The Race To The Bottom

About a month ago I wrote an attempted funny piece about putting up a border wall on our southern border. The southern border of Missouri, in order to keep Arkansans out and protect our culture, our property, OUR JOBS! What I did not really understand was that I was (once again) behind the times. I had not followed the times. I once again had not paid attention. Term limits have come to fruition and now we get to reap what we have sewn. The harvest. What the hell am I talking about? I am talking about consequences and the consequences we are suffering through... is the Missouri Legislature. The scum also rises to the top. I did not see this coming. It make a LOT of sense to let people go to government, and then come home. Citizen legislators are an admirable goal but now we have the worst of all worlds. People with no institutional memory and no legislative experience. They are in need of guidance and they are getting it, brilliantly by the former legislators who were: 1. Term limited out of office 2. Not talented enough or intelligent enough to go on to State wide office; 3. Greedy; 4. Able to gain an understanding of how to game the system.

 They also have to rely on crutches like the American Legislation Exchange Counsel (ALEC) who plants and educates you regarding their prepackaged, highly biased legislation. I want to be fair, these legislators do not have a lot of options. They do not have a system that provides any education and their seniors (who should be mentors are on their final terms and preoccupied with what they are going to do next. These guys are trying to feather their own nests. In this last election cycle that means that there are a huge Republican majority in the legislature and they can absolutely, positively get NOTHING done other than lowering the bar and making asses of themselves and making Missouri... the new Arkansas. I Googled “Missouri State Legislature 2012 Accomplishments” and came up with this link to the Missourian. This just lists their headlines regaring the Missouri Legislature and it is...shameful, meager and embarrassing.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/packages/2012-missouri-legislature/

I am just saying that there is no there, there. Forget about the Emperor having no clothes, we don't have an Emperor. There is nothing getting done. In the Missouri House it is 105 Republicans to 58 Democrats and in the Senate it is 27 Republicans to 7 Democrats. In Jay Nixon they have a Democratic Governor who understands how the wind is blowing and other than making sure he does not sell out his trial lawyer campaign donation base he is open minded to doing the politically expedient thing but our idiots in the house ans senate cannot agree with one another on....anything. The Missouri House is desperate to race us to the bottom. We want to be Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi. We are REALLY embracing the SEC affiliations of our State football team by doing everything we can to damage unions, schools, higher education and any kind of social safety net. Right to work has worked so well for those States that why wouldn't we want to be there with them. When will States realize that competing with one another for jobs by giving tax breaks and creating labor hating laws just zooms us to the bottom exacerbating the difference between the super rich and everyone else. We do not need to spend money on education, we need to fix education and we can fix it by cutting expenses and firing people. Here are some of the things that they spent their time and your money on. Just some:

