HAHA

[lilme`]

[lilJester]

LOL

[Bettypooh]

A bill works it's way through the writers head, then gets penned on paper where it is introduced to the entire assembly, where (after the laughter dies down) it gets voted on. Almost always before that can happen, the leader of that assembly declares that it will be sent to some committee who is more interested in their last round of golf than the bill. The committee, after an appropriate amount of time has passed so that they could have studied it but probably didn't, either offers it for a vote or lets it die when the term expires (that;s where most bills go). On introduction to the assembly, somebody who doesn't like the bill's writer asks that it be sent back to committee or tabled, in the latter case that must be voted on. Those votes are usually held by the leader of the assembly taking a 'vote of hands' visually, whereupon he declares whatever he wanted to have happen to the bill to have collected the majority of 'hands" he guesstimated at. Once tabled that bill cannot be re-introduced until all other business has been handled- in other words 'fat chance sucker' is the verdict. If sent back to committee the same process as before happens again, but this time they will just ignore it unless they want to throw a monkey wrench into the legislative process where they introduce bills they know will take up huge amounts of time being debated so that other bills (the ones they didn't want to come up for a vote today) will not be heard. Should the bill's writer happen to be a likeable sort (or someone holding lots of power) then others may help 'sponsor' it which means they want to be seen supporting it but oftentimes they vote against it anyway (all they wanted to do was to be able to show that they supported something they were against all along to gain public favor). So the bill managed somehow to come up for a vote. Well, most of the legislators weren't there (but they were there in the morning when roll was called) and of those who were there to vote, most know nothing of the bill (because they told their staff they weren't interested in that kind of thing) so the leader gives a short, often inaccurate synopsis of the bill (being sure to not mention the hidden lines in it which actually mean a lot of other things are going to happen based on the vote). The writer stands, hoping to not be embarrassed and looking like a fool because nobody seconds the motion to introduce for vote- luckily his buddy legislator (who he just played gold with a few minutes earlier) sees his friend stand, and knowing nothing of the bill seconds the motion. Now someone stand and asks to be allowed to comment on the bill. They got to the front where the microphone is, and after a few minuted of non-related chatter begins to speak of what they are for (or against) the bill. This may take an hour so the leader of the legislature, being hungry, interrupts and calls for a recess for lunch. Being that most of them want to play another round or golf, they reconvene mid-afternoon, but the fellow who was speaking cannot bo found because he had a few too many martinis and got lost driving back. A half hour later he's back speaking again, starting all over with his spiel because he can't remember what he's already said. Finally he's done and someone else stands asking to speak. After hearing a dozen people speaking about the bill, everyone is sick of it and just wants to hear something else so someone moves that it be voted on now, and the whole place seconds the motion just to get it over with. After that, a handful of others move that the bill be combined with another (in which case the other bill and that action must be discussed similarly) and there are a few other motio0ns to table or re-commit the bill back to the committee (who are now on the 12th hole at the golf course having left hours ago, neither knowing or caring what's going on at the assembly). After discussing (and possibly voting on) the motions by som major miracle (or mistake), the bill which was introduced and needed 10 months ago finally gets voted on by the people we wasted our time electing. And wonder of wonders, the bill passes into law (or on to a higher assembly or the Governor/President) where hopefully it won't be rejected whereupon the whole process has to happen again. As it would happen, that higher chamber had a similar bill which it has already passed, but there are a few different parts that don't entirely agree, so back it goes to another committee who will reconcile these differences and pass them on to their respective chambers so that they can once again be voted on. And wonder of wonders, our bill not only passed but was signed into law by the Governor/President- woohoo! And now, 11 months after the poor people whose homes were washed away in a flood which was caused by the State's not properly doing it's job, are all awarded $500 each to replace their homes (as if that was an adequate amount). Not that it matters, for 20% of them starved to death waiting for help, 20% died from exposure because they had no place to stay out of the weather, 20% have moved out of the god-awful place and will never be back, 20% are in jail for attempted fraud because they weren't even in the same county the flood occurred in but filed for the money anyway, and 10% of the people simply cannot be located (in other words they are not in the phone book- how can they be when they have no home to put a phone into?) leaving just 10% of the people the bill was supposed to help actually getting help. But these folks didn't need the help; they were over-insured and they simply bought another house a week later after putting their hotel bill on their platinum-level credit card (after they decided which one of the 15 to use). The newspaper reporter tells the TV reporter to get his butt down here to cover the momentous occasion, then gathers a group of Legislators for a feely-good sound-bite interview which makes everyone feel warm inside, knowing that the government is there to help those sad folks in need who are now going to be justly compensated for the governments error. The person disbursing the funds hears about it and screams about them adding more work to their schedule because it's going to cut into their time on the golf course.

[Bettypooh]

Sadly we've got a serious problem with a system where good things can be stopped simply because someone doesn't like the person who started them. Our legislative process has become something more like spiteful children all throwing tantrums at the same time while remaining civil in actions and speech so they don't get thrown out themselves. Everyone should go see their legislature in action (or more appropriately not acting and blocking actions) to understand just what kinds of people we're dealing with there If you can find anyone who is actually there when they are supposed to be there, that is