What's the Matter with Missouri?
Why is it that people love to spend Missouri money in other states? Why can't Missourians spend their public or quasi-public dollars within our borders?
The most recent example of this was Rod Jetton's lobbyist-sponsored boondoggle to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where lobbyists paid for republicans' rooms at the swank Arlington Hotel. Among the lobbyists springing for this spring-break get-away was our governor's shady brother Andy.
I'll ignore for today the dubious ethics of having lobbyists pay for your hotel room - I understand that johns pay for their prostitutes' rooms at the hotels on Independence Avenue, too. In fact, I'll ignore the whole issue of what they did while down there in Bill Clinton's boyhood home - the thought of Rod Jetton, House Speaker Pro Tem Carl Bearden, Jack Goodman, Brian Nieves, Marilyn Ruestman, Shannon Cooper, Rex Rector, Brad Roark, and Jay Wasson all cavorting in a hot tub is too upsetting to think about.
What gets my goat about this "Legislators Gone Wild Spring Break 2005" is the fact that they chose to spend the money out of state. There are plenty of good places here in Missouri where they could spend their lobbyist dollars.
The Missouri Bar does the same thing every January. This year, they took a bucket of Missouri money to Las Vegas and pumped it into the Nevada economy. Next year, they'll be spending thousands and thousands of dollars in Marco Island, Florida. It's an enjoyable boondoggle, to be sure, but I've never seen the Nevada or Florida Bars return the favor and blow a wad of cash at Missouri resorts.
If Rod Jetton and his band of republicans want to sleep in lobbyists rooms, that's their choice. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest. But what kind of Missourian would take Missouri dollars and give them to Arkansas?
posted by Dan at 4/07/2005 06:52:00 AM
1 Comments:
Jesse Helm's Consultant Marries His Gay Partner
by Joe in DC - 4/9/2005 10:33:00 AM
Yes, hypocrisy reigns once again. Arthur Finkelstein, who masterminded the political career of Jesse Helms and several other notable Republican gay bashers, has married his male lover...in that liberal bastion on of Masssachusetts, no less.
The New York Times has the story:
Mr. Finkelstein, 59, who has made a practice of defeating Democrats by trying to demonize them as liberal, said in a brief interview that he had married his partner of 40 years to ensure that the couple had the same benefits available to married heterosexual couples.
"I believe that visitation rights, health care benefits and other human relationship contracts that are taken for granted by all married people should be available to partners," he said.
That, Mr. Finkelstein is probably the most accurate and truthful thing you have ever said. Try it out on your pals in the GOP.
Post a Comment
<< Home