Transportation is becoming a hardy perennial: Almost certainly, the Assembly will revisit the abusive-driver fees and the enhanced fines for traffic infractions that it passed last year. And almost certainly, the session will see the usual bills about abortion, guns, and the other routine subjects of perpetual contention.
Lawmakers will promote their own multifarious pet causes, as well as the causes their constituents ask them to promote. The subjects will range from the grandiose (changes to the Virginia Constitution) to the minute (commending the town of Elkton on its hundredth anniversary) and everything in between (animal welfare, banning text-messaging while driving).
If we have a lament about the legislature in general, it is a lament about democracy in general: the seeming necessity, in order to curry favor with voters, of endless tinkering.To cite but one instance, consider HB160. The bill provides that when someone is convicted of larceny, and it is determined at trial that he used an emergency exit to leave the store he has just burgled, he shall be guilty of a class 6 felony. We bow to no one in our support for law and order -- but this is just silly. The measure does not reduce the incidence of larceny; it addresses no crying need. It is mere résumé-padding for its sponsor, Del. David Albo.
General Assembly sessions would go a lot more quickly if lawmakers looked more after their constituents' interests and less after their own. (And if a frog had wings . . . .) Editorial, At the Capitol, Richmond Times Dispatch (Jan. 6, 2008).
Just as Del. Dave Albo says:
1 comments:
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my site, it is about the CresceNet, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . A hug.
Post a Comment