Tennessean: TN General Assembly a 'parade of pandering'

TN legislature tackles the meaningless, ignores what matters
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100321/COLUMNIST0101/3210357/TN+legislature+tackles+the+meaningless++ignores+what+matters

Tennessean, MARCH 21, 2010. Gail Kerr.

TN legislature tackles the meaningless, ignores what matters

Tennessee ranks fourth worst in the nation for adult hypertension and adolescent obesity.

We have the 10th most awful level of emission of sulfur dioxide.

The percentage of babies who die in the Volunteer State before their first birthday is comparable to Bosnia's rate. We are second in the country for one thing, though: the number of busted-up meth labs.

But instead of tackling those deep, systemic problems, the Tennessee legislature is fighting to protect your right to go fishing. Lawmakers are http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100319/NEWS0202/3190360/1001/NEWS/English-only+push+resurfaces">wringing their hands that an employee at the new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga might utter a word of German. They are — despite a chancery court ruling — pushing to allow http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100317/NEWS0201/3170360/1009/news02/Guns+in+bars+bill+advances+in+House">guns in bars.

Example after example demonstrates that this legislative session has disintegrated into a parade of pandering.

This attempt to get re-elected by pushing silly hot buttons is insulting to voters. Legislators look ridiculously defensive by pushing laws to fix problems that do not exist.

In fairness, the one thing the General Assembly has done is attempt to push the state up from a ranking of 42nd out of 50 states in the percentage of kids who graduate from high school. But that happened only because Gov. Phil Bredesen called the legislators into a quick special session where they got something done.

Other than that, lawmakers spend their days collecting your money in per diems. They argue about a constitutional ban on a state income tax; no such tax has been proposed. They debated whether barbers can keep fish tanks. That passed, by the way. Thank goodness.

Meanwhile, here's what state lawmakers are not doing. They are not being creative about Tennessee's problems. They are not being progressive. They are not dealing with the hard stuff that we elected them to address.

Steamrolled by panderers

Tennessee is in a budget crunch. There is no money to spend on fancy new programs and shiny new buildings in their home districts. But that's when we need good government more than ever.

Here are a few examples:

• Lawmakers could be holding hearings and raising Cain about what will happen to the 108 severely disabled residents of Clover Bottom when the state shuts it down. But they are not.

• They could be holding every piece of legislation this year to a litmus test: Does it create jobs? But they are not.

• They could be making a comprehensive list of every national ranking in which Tennessee falls short, and trying to figure out ways to stop tanking. But they have not.

It is disheartening, this lack of leadership. There are good people on Tennessee's Capitol Hill. Good people, with good ideas that have gotten lost.

They have allowed themselves to be steamrolled by the panderers. Which is why so many voters continue to have zero respect for Tennessee legislators.

Have they no shame?