Story Time In The Senate

Katy Grimes: Bring your milk, cookies and a soft blanket to story time in the Senate tomorrow.

Instead of debating the merits of state policy, expect to