The Downsizing Missouri Government Committee continued its tour of statewide hearings, following up a meeting in Springfield earlier this morning with one here, but only two "concerned citizens" spoke, and one of those was Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City.
The only non-politician who spoke asked for an update on legislation to decriminalize the use of marijuana, which had nothing to do with downsizing government, but could definitely be considered a high priority (if you know what I mean).
The concerned public did not show up, but there was more media than you could shake a stick at, if that is your idea of having fun. The back of the room was lined with TV and radio reporters, while seated in the front were the combination of John Hacker and Rylee Hartwell from the Carthage Press. Hartwell, a junior at Joplin High School, stole the Joplin Globe's college student/political reporter Eli Yokley's usual designation as the youngest person in the room.
The Turner Report was there, too.
It's a shame the concerned public, so many of whom go through each waking day wondering just how in the world are we ever going to downsize Missouri state government, was a no-show. If they had popped in at the Chamber office, they could have heard Committee Chairman Paul Curtman, R-Lee's Summit, and members Bill White, R-Joplin, and Mike Kelley, R-Lamar, explain the virtues of less government interfering with the lives of ordinary citizens.
Even better, they could have enjoyed an air conditioning unit that was working perfectly. And reportedly, no government functionary flipped the "on" switch.
Curtman, a young man who is being touted as an up-and-comer in the Missouri GOP, said the committee's job was to help "create an environment that allows people to succeed and prosper." Its mission is to seek out new waste, new repetition of government services and to boldly go where no committee has gone before.
The subject of Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of HB 253, which would have given Missourians a huge tax cut, but also would have drastically cut services, was addressed. Kelley said, "We had not had one person tell us we should not override the veto."
One smartaleck reporter, allegedly sitting in the same spot where I was sitting, almost raised his hand to say, "We should not override the veto," just so Kelley couldn't say that any more.
After less than 15 minutes, the public hearing came to a close. "This is the fastest hearing we have had," Curtman said.
Bill White could have told the young legislator that we don't waste time in Joplin. The interviews after the hearing took longer than the hearing did.
That same smartaleck reporter asked Kelley if there had ever been an occasion where he actually saw the need to add more government employees to handle a particular problem.
"I have never seen that happen," Kelley said.
Perhaps a team of investigators to locate concerned citizens.
(Photo: Downsizing Missouri Government Committee members, from left, Bill White, Mike Kelley, and Paul Curtman prepare to deal with the concerned citizens who came to the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce building today. The concerned citizens avoided the front row.)
3 comments:
Kind of hard to argue against government in a town that has just been rescued by the same, and for whom the government is the biggest source of support for many. Maybe we should start with fewer tax-wasting representatives.
You know that quote from Forrest Gump"stupid is as stupid does"? I would think that it would even be apparent to the most conservative of voters that destroying state government that provides essential services is not the answer. Paul Curtman has spent years on Islamophobia, the gold standard and telling you that the government is intruding in your life but what choices are there actually? These guys rail against the IRS but you know someone will have to collect taxes in order to have a government, someone will have to monitor the quality of the food you eat and the water you drink so you will have to have something like an EPA ecause of water and food borne disease (polio as an example). Someone will have to set standards for education so kids can get into college because they actually do have requirements and not all parents can stay home and educate their children in a sterile environment away from cultures and ideas unlike their own and if you need to send your kids to a public school you need to know that there is an accredidation process for teachers and schools so you will have to have something like a Department of Education.If you look around you will see that not everyone in this country is white or christian and it has been that way since the founding of this place. I think Jefferson was a Deist and he was president. Prayer in school will always exist as long as there are tests.Hunting will always be a part of American recreation and culture. What the far right is telling you they need to limit or do away with simply cannot be done if you want to live in a modern and safe country.These Republicans long for a country that never existed and they want to destroy essential services that can't be destroyed. Enough time has been spent on this foolishness. Time to find some real leaders and send these nutbags back to their fringe meetings where they can talk about existential, silly ideas that can't work in a real world. Maybe they can wear silly hats and polish their guns and listen for black helicopters?
Curtman's news release said he'd like to hear from citizens who think "The state government is engaging in an activity you consider excessive or intrusive," so if he is listening, here goes...
HB 298 (English) and SB 393 (Libla) are intrusive into my rights as a citizen to make my own health care decisions. The bills require many to have medical procedures done that are unnecessary and excessive. Please oppose these bills and allow me to make my own decisions. Also, HB 177 (Koenig) HB 400 (Riddle) and SB 175 (Wallingford) restrict my access to medication that has already been approved by the FDA as safe and effective. Surely those who support Milton Friedman's ideals of a free-market economy, and Republican/Libertarian/Tea-Party philosophy of lawmakers not poking their noses in where it is unnecessary, would see these laws are intrusive. While we're at it, if your Republican ideology supports the rights of the individuals, and the elimination of intrusive bureaucrats sticking their nose where it doesn't belong, I'd love to see you guys get working to repeal Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2.
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