I can't decide what I like better: if they are out-of-town they don't make anything any worse; however, they are still collecting checks.
"No air of urgency at State House" by Matt Viser, Globe Staff | February 26, 2009
A lack of activity on legislation left the House chamber empty yesterday. (Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki)
Anyone call an exterminator yet?
.... Seven weeks into the legislative session, facing an economic crisis of historic proportions and public confidence eroded by a series of scandals and ethics controversies, the Legislature remains at a virtual standstill....
Good! They aren't raising any taxes then!
Since Jan. 7, the start of the legislative session, the House has met.... less than 3 hours per week.... Of that, nearly 7 hours were for ceremonial events where no actual work took place, honoring Abraham Lincoln, listening to the governor's State of the State address, and being sworn into office.
The longest meeting was on Feb. 11, when representatives met for nearly six hours to debate rules. They still found time to adopt resolutions honoring Ronald Reagan and Red Sox legend Jim Rice. Last week, the House welcomed the mayor of Haifa, Israel.
And as usual, the MSM never followed up.
You'd almost think the Jew War Daily is concealing things if you didn't know any better.
About a dozen House lawmakers met on Monday, gaveled into session at 11:07 a.m. A prayer was said, the Pledge of Allegiance recited, and within 4 minutes they had adjourned.
That's YOUR TAX MONEY being spent, Massachusetter!
Leading lawmakers say to stay tuned. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo.... said yesterday that the pace will quicken in upcoming weeks.
"I can tell you that I have been busy and a lot of commissions and committees have been busy, as well," DeLeo said outside his office. "As we go along, hopefully you're going to be pleased with the progress, in terms of what we're doing."
No, because we are going to be getting SERVICE CUTS and TAX INCREASES while our tax money is given to Hollywood, biotechs, Raytheon, banks, Israel,, etc, etc, etc.
******************
The inactivity in the Legislature contrasts with other government activity around the country. State lawmakers in California were working long hours at the State House last week to solve a budget crisis, for example, and members of Congress met on weekends to cut a deal on a $787 billion stimulus package sought by President Obama. Most Massachusetts lawmakers took last week off for school vacation week.
I wish they would just stay there then!
"Everything seems to be stagnant," said Senate minority leader Richard R. Tisei, a Wakefield Republican. "The building should be humming every day with legislative hearings taking place. That's not happening."
It's called WASTING the TAXPAYER'S DIME!
David Falcone, a spokesman for Senate President Therese Murray, said the Senate has drafted a 268-page transportation reform bill and created several commissions to oversee the state redistricting process and to monitor the state's spending of federal stimulus money. A committee also held a hearing yesterday on a proposal to reorganize several state agencies.
Yesterday House and Senate lawmakers announced a series of hearings beginning next week on transportation law changes, among them a controversial plan by the governor to increase the gas tax by 19 cents a gallon. Lawmakers have criticized Patrick for not filing the bill until this week, preventing them from moving forward on changes.
Then STAY OUT!!!!
And get this:
The Senate has met even less often than the House, meeting 16 times for a total of 10 hours, 48 minutes, or about an hour and a half a week. The base pay for Massachusetts lawmakers is $61,440, although many earn additional stipends for holding leadership positions.
That's a WEEK, folks, not a DAY!!!
Longtime observers of the State House say this year's session got off to an unusually slow start, but few are alarmed. The Legislature is designed to be slower and more deliberative than the executive branch, and it typically takes several weeks to get going at the start of a legislative session.
"I may be wrong, but I'm not sure we're at the point where the world is going to collapse if we take two more weeks to deal with some of these issues," said Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause, a government watchdog group. "I don't want to be an apologist for the system, which has many flaws. But we also need to be realistic and let it work. You can't get blood out of stone."
And yet, we got the governor saying we gotta do things NOW!!!!
That's why I'm NOT TRUSTING a ONE OF 'EM!!!
Work at the State House was also stalled this year because of the shakeup in the House leadership just as the legislative session was getting started, with the resignation of former speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi Jan. 27. After DiMasi resigned, DeLeo took several weeks to make new committee assignments and decide which lawmakers to name as chairmen.
