Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Sen Larry George's Diarreah of Diatribe

Today on the floor of the Oregon State Senate, Senator Larry George (R-Sherwood) piled up such a monumental mound of odiferously offensive bullshit to the point that the maintenance services for the building should send his office the bill for cleanup. You can listen by going here and then scroll down to SENATE chamber session (10:13AM). George's comments begin at about the 15:38 mark.

George began his screed using the tone that my kids used to use when they were toddlers:

I rise with a great deal of frustration today. Over the past few weeks, The governor's office and others have been in secret negotiations on Measure 37. Obviously the bill to gut property rights and M37 which is currently down in Ways and Means has huge political problems. What angers me about the process is that the governor's office has been calling special interest after special interest into meetings in an attempt to buy off these special interest groups.

Translation: Waaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaa...the Governor's office is talking to farmers and ranchers and nursery people and the various counties both rural and urban who have been deluged with problems stemming from this law. And George is pissed that the Governor is actually TALKING TO THEM-trying to figure out the best way to fix the consequences of this mess that people like George stuck us with. This whine isn't worthy of the Oregon Senate. Its worthy of those whiny kids in the checkout line at Target who are begging their parents to buy them the toy that they saw on Aisle 16.

George continues:
I have continued to urge open negotiations, but no. From the opening days of session the governor's office has used offensive rhetoric questioning the character and motives of those who want to protect their property from taking by the State of Oregon.

So in other words, George wants "open negotiations" where he gets to have a say--when his own party members didn't want him in on the negotiations. The problem isn't open negotiations and everybody knows it. The problem is that every time the GOP says they're ready to sign on the line with an agreement..they back off under pressure from their own special interest groups. There's nothing about good faith negotiating for these guys and everybody paying attention knows it.

More George:
This shallow political rhetoric attempted to assign special interest names to average Oregonians attempting to protect their property rights. The irony now is that the governor is now negotiating with these same special interest groups in an attempt to literally buy political support for gutting the state laws that protect private property rights for average Oregonians. Little regard for the average Oregonian using Measure 37.

The little landowner, the average Oregonian using M37, mothers and fathers, grandparents, have no seat at the political table and they're being left with no protection for their property. M37 is only the latest example of special interest control in this building.


Just so everyone understands: the political rhetoric from those who oppose Measure 37 is a shallow attempt to assign nasty names to poor citizens who just want to protect their property. But the political rhetoric from those who support Measure 37 claiming that average Oregonians--mommies, daddies, grandpas and grandmas are being squelched by the big meanies--that's just honest discourse.

What unadulterated crap. Did George have to wear waders when he spilled forth his diarrhea of diatribe?

George goes on:
This process is becoming corrupt.

The governor just might as well make it official and hang a sign in the front of the Capitol building saying this building and its contents are for sale. The governor has packed his office with political hacks who think nothing of paying back political contributors on almost every issue.

The governor's office ignores the desires of average Oregonians and cares nothing about good public policy for the State of Oregon. What's happening on Measure 37 is wrong. The process is corrupt and I've gotta tell you the frustration level is becoming very high.


So since the Governor's office is working with stakeholders and the legislature in an attempt to put something together that will go directly to the voters--that is what is really sticking in George's craw. He's pissed and frustrated because George knows that polling shows an overwhelming buyer's remorse by Oregonians for Measure 37.

The moms and dads and grandparents and other average Oregonians aren't being left out of the political process. Republicans like Larry George are trying to deny them the chance to fix a law that they overwhelmingly say they want to fix or get rid of.