Judging from today’s chatter or lack of it, I was probably the only one listening in on Rick Jensen’s take of the spending controversy of our state legislatures… As you see, in the News Journal a list of spending on out of state trips, has been itemised for every citizens perusal….
Bonni got on the horn, received radio time and helped Jensen lambaste legislators for spending money…. Unfortunately… that’s what they are paid to do, (just not spend it on themselves)…. Well, I had to wait, since Delaware is not 4G yet, to access the actual chart from Delawareonline.… Of course some anti Democratic party corruption accusations were tossed about… Of course…
So, imagine my surprise that 14 out of the top 17 spenders were all Republicans….
To myself, I said “figures”…. They are the ones shrieking the loudest about governments spending money… But as an investor myself, I am well aware that money spent that gets a return is not wasted money, but invested money… That is something Republicans always overlook… They concentrate on Democrats spending, without looking at the benefits such spending generates…
So I took a look at the top spenders fully expecting to see itemised bills for hookers and gigolos… Unfortunately they weren’t there…
I did find that almost all of the money spent by both parties for travel out of state, went to send legislators to two groups.
One: The National Council of State Legislatures
Two: The Council of State Governments
Some may decry these as junkets. I’ll disagree. The largest problem a small state has is diversity of ideas. Face it. Practically the entire top third of the state are Eagles fans. The middle third are Raven Fans, and the bottom third are Redskin fans… Were something innovative such as the West Coast Offense were to occur, we would never know about it…
The same occurs in government. We need access to ideas. One can sit a a computer only so long… (Many of us spend way to much time there anyway)… But, face to face, arguing in the halls, listening to what’s worked elsewhere, has the realism of saving our state money… If an idea gets offered up in Oklahoma, but failed in Arizona when tried there years before, it saved Delaware lots of money NOT to have brought that idea back and tried selling and implementing it into policy… And sad to say, the realism of finding these things out can only occur when you bring people together, face to face.
So I’m in favor of most of the money spent. It is very necessary. Both parties cry out over the iron fisted grip that only a few people have over our entire legislative process. Getting outside ideas away from the top down leadership structure both houses of General Assembly use to survive, is helpful to all Delawareans….
During the past budget crunch we especially needed to outreach and discover different ways to cut costs; something even our most ancient of legislators had yet to experience in their lifetimes.
What was interesting was how fast people reached for the information to bash the other side. It doesn’t matter which party… Without checking the facts accusations were flying across the airwaves… Listening in you heard the Republicans bashed as hypocrites; the Democrats castigated as wasters… But truth-be-told, all this travel was necessary… and will continue to be, if this state is to continue to exist as America’s second smallest state….
I’m reminded of the ancient Kubrick film, where with the discovery of a monolith, a prehistoric apelike creature picks up a loose bone laying on the ground and bashes in the head of its enemies… That is sort of what happened today on the Rick Jensen show.
The bone, was just an inanimate object in an unlucky position and an unlucky time….
kavips 
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October 20, 2009 at 6:01 am
Nancy Willing
I would venture to say that the work done on these councils could largely be done in virtual space these days.
And, participation by legislators is only as valuable as their ability to educate and impart the information to their bodies back home.
The work is done by consultants and staffers anyway. Why not have most of it as reviewed reports and conference by phone or video?
It is true that the Philly attendees this year got a majority vote for a progressive resolution or two if that counts for much. John Kowalko’s input would be useful here.
October 20, 2009 at 11:11 am
kavips
Reality is that most decisions are not made on the floor, but in hallways or rooms adjoining those chambers which have “a floor…”
Personal interaction is required for trust. Do you trust anything you see on a video screen?
Once you understand the science behind digitalization, you can’t.
October 20, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Frieda Berryhill
“Reality is that most decisions are not made on the floor, but in hallways or rooms…” On the Golf course, more likely.
October 20, 2009 at 3:50 pm
LiberalGeek
I think the lessons that we should take from this are not whether or not the trips were justified, most are (or were). I guess the question is whether you stay at the Ritz-Carlton or the Howard-Johnsons. Whether you get the convertible or the Taurus. Whether you go out to a movie on your dime or stay in and watch PPV on the States dime.
I am in favor of these trips, but there should be some effort to show that what is being done is actually work and not a well-earned vacation. Do these legislators have to come back and file a report about the value that they got from the trip? I know when I traveled on the States dime as a teacher, I had to come back and talk about what we had seen at the school we visited and what we could learn from them.
Is it really too much to ask?
October 21, 2009 at 11:13 pm
kavips
Again, it comes down to investment. Are we getting money out of what we put in?
As with any stockholder’s meeting, it is impossible to assuage everyone. Someone out their always thinks they know more than the management of the firm’s assets. Bottom line, is whether the majority believe whether the benefits outweigh the costs. If they do, then those whiners are just that.
I think the bottom line is, as with a stockholder’s meeting, counted in the votes. Instead of whining, we just vote with our “x’s” on election day….
Demanding from our legislators, a typewritten report, double spaced with 1 and 1/2 inch margins, (as our government is prone to do lol), is rather disrespectful. If the person want’s to be re-elected, he will have to justify the expense on his own, or risk all accusations that he is spending too lavishly.
And, as for buying down, often it is cheaper to stay at a resort in Las Vegas, due to the discounts offered by the large chains, then pay full price at a flea infested, blood soaked mattress-ed, discount chain that offers no discounts….. And saying to our legislators: you are second class citizens because YOU come from Delaware and we demand you stay here, doesn’t really improve our image among other state’s legislative delegates very well.
Which brings me back to my original point. It is what it is, and if it is excessive, we take care of it every two years… In this case… this one analyst, doesn’t think the expenses are excessive at all, EVEN when they are profligated by members of the opposite party.
$250,000 spread over three years is $75,000 averaged per year… That covers our entire legislature for three years. We got our money’s worth…. Far more than if we’d bought a new Hummer each legislative session for our Senate majority leader to run around in… 🙂