It must be contagious

All available evidence would indicate that goofiness, at least as it applies to the legislative process, is catching. Our beloved state legislature (A.K.A. or A.D.B.A. the good ol’ boys’ debating and malaprop society) adjourned their 2003 legislative session without doing anything substantial about a wide variety of very necessary things.
The Natural State still doesn’t have a budget for a fiscal year that begins in less than ten weeks. And if that don’t stick in your craw, try this. Our state legislature didn’t even attempt to do anything about education reform, even in the face of a state Supreme Court decision that says, in effect, “Either you make sure every kid in this state actually has their constitutionally guaranteed access to a good education, or we’ll take over the education system and do it for you.”
All the good ol’ boys did do in regard to education reform was strut around, striking poses, and tell every media scribe, who would listen, all the things they wouldn’t do (such as accept any minimum number of students for the size of a school district). But nobody, and I mean nobody, stepped forward with anything that resembled a proposal which could function as a basis for reasonable people to agree on a workable compromise. Not that the Arkansas Legislature is overrun with reasonable people.
Our one and only governor, the Right Rev. Huckabee, came up with an idea that not only would have put our obviously ill-equipped state government in control of every school district in the state, but also would have sounded the death knell not only for rural schools, but also for most rural communities. But at least he proposed something, goofy as it was. Strange way to show his professed “love” for rural life in Arkansas. Although he did take time out during the session to sit in with the Charlie Daniels Band in concert. Heaven knows that was more important than actually doing his job.
As far as the state budget is concerned, it was unconscionable for the legislature to adjourn without one. In doing so, they put innocent people, who rely on Medicaid benefits to provide necessary medical care, in very real jeopardy.
Of course, since the April 16 adjournment, everybody has been blaming everybody else for the legislative sessions failures. Hey guys, don’t fight over it. There’s plenty of blame to go around and you’ll all get your share.
If you’ll recall, gentle readers, several weeks ago, your humble correspondent noted that the leadership of both the House and Senate was in very shaky hands. I hate to say “I told you so” but the bitter truth of the matter is, I did tell you so. Herschel Cleveland, speaker of the state House, and Jim Hill, president pro tem of the state Senate, both Democrats, between them couldn’t lead a thirsty horse to a river 50 yards away. To give them their due, however, once the horse got there on its own, they could probably arrange for it to drown.
Technically, it was the legislature’s Republican leadership (you know, the few, the proud, the unspeakably wealthy and stupid) who used procedural rules to bring the regular session to an end after 94 excruciatingly futile days.
And why, you ask, would these bastions of the business community do something so irresponsible? Because none of their rich behinds is on Medicaid, so why should they care?