statue itself was really rather small, and hardly noticed. I work nearby and I never really paid any attention to it. But the county board claimed that they were just plain tired of dealing with the issue, so David was ordered removed, or at least clad.

Here's the scary part: The republicans claimed after their great victory over Michelangelo, that they were going to "clean-up the libraries" in the county next. J.D. Salinger and Hunter S. Thompson, beware.
http://www.montgomerycountynews.net/Citizens%20Review%20Board%20Is%20Appointed%20to%20Library%20Review%20Board.htm

[ May 17, 2003, 03:06: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

That's terrible, Chandos! In this day and age classifying Michaelangelo as porn? Sounds like the 50s and HUAC. I guess stupidity, like gerrymandering, is non-partisan. Those Republicans should be ashamed of themselves. Maybe you're on to somethig with paying all the elected idiots to stay away and let someone with a brain do the work!

 

Lord Depaara -- Yes, I was curious to see what you would think of this in particular, since you were an English major and loved books also.

[ May 20, 2003, 04:59: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

I believe in self-censorship of books -- in other words, if I find a book offensive, I don't read it. I also believe in restricting access to sexually explicit material for children under 18. A public library, though, should be sacrosanct and carry as many books as the walls will hold.

 

I should note that the conservatives who are attacking the libraries here are really not representative of most mainstream conservatives, even in some parts of Texas. But the neo-cons have a large following here and are very active. This is the breeding ground from which came the likes of Dick Army and Tom Delay.

The word is that Tom Delay is the real power behind the redistricting debacle.