HB 68 -- MISUSE OF EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SERVICE This bill prohibits a political subdivision from imposing a fine or penalty on the owner of a pay telephone or on the owner of any property upon which a pay telephone is located for a callan emergency telephone service from the pay telephone. HB 182 -- COLON CANCER AWARENESS DAY This bill designates the first Friday in March of each year as “Dress in Blue for Colon Caawareness of colon cancer. HCS HB 197 -- CORD BLOOD BANKING SS HCS HB 213 -- LATE-TERM ABORTIONS HCS HB 220 -- REAL ESTATE LICENSEE LIABILITY Currently, a real estate licensee is immune from liability for statements made by certain expert professionals unless the expert was selected and engaged by the licensee. This bill specifies that the ordering of a report or an inspection alone will not constitute selecting or engaging a person. SS#2 SCS HCS HB 294, 123, 125, 113, 271 & 215 -- FIREARMS This bill changes the laws regarding firearms, ammunition, and concealed carry endorsements. In its main provisions, the bill: (1) Specifies that the county sheriff’s revolving fund may be used to pay for information and data exchange (Section 50.535, RSMo); (2) Prohibits the sales tax on any firearms or ammunition from being levied at a higher rate than for any sales tax or other excise tax charged on any sporting goods or equipment or any hunting equipment (Section 144.064); (3) Specifies that a nondriver’s license containing a concealed carry endorsement will expire three years from the date the certificate of qualification was issued. The fee for nondriver’s licenses issued for a period exceeding three years will be $6 or $3 for licenses issued for a period of three year(Sections 302.181 and 571.101); (4) Allows a person to possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a machine gun, short barreled rifle or shotgun, or firearm silencer if he or she conforms with federal law. A person will not commit a crime if he or she possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells an explosive weapon; explosive, incendiary, or poisonous substance or material; a gas gun; a switchblade knife; certain explosive bullets; or knuckles if he or she conforms with federal law. A person who possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells an explosive weapon; explosive, incendiary, or poisonous substance or material; a gas gun; or a machine gun, short barreled rifle or shotgun, or firearm silencer in violation of federal law will be guilty of a class C felony. A person who possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells a switchblade knife, certain explosive bullets, or knuckle571.020); (9) Specifies that current provisions do not preclude a member of the General Assembly, a full-time or legislative employee of the General Assembly, or statewide elected officials and their employees who hold a valid concealed carry endorsement from carrying a concealed f(Section 571.107); Authorized the purchase of: (4) A “DON’T TREAD ON ME” plate to any person who applies. SS SCS HCS HB 470 & 429 -- NONRESIDENT ENTERTAINER AND PROFESSIONAL ATHLETIC TEAM INCOME TAX This bill exempts a not-for-profit entity that receives no benefit from a nonresident entertainer’s appearance other than the entertainer’s performance from the withholding requirement of the nonresident entertainer and professional athletic team income tax. HB 749 -- CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION This bill designates April as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” to be observed with activities that increase awareness of the issue and the prevention methods available to reduce child abuse incidents. The bill also designates the “blue risymbol for child abuse prevention. AND BRIDGE DESIGNATIONS This bill renames the Heroes Way Interstate Interchange Designation Program as the Heroes Way Interchange Designation Program and expands the program to include state-numbered highway interchanges. The bill also designates the following memorial highways and bridges: (1) The portion of State Highway 8 in St. Francois County from the intersection of State Route M east to the intersection of Main Street in the City of Leadwood as the “Ferlin Huskey Highway”; HJR 2 -- RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN PUBLIC PLACES Upon voter approval, this proposed constitutional amendment guarantees a citizen’s right to pray and worship in all private and public areas including schools as long as the activities are voluntary and subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to all other types of speech. A citizen’s right to choose any religion or no religion at all is reaffirmed by prohibiting the state or any of its political subdivisions from establishing an official state religion and from coercing any person to participate in any prayer or other religious activity. The resolution also reaffirms the right of employees and elected officials of the State of Missouri to pray on government premises and public property and ensures the General Assembly and the governing bodies of political subdivisions the right to have ministers, clergy persons, and other individuals offer prayers or invocations at meetings or sessions of the General Assembly or governing bodies. Students are allowed to express their religious beliefs in assignments free from discrimination and cannot be compelled to participate in assignments or presentations that violate their beliefs. Public schools receiving state funds are required to display the text of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States in a conspicuous and legible manner. The resolution does not expand the religious rights of prisoners beyond those guaranteed by federal laws.


Everyone can pray everywhere, except prisoners....and Muslims! You can find all their brilliance from 2011 and that of the Missouri Senate here:

 http://house.mo.gov/pr/tafpsummaries2011.pdf

One thing for sure is 2012 will be shorter and even dumber. So really, what do we do? I would like to blame it on the Republicans but if the Democrats were the super majority they would be cocking it up too. Selling themselves off for votes and campaign dollars and personal riches. Sadly, I now have more confidence in the Federal Government (which is unbelievable) than I do in this particularly contemptible group. The Governor is doing a nice sensible job in a horrible situation but these people... these people have to go. We have a nice State. They have made us into a joke. Not even a funny joke. Just a sick, sad joke as we become norther Arkansas. Here is the latest example. Makes you proud to be from the “Pay Me” State. http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/editorial-missouri-legislature-s-revolving-door-begins-its-annual-spin/article_1c1113f3-5833-5cc7-bac4-b18835940a87.html