If you want to see some irony and gall, you just need to pay some attention to the Senate Republicans.
Just a week after Senate Republicans introduced an anti-worker resolution that would require that state employees either work on President's Day or take the day off as an unpaid holiday, it turns out that the GOP-controlled Senate is taking next week off. No one is quite sure why, and Sen. Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, - who is becoming a thorn in the side of the Republicans - wanted to know why when Republicans are saying the sky is falling they are taking a week off.
“I can’t get an answer why,” Whitmer said on Wednesday. “I have asked a number of members why the Senate would close down, not meet in session. I don’t understand. And per Nero, Rome is burning—if you haven’t been listening.”
The Democratic-controlled House is in session next week, and both the House and Senate take a spring break for two weeks in April. But no one has an explanation for the off week, and Republicans are not talking.
“Now I’ve been told: ‘Well, we really don’t have much to do, ‘” Whitmer said. “I’ve been told: ‘People need more time in their districts.’
“Well, you worked one week last month and two days in December,” she said. “Haven’t you had enough time in your districts? Isn’t it time to spend a little time here in Lansing and complete the state budget or at least get it begun?”
Granted, most lawmakers meet with constituents, work in the district and attend events in the district when not in Lansing, and they keep a full schedule and earn their pay. But there is plenty to do in Lansing. Since the 95th Legislative session began on Jan. 14, Senate sessions have rarely gone more than an hour. In fact, Wednesday’s session lasted just 45 minutes, including the statements or speeches at the end of session.
When you consider how many in the Republicans caucus are running for statewide office, it’s not surprising they are taking the time off. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, ended the speculation on what office he is running for when he officially announced he is running for Attorney General today. He joins fellow Republicans Senator Bruce “the Bear” Patterson, R-Canton, in running for that office. There is one Republican member running for Governor and two for Secretary of State.
Sen. Bill Hardiman, R-Kentwood, offered a lame explanation for the off-week.
“I don’t plan the schedule and can’t respond to that, but there was an implication that we are not doing enough work; and we are not working when we are not in session,” he said. “Well, I do have to take exception to that.”
8 comments:
President's Day? you are kidding me, right?
Why in the world to state employees get President's Day off in the first place?
one more sign that the taxpayer works for the public employee, instead of the other way around.
It’s a national holiday, you idiot.
You are the idiot.
Check out private industry on President's Day. Go to the mall. Fill up your car at a gas station. Stop at a restaurant. Go buy a newspaper. Stop by those small manufacturing shops that haven't been "blown away". You will see they are all working. It's not a holiday for them.
It's a holiday for government, which means the people who work for a living have to pay for government folks to get still another paid day off.
What's next? Ground Hog Day. Arbor Day. Halloween?
Look at a calendar, genius.
You lose an argument and you start making idiotic statments. And you ignore my points.
Private industry is open for business. Creating the taxes that pay for governments that take the day off. Fortunately, there are so many non-essential employees at the state level, that no one will miss the fact that they aren't working.
When you can't argue the facts, you resort to name-calling. Thus, you have to do a lot of name-calling.
By the way, did you see your buddy Mark Schauer this weekend? Nice how he was involved in illegal campaign contributions.
Did you see any of your buddies who pay women to have sex?
I have never lost an argument to you, no matter who you have posted as.
You didn’t make any points to ignore. I didn’t see many banks, of any, open on President’s Day. I was a government employee for 20 years, and I worked every single holiday, including Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day two years in a row, so don’t give me that crap about state employees getting anything special. Now, you may not think Presidents Day is a holiday or even important, but you are in the minority.
State employees have done more with less for years, and there were more state employees under big government advocate John Engler than Gov. Jennifer Granhoilm. I just do not understand Republicans hatred of government employees.
I sure did see my buddy Congressman Mark Schafer this weekend, thanks. He took responsibility for his actions. What will be nice is when we have a Secretary of State who puts partisanship aside and applies the rules equally.
No, I didn’t see David Vitter this weekend. Did you?
What does the Vitter comment make? I've said repeatedly that people of both parties have been guilty of sexual misconduct. You are the one who wants to make it a party characteristic.
Who the hell is Mark Schafer?
You have an odd definition of "taking responsibility." A person cheats or breaks the law, he doesn't own up to it until authorities clamp down on him with irrefutable evidence, and only then does he "own up" to the punishment because he has no choice.
Every time a Democrat gets caught doing something wrong, your response is: "Well Republicans to bad things, too."
Big deal. I admit that. My point is that you won't own up to the deficiencies of people based solely on their party. If a Republican does it, they are evil, liars and hate the common person; if Democrats do it, you rationalize it, defend it, even praise it.
Schauer cheated and broke campaign laws. Why can't you concede that? Stabenow's husband..the one you want to get equal time on the radio...paid a troubled girl to get a blow job. What can't you admit that?
Another example: You criticize Chris Ward for missing a lot of floor votes. Where was your criticism of Democrats who also had horrible voting records?
Again, in your warped world, it's only bad if a Republican does it.
Give me a break, you have never said “repeatedly that people of both parties have been guilty of sexual misconduct.” In fact, you have never said that.
I have the same definition of “taking responsibility” as the majority of Americans.
“Every time a Democrat gets caught doing something wrong, your response is: "Well Republicans to bad things, too."“ Simply not true.
Look, I have a solution for you, you claim, “If a Republican does it, they are evil, liars and hate the common person; if Democrats do it, you rationalize it, defend it, even praise it.” That’s another lie from you, but fine I’m used to that. You write about Democrat’s indiscretions on your blog, I’ll write about Republican’s indiscretions on mine. We both know you will have a lot more to write about than I will.
I did admit Congressman Mark Schauer violated campaign laws, and he took responsibility for it. Will you admit the Secretary of State is not applying the law evenly?
I won’t concede anything about Sen. Stabenow's husband. By the way, he does not “want equal tine on the radio.”
Yes, I criticized “Chris Ward for missing a lot of floor votes.” But it was not just for “missing a lot of floor votes: it was for missing the most floor votes of any lawmaker. He’s number one. Plus, I live in the county he represents. Second, I campaigned for the person who ran against him, and I said then that Ward is not doing the job. He proved me right.
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