State Legislature

If lobbyist feeds don’t influence legislators why do they put them on? And why do legislators attend?

l3wis February 15, 2011 3Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pqyax6gwzQ[/youtube]

Best hypocritical, bullshit quote of the day comes from a SD Republican lawmaker (Imagine that?):

But, Gray and other lawmakers don’t think the free food has much of an influence.

“I would tell you first and foremost all the legislators swear an oath that they will not accept anything of value for a vote. I don’t know that anybody up here is beholden to any lobbyist or any interest group. Frankly, if they were I think by now we wouldn’t have passed a smoking ban, we wouldn’t have changed our liquor laws, we probably would have given cities the opportunity to tax further,” Gray said.

So legislators are smart enough to not be influenced by a rib meal but voters are not smart enough to be influenced by a bowl of chili? Typical of a SD Lawmaker, ‘I am smarter than the average bear‘ mantra. Give me a break. It is pretty clear our state legislature are the bitches of corporate interests. If they were not, we would have a better education system, a fair tax system and higher wages. But guess what – we don’t.

Madville breaks it down even better.

SB 201. Further proof our legislature wastes valuable time

l3wis February 9, 2011 9Comments

From my email box;

Pierre, SD – A bi-partisan group of state legislators have united behind to two bills that would protect South Dakotans from dangerous and risky foreign laws.  The first bill, SB 201, would prohibit South Dakota courts from using dangerous foreign laws that deprive parties of the same fundamental rights granted under the constitutions of the United States and the State of South Dakota.  The second bill, SB 170, would require investment products to carry a disclosure if the security is controlled by risky foreign laws.

One foreign law in particular that has been universally condemned around the world is Shariah, which is found predominantly in the Middle East and has spread throughout Europe.

Really? With a budget shortfall we are worried about the couple of hundred muslim citizens in our state are going to take over our courts? Give me a freaking break. Our country was founded on religious FREEDOM. That means freedom from practicing or not.

Let’s look at the legislators supporting this stupidity and their comments;

State Senator Dan Lederman, stated, “Invoking Shariah law, in criminal and especially in civil cases, is a means of imposing an agenda on the American people while circumventing the US and state constitutions by using foreign laws which do not recognize our constitutional rights and liberties in US courts.  It’s a hostile foreign law that has no place in American courts.”

State Senator Reid Holien, supporter of SB 201 in the Senate announced, “I have seen first-hand the evils of Shariah while in Europe.  Now I’m concerned because people have tried using it in courtrooms around America.  I’m very concerned that many who use Shariah as a defense are often trying to justify criminal and violent behavior.  Or in the case of civil proceedings they are trying to justify forced marriages.  The bottom line is that we can’t let people use dangerous foreign laws in state courts.”

Representative Manny Steele from Sioux Falls is also concerned about the proliferation of dangerous laws that run counter to American rights and liberties. “I have deep concerns about the use of any foreign law in a South Dakota courtroom that condones violence and abuse.  America is a tolerant nation and our courts should not be endorsing or condoning the use of foreign laws like Shariah or any other.“

Remember these three names the next time you vote in their respective districts. It seems now the state legislature is concerned about what goes on in European courts.

Representative Charlie Hoffman from Eureka is concerned that certain investment funds are pouring dollars into charities which subsequently fund terrorism.  “At the state level we are limited in what we can do for national security, but what we can do for our country when it comes to the financing of international terrorism, is require investment products controlled by foreign laws such as Shariah to carry a disclosure so South Dakota investors know what they are potentially investing in.”

Well, Charlie, if this is about investing, maybe you should call your rich buddies and tell them to be careful about who they invest with. I’m sure every time they fill up their SUV’s and trucks they question where the oil that made the gasoline came from. Saudi Arabia or Hugo Chavez, both proven governments that support terrorism or terrorists against our country? I suppose they are refining their own gasoline these days?