Patrick, who accused the Legislature last year of not acting swiftly enough on his proposals, declined a request for an interview and avoided criticizing top lawmakers....
"Is it slow? Yeah, but there are reasons for it," said Representative Daniel E. Bosley, a North Adams Democrat. "It's unfortunate because we ought to be talking about pension reform, transportation reform, and the budget."
Ah, the Big Boss Bosley! I'd rather you not, Boz!
Funny how the jewspaper can always find him up on the hill, huh?
And ABOUT THAT TAX HIKE, huh?
"Patrick says he's flexible on size of gas tax hike; Legislators hint 19 cents might be too steep" by Noah Bierman and Matt A. Viser, Globe Staff | February 26, 2009
So watch we WILL get TOLLS and TAXES!!!
Governor Deval Patrick allowed for some flexibility on his gas tax increase proposal yesterday as lawmakers began cautioning that 19 cents could be too high for their constituents.
1/10th of one-cent is TOO HIGH!! The LAST THING this WASTEFUL STATE needs is a TAX HIKE!!
See:
The State Budget Swindle
Governor Guts State Services
Pigs at the State Trough
Patrick told reporters he would be open to a smaller increase, but declined to specify a number, according to the Associated Press. When he unveiled the plan last week, he said he expected legislators to offer alternatives, but did not say how much he would be willing to yield.
He told reporters yesterday that a 4-cent increase would be enough to avert the set of toll hikes approved Tuesday but would not be enough to address all of the state's transportation problems. He also repeated his vow to veto any bill that does not make the state's transportation system more efficient.
In other words, do it my way or else, sig heil!
"As he always does, the governor will work with the Legislature on reaching agreement on a final transportation reform plan," spokesman Kyle Sullivan said. "However, he has been very clear that he would only support a plan that is comprehensive in nature and includes significant reforms. As he said last week, he will not support any plan that includes both a toll increase and a gas tax increase."
Yeah, WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT! Better not dump it all on our heads!!
That stance might put him at odds with some key lawmakers. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo indicated that 19 cents could be too high to win legislative approval and appeared to suggest that he would support smaller increases in gas tax and tolls.
"As the governor has stated, I think, he's looking at an either-or," DeLeo said. "What I'm looking at is a combination."
You see those words I'm sick of seeing, readers?
A spokesman later said DeLeo opposes the toll increase approved by the Turnpike Authority Tuesday, which would raise tolls in two steps, ultimately doubling the fee at the airport tunnels. Patrick has said the increases would be repealed if the Legislature raises the gas tax.
Senate President Therese Murray's spokesman, David Falcone, said Murray continues to believe the state will need to raise more money for transportation at some point, but has yet to commit to a means of doing so.
Yeah, because she doesn't want to get savaged like he rest of them.
Legislators are receiving tremendous pressure on the issue from interest groups and voters. Representative Joseph F. Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat who cochairs the Legislature's Joint Transportation Committee, said his office has received as many calls opposing a higher gas tax as it has on any issue during his 18 years in the Legislature.
Then the CALLS are WORKING!!
"I'm guessing that others are going to tell you the same thing," he said. Still, Wagner said he was keeping an open mind and pointed out that the tax has not been raised since 1991.
Translation: You know the drill....
1. Pull up to pump
2. Get out of car
3. Drop pants
4. Insert gas pump into ass
5. Pump gas
"I think people are likely to offer some acceptance toward an increase in the gas tax if they believe that increase is going to be used prospectively, for improvements in transportation," he said.
Representative, after what I've seen, we NO LONGER BELIEVE!!!!
Wagner's committee has scheduled four hearings to discuss Patrick's bill and one filed previously by the Senate, which will take place around the state over the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, about two dozen protesters from the state Republican Party spent rush hour in front of the State House, urging drivers to honk to object to Patrick's transportation bill.
--more--"
Gee, the PRO-TAX Globe ALMOST FORGOT THOSE PROTESTERS, huh?
I'm surprised they got a mention at all, although how could they ignore them when they were on the statehouse steps (and organized by a political party).
