I woke up at 5:00am this morning, for no particular reason, so I turned on the TV and started channel surfing the news stations, trying to catch the two minutes of actual news they squeeze in between endless weather reports and traffic updates. (Side note: I don't really need the perky meteorologists to show me the doppler radar images of the fronts moving in, followed by the expensive computer graphics of falling rain, swirling wind, and "convergence zones". I just want to know what the weather's supposed to be like over the next few days. Just that. Just give me that 5-day forecast graphic that shows me what's going to happen. Then move on to the real news, OK?) Anyway, one of the top stories is that our state legislature couldn't manage to come up with a budget and tax proposal in their 60 allotted days before the session ended. So, at a cost of $18,000/day to the Washington state taxpayer, they are extending the session another 7 days.
This made me think about what an awesome gig legislators have. (I'm thinking all the way up to Congress here.) In what other profession would you be given a deadline to finish your project, but then paid, anyway, even if you didn't do your job? Really, if you think about it, what possible incentive do legislators have to get the job done in a timely manner? They're getting paid, regardless of whether or not they do their job. Think about how long Congress has been fighting each other, over everything from health care legislation to financial reform, clearly doing everything BUT working to help the people who voted them into office? We elected them to represent our needs and to make the lives of Americans better, right? Why should they do that? There is no real consequence for not getting the job done. They still collect their hefty paychecks and receive their great benefits. What a gig!
Where can I get a job like that?
Cheers!
No kidding! It seems they say whatever to get into office and then just stall things in the partisan fighting of it all. If they don't get the job done, they blame the other side. It's a trip . Can you tell how I feel about politicians in general??? LOL
ReplyDeleteRight, but don't you get it, Beth? Their jobs are actually important, see? We are all just pawns, worker bees, if you will.
ReplyDeleteA-holes.
"In what other profession would you be given a deadline to finish your project, but then paid, anyway, even if you didn't do your job?"
ReplyDeleteFootball! It takes them 3 hours to do a 1 hour job. If that was us, we'd be fired!