A Wave that Puts Things in Perspective

Seems a shame that it takes something like an 8.9 magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami in Japan had to happen to take our attention from the antics of Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen. 

Kinda puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

Grown Adults Acting Like Spoiled Brats

It's almost two weeks since the Indiana Democratic Party, which is a 'part time' legislature - meaning that they only meet for the first quarter or so of the year, packed their bags into rental vehicles (apparently paid for by the Democratic Party) and high tailed it across state lines to a major chain hotel in Urbana. 

They are not doing the job they have already been paid (at a base pay of $22,000 a year!) to do, which is to meet to discuss the state's budget and enact laws that are supposed to benefit the voters of the state.  Sounds easy enough, right? 

The initial reason for this flight from their job and stalling the legislative process was because the Democrats were, are, and remain against a bill that had to do with the right of teacher and government employees to not to join a union but still be covered by the union negotiations.  It's called the 'right to work' legislation. 

Instead of putting the so - called Democratic process to work and holding a vote, the Democratic party - which was voted into the minority last November - decided to flee the state.  Initially, the word was "We're not coming back to work until the bill dies."  In oher words, if we don't get our way, we aren't gonna play the game by the rules."  Or, to be more blunt about it, as Eric Cartman of South Park says when he doesn't get his way, "Screw you guys, I'm goin' home."  Well, in the Dems case, they went out of state.

This is not new.  IN Democrats took a page from WI.  It's a disturbing trend in government.  Back in the day, if a member of a legislative body wanted to kill a bill, they filibustered.  As long as the person could stay on his feet and talk - even if it meant readin' from the phone book - the filibuter continued.  It could only be stopped by a vote for cloture; which would then allow the process to continue. 

One thing about filibuster was that the legislative body was still intact, allowing negotations to go on at a local level to come to either enough votes for cloture of the filibuster, or to come to some other agreement (see the movie 'The Seduction of Joe Tynan' for a superb example of back office negotiations). 

The 21st Century's version of the filibuster is to pack up your bags and head out of state to make your point.  Never mind that you were elected to do a job and you're not doing that job, never mind that you've bascially ground the legislative process to a halt.  Just pack up and leave.  Hey, it worked for the Irsays with the Colts, so why not?

The thing is, the Dems got their way.  The bill died.  They should have come back.  

Wait a minute!  If our walk out worked to kill one bill, we can use it to get rid of other bills we don't like!   So the Dems changed the rules.  "Hell no!  We're not comin' back until the Republicans remove these other 11 bils we don't like (one of which has already been approved by the quorum prior to the exodus!).  

And that's the childish behavor that pisses me off.   The house majority leader has decided - at long last - to fine the missing Democrats for every day they remain off the job starting on Monday.  They'll be fined for every day they don't appear.  Under State Law, when the legislature doesn't meet for four successive days, they do not get their per diem pay (which is in addition to their base salary!) of $155 a day.   The per diem is still paid to the Republicans and three Democratic hold outs who show up at the statehouse to work.

The leislature, by the way, gets paid their base salary in two payments, according to published reports, in two checks, one dated 15 Jan, the other dated 15 Feb.  Interesting that the Dems didn't decide to run across state lines until after they got their second paycheck! 

One of the legislative representatives actually came out and stated he didn't see how fines were going to make any difference as they were already paid their base salary.  Is that arrogance or what? 

The Dems made their point and got the original bill they didn't like out of the picture.  The honorable thing to have done was to come back home and get back to work.  When they saw that their temper tantrum worked, they got busy with a bigger one.  Now, they claim that they are puttin' in 12-16 hour days at the conference rooms of this major chain hotel, working on the people's business. 

Yeah, right.  Behind closed doors.  I tend to figure that once they've sent the media out after the photo opp showing how 'hard' they're working on the people's business, they get out their smart phones and while away their time with other things.  The NCAA tourney is comin' up, after all, time to get their brackets done. 

The house minority leader found time to send an email out to various bloggers and media types, explaining why the party took the steps that they took.  I read it on one of the local media sites.  I was not impressed.   It was a lot of 'baloney, salami, BS'. 

I wasn't able to attend one of the video chats held by the Democrats last week.  Just wasn't able to get there.  Naturally, the video chat, which was held at a church in the Indianapolis area, was full of positive feedback to the Dems cause.  The thing is, they didn't open up the video chat to everyone; not all of the people live in one section of Indianapolis.  If they really wanted to get the word out, there are ways to do it on line, and allow everyone to be involved, both in support and against.

It's time for the Indiana Democratic Party to put on their adult underwear and act like adults, not like spoiled brats in the middle of the grocery store having a gigantic temper tantrum because Mommie won't buy them the double dipped chocolate covered cookies.  Grow up. 

OK, Who Moved My Blog?

So, I intended to post about the on - going situation with the Indiana State Legislature, only to find that my original blog, Mewsing From Lowecat, was missing when I logged in.  Now, it's still viewable on my Facebook account, and it'll be archieved here, but the blog itself is no longer available for me to post new blogs. 

So, I had to make up a new blog.  My old one will be linked.  Maybe it's just one of those things that happens in the blogosphere, and then again, maybe not.  Who knows? 

So maybe tomorrow, after I've done some studyin' on the legislature thingie, then I'll rant on that.