The senators in question are are doing their duty.
In response to one of your specific examples, it is my understanding that the Democratic senators have remained willing to negotiate from a distance, and I know that they have tried to conduct legislative business from that distance, including submitting amendments to bills, something they had previously been able to do while traveling. The governor has refused to accept any communications from them, and continues to refuse to use our wonderful modern technology to speak with them. That's not their fault.
Most recently, the governor decided to prevent their staff from even scanning or copying documents. That's not their fault either.
Legislators have always traveled when (in their opinion) the trip was in the interest of their constituents. This is not normally considered dereliction of duty. From what I can see, the governor is sabotaging their attempts to work effectively at the same time that he is repeatedly using his position to get free television time to denigrate his opponents.
Oh--and in the meantime, they're not getting paid. Right now it looks like they will get paid eventually, but for the moment, they have no income to offset the additional expenses of living away from home--expenses that we all know will not be approved as business expenses, whether or not we believe they should be.
You may disagree about whether my Senators' method of working for their constituents' interests is a good idea, but I have not heard anyone advance the opinion that they have some other motive for their behavior.
And it's very rude to call them dishonorable and derelict and all the other things I've heard them called when it is clear that their intent is to serve Wisconsin and its citizens as best they can.
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Date: 2011-03-02 01:04 am (UTC)In response to one of your specific examples, it is my understanding that the Democratic senators have remained willing to negotiate from a distance, and I know that they have tried to conduct legislative business from that distance, including submitting amendments to bills, something they had previously been able to do while traveling. The governor has refused to accept any communications from them, and continues to refuse to use our wonderful modern technology to speak with them. That's not their fault.
Most recently, the governor decided to prevent their staff from even scanning or copying documents. That's not their fault either.
Legislators have always traveled when (in their opinion) the trip was in the interest of their constituents. This is not normally considered dereliction of duty. From what I can see, the governor is sabotaging their attempts to work effectively at the same time that he is repeatedly using his position to get free television time to denigrate his opponents.
Oh--and in the meantime, they're not getting paid. Right now it looks like they will get paid eventually, but for the moment, they have no income to offset the additional expenses of living away from home--expenses that we all know will not be approved as business expenses, whether or not we believe they should be.
You may disagree about whether my Senators' method of working for their constituents' interests is a good idea, but I have not heard anyone advance the opinion that they have some other motive for their behavior.
And it's very rude to call them dishonorable and derelict and all the other things I've heard them called when it is clear that their intent is to serve Wisconsin and its citizens as best they can.