The LuLac Edition #1458, Feb. 2nd, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: "WRITE ON WEDNESDAY" LOGO, THE STATE CAPITOL DOME AND THE COVER OF MY FIRST BOOK, "A RADIO STORY/WEE WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS".

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

SUPER BOWL CHAPTER

The following is a link to my other blog site, Author: David Yonki. Since we have Super Bowl Sunday coming up, you might want to take a look at an excerpt from my first book which focused on a Super Bowl Party. Here’s the link:
http://authordavidyonki.blogspot.com/.


LEGISLATIVE LOONEY TUNES

The Scranton Times wrote an editorial last week regarding the antics of the House GOP in Harrisburg and their efforts for reform. Here’s what the Times editorial staff had to say about the actions of the majority party:
Democracy is characterized not simply by majority rule but by majority rule with respect for minority rights.
The new state House Republican majority, led by Rep. Mike Turzai of Allegheny County, threw respect for the minority to the wind this week. Mr. Turzai refused to hear debate from Democratic members of the House Rules Committee while moving to reduce by one the number of Democrats on every House committee.
Worse, he also pushed a rule that would severely limit the minority's ability to even introduce amendments to legislation.
Republicans accused Democrats of using amendments to "slow" or "obstruct" legislation that majority members had introduced to bring about some minor reforms in legislative operations.
But most of the amendments introduced by Democrats actually would have expanded the reforms.
And slowing or obstructing legislation sometimes is a worthy exercise. The amendment process that the House GOP now would scrap was created as a reform, after the ill-conceived legislative pay raise bill was rammed through the Legislature with lightning speed in 2005. Some "obstructionist" amendments then might have saved the Legislature from itself.
House Republicans have a 112-91 advantage, which should enable them to do pretty much as they please for the next two years. But that does not absolve them of the duty to hear the minority view through the amendment process, especially considering that the minority represents 45 percent of the commonwealth's population.
And, while complaining that Democrats have introduced amendments to slow the process, majority Republicans should keep in mind that they introduced more than 2,700 amendments to legislation while in the minority over the last two years.
The changes pressed by the majority are needless and should be withdrawn.