Sunday, August 23, 2009

From The DOG (Democrat-Gazette)

This information was taken from a column in today's Democrat-Gazette by Meredith Oakley.

The Arkansas Legislature has met every two years for 172 years. This year, for some unknown reason, the voters, who always, almost to a man, vote "no" to change, decided it would be a good idea for the Lege to meet every year. This is such a bad idea, on many levels.

First crack out of the box, they declare their offices inferior. The Senators don't much like having to share with other Senators, and members of the House don't much like not having offices at all.

They are planning to use $6 Million of what I assume are stimulus dollars to renovate offices at the Multi-Agency Complex, called Big MAC. Also, 135 lawmakers will be housed at the new Arkansas General Assembly Suites and Business Accommodation Grounds - or, A-GASSBAG. Really. I'm not making this up.

Then, someone got the bright idea to use $3.5 Million of the $6 Million to build a tunnel (or, skybridge) linking the state Capitol with Big Mac.

Justification for the expenditure is the huge amount of paperwork, files, etc., that have to be schlepped across the street, from their offices to the Capitol. Here's where Meredith comes in. She wryly suggested that "they don't realize that today's computers and printers can comunicate across vast oceans, so communicating across a narrow street and a narrower drive-thru should be a snap."

Governor Mike Beebe has weighed in with an even better solution - umbrellas. Our governor is nothing if not practical. We'll see who wins this argument. My money's on Mike.

Stay tuned.

7 comments:

Darlene said...

Sometimes I wonder what Politicians use for their missing brains. We have ones in our Legislature that try to pass laws that anyone can carry a concealed weapon in a bar? How crazy is that?

Looking to the Stars said...

I think all politicians share one brain and that brain is working only 1/8. (except for Obama, he's a go getter)

NitWit1 said...

I somehow missed this tidbit of news. I remember the vote was to have annual sessions. What does that have to do with available office space...Hmmmm you right....nothing has to do with nothing whebn politicians are involved.. And all that paper? Have they ever though of trying to be a little more like our "green" friends? Save a tree. Although computers ar not very "green" at least they could utilize them and not commit two sins at one time.

Grayquill said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Grayquill said...

Yahoo! I finally get to agree with you. If it gets any better than this well be in heaven. I think here in Seattle we have some extra umbrellas lying around that old Mike could pick up cheep.

Tincanman said...

Gov. Beebe is a favorite of mine and I beleive he always tries to do what is right...The Legislature, not so much...The 'No' vote ballot, if I remember correctly, was worded in such a way that it would confuse a lawyer and seemed to confer that a no vote meant 'no change to status quo'...at least that's the way I recall it...a voter had to really be paying attention...anyway, no excuse for elected officials (Dems, Rethugs, or I's) burning dollars on needless things, even umbrellas.

Ima Wizer said...

politicians are politicians are politicians are politicians......sigh.