The dog ate my homework

We’ve heard for some time now, that Congressmen and Senators were caught unaware of some of the provisions of the so called stimulus packages, because the bills were so long and complex they did not have time to read and digest all of the content. Now we can certainly be sympathetic with the awesome challenge of our federal and state legislation. Legislative bills are lengthy, cumbersome and difficult to understand. They’re usually drafted by experts in wording legislation and experts (dare I suggest ofttimes lobbyists) in such matters.

I know that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania history tells us that a law had to be passed requiring that every piece of legislation had to have in it’s title a clear indication of the content of the bill, and the bill could not lawfully contain any subject that was not in the title. It seem that so many legislators could not read such was necessary. I’m certain that there were then good people in these early legislatures, and the voters then probably knew that everyone they elected had difficulty reading, but that can hardly be said of today’s legislators.

What possible excuse can there be for voting for a law one hadn’t read? Such preparation certainly takes time and effort and, no doubt, some self education. That’s quite understandable.  An ordinary person makes a decision without thinking, we call it snap judgment, which is not good. A judge makes a decision without knowing all of the available facts, we call unfair. That’s not good either. A field officer in combat makes a decision without considering the available facts, and people die. that’s bad.  But a Legislator does not read, with some understanding, Legislation that effects freedom, or costs millions of dollars, or alters the playing field for business, and it’s treated not at all by the media and their analysts.

It is inexcusable for men and women who have been elected to protect, preserve and defend this country, to go about their responsibilities so half heartedly that they do not insist upon sufficient time for preparation to vote upon legislation, which would most certainly include reading proposed legislation for themselves. That such might be read by others and discussed is also understandable, but to fail to read proposed legislation for the legislators self is negligence of high order. It is in fact dereliction of duty. “I don’t have the time to read proposed legislation” is a more lame excuse than for a student to cry, ” the dog ate my homework”.

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