Sturm und Drang
I was extremely busy yesterday and missed posting for the first time in months but a few things stuck with me.
Elayne has a great chart on the Effects of Gay Marriage, in reference to the recent vote in New York that said that any two people may enter into the partnership agreement known as marriage.
There will be a nice secondary effect of the law – a lot of weddings. From an economic standpoint it is a great stimulus program. People don’t understand how much is actually spent on weddings until they have to come up with the money for one. This will be very good for business in New York, and New York needs all the help it can get as it is in the grip of austerians.
I was thrilled to learn that people in California finally did something useful with the power of the initiative. CBS reports that Amid budget impasse, Calif. pols lose paychecks.
Apparently the voters were fed up with the politicians playing games with the budget process, and passed an initiative that costs them their pay and expenses for every day the budget is late. This is a pure loss; there will be no lump sum payment when they pass a budget. The legislature now has a real stake in doing their job and the state saves money every day the budget is delayed.
Of course, it would be better if they treated politicians like the public employees in New York. If a public employees in New York go on strike, they lose two days pay for every day of the strike.
8 comments
“The legislature now has a real stake in doing their job…”
Hmm. I’ve often wished I could drive a stake in the job done by the Texas Lege…
Florida at least requires the legislature to show up every year, although it is only for 60 days. Five months of work every other year is hardly worth the cost of running.
Ahhhh… What a radical concept! Do the work you are there to do… and get paid! This must make Poli’s head ache a great deal! 😈
Maybe the Cali’s are starting to think electing Der Terminator wasn’t such a great idea after all! 😆
People truly are their own worst enemies. *shrug*
Steve: Yes… I’ve thought similar thoughts about Politicians here (and elsewhere) often. Just yesterday in fact… I think people are coming to the realization (and about bloody time) that they were well-and-truly conned by Gillard!! I really hope that bus is coming soon! Actually… I hope it’s a 50ton steam roller! Hmmph! My maternal Gran woulda been telling people everywhere it was a huge mistake allowing Gillard to steal the PMship! She always said the only good thing to come out of Wales was coal (and she was Welsh)! 😆 😈
More and more, Kryten, I get the feeling that Gillard isn’t in charge, that she is working for a group. There is no unity in her actions. Whether for good or ill, people acting on their own tend to have a pattern of behavior that will allow you to understand why they do things, even if you don’t agree with what they are doing. Gillard, to me, has made some moves that seem random and not part of whole. It’s like she doesn’t really have a reason to be prime minister; she has no goals for seeking the position other than the position itself.
She was way in over hear head as Dep. PM, now she needs a telescope to see daylight!
Not only has she done a complete back-flip on the carbon tax deal (and totally lied and broken a promise she made to get elected in the process), but she’d behaving more like the Coalition, all talk and no substance, and being secretive (won’t release treasury figures for eg.) She’s also been caught going back to Rudd’s policies that she and her handlers got him thrown under the bus for. Rudd of course is just doing his job (and well I might add) whilst looking at the camera whenever asked about what’s going on with a knowing smile and “I told you so” kind of expression.
Sadly, we are screwed. Gillard is doing her usual job of screwing up Royally, the carbon tax deal, the people smuggling (boat people), and the NBN (National Broadband Network), to name but a few! We want our troops out of Afghanistan, yesterday! And she thinks she’s Ike! We DEFINITELY do not want the Coalition back (Abbott would be a nightmare). I’m not sure Rudd would take the job back even if offered, and I’m not sure he should all things considered. But there really isn’t anyone else. *shrug*
Meeahhhh! I’m still looking for a nice cave. Nothing fancy… dry, near clean running water, arable land to grow a few veggies and fruit trees, some game, and not a Politician for a hundred miles!
What do you mean “not a Politician for a hundred miles!” – didn’t your survival school food aversion course teach you to never reject a source of protein just because it was a bit slimy? 😉
I remember one of the columnists at The Drum remarking that she makes good news sound like a disaster, and disasters sound even worse. It makes you wonder how she has ever succeeded in politics. It may have to do with something that a reporter said during the floods – she gets along well with people on a personal level, but cannot deal with the media at all. Like a lot of software, she doesn’t scale.
Well, I was initially going to add “except when I need some target practice. It would make me feel a sense of responsibility in caring for the Environment. Just like properly sorting out the garbage and disposing of it properly and conscientiously. ”
I see yet another Illinois politician has finally been convicted of corruption (come on! It’s Illinois! It would be news if they found a Politician – or businessman – that wasn’t corrupt)!
According to a UIC Anti-corruption report (The Depth of Corruption in Illinois: Anti-Corruption Report Number 2 May 13, 2009) which states:
Illinois makes Italian politicians appear honest by comparison! 😉 😀
I think Sir Terry Pratchett had the right idea about XXXX and it should be applied to Illinois: anyone elected to office should just be thrown in prison because you know they are probably guilty of something! 😆 And Obama came from the Illinois Machine. 1+1= … 😛
If anyone is interested in the UIC reports (and they do make interesting reading):
UIC Anti-Corruption Reports
Hmm, sort like eradicating an invasive species, like fireants or Africanized bees. Well there is certainly social worth when you put it that way… and a source of protein. 😈
In the old days no one tried to hide what they were up to – the pols were corrupt and proud of helping their friends, as that was the whole point of being elected. Now, in addition to the corruption, you have to put up with the hypocrisy of the pols claiming they would never do anything under-handed. Too many claiming the reason you can trust them is because they are such pious believers.
A big shift occurred when the pols stopped helping their voters and started helping the corporations. It use to be that you got something – a job, an apartment – for voting for a crook, now you get screwed over by banks.
As I keep saying, if someone runs as a family-values Republican, they should automatically be put on the sex offenders list. It would save a lot of time and paperwork.
Israel hasn’t had a prime minister in decades who wasn’t involved in some sort of criminal corruption trial.
As usual, STP was right, just throw them in prison, and stop pretending.