The things coming out of Jefferson City at the statehouse are pitiful. This is not government representing us. This is government representing corporations, the wealthy and themselves. Herewith, 3 current, maddening examples, as promised:
1) The legislators, in their wisdom (read: sucking up to corporations) came up with legislation limiting how much we, as citizens of the state, can sue corporate hog farms, for instance, in order to get them to literally clean up their collective acts. If a corporate hog farm moves into your area, fouls the air for all and never cleans it up, even after you've sued, you and I will be stuck with that because the legislators did the corporation's bidding and have declared that a "nuisance" lawsuit. Since it's a nuisance to them, they've decided it will be a nuisance for everyone in the state.
As one Janelle Ramsburg of Prairie Village (KS) so aptly put it today in the Star's Letters to the Editor:
"Do I understand the intent of the Missouri legislators correctly? Corporations should have the right to come into a community and ruin it for inhabitants. The only rights the inhabitants are to be allowed is to sell their property and move away, assuming they can find a buyer?"
Yes, Ms. Ramsburg, you are absolutely correct on this. Thank goodness you don't live in Missouri. However, that said, you also have a Republican legislature in Kansas, too, so you might want to keep an eye on them;
2) As I wrote earlier, the legislators re-wrote the vote we had last Fall by stripping Prop B of its protections for animals from "puppy mills". Instead of honoring our votes, the legislators are going with their corporate buddies, instead, and going for more protections for these animal abusers, to boot, rather than leaving the protections in. Additionally, Governor Nixon apparently hasn't got the courage--political or otherwise--to stick with what we voters already spoke on, either, and stand up to the businesses that want their protections, and not the pets.
From The Star today:
Nixon cited technical — rather than substantive — problems as the reason for the veto and indicated he was open to approving the legal protections for factory farms if those problems are corrected.
Next time, we need a governor who can and will stand up to corporations, so he and our government protect us, the "little guy", instead of always siding with big, corporate interests and the "fat cats", the way our government used to.
3) Finally, there is the obscene, ugly and unnecessary Voter ID bill the Rethugs are pushing through so everyone has to show a picture ID of some kind when they vote.
Forget that voter fraud is nearly non-existent in the state.
Keep in mind, instead, that this is far more likely to disenfranchise the elderly, the poor, minorities and the disabled from border to border since all those groups are far more likely to vote Democratic.
So, kudos, Republicans--you and your corporate buddies certainly, clearly know how to take care of yourselves but in the meantime, you all--the wealthy, the corporations and the Republicans--are the only people getting what you want or need.
The rest of us can just suck on now-spoiled Easter eggs.
Links:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/02/2844587/nixon-veto-is-small-comfort-to.html
http://politicmo.com/2011/04/18/nixon-brokers-compromise-on-prop-b/
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=missouri%20prop%20b&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=f941f71c05026393&pf=p&pdl=500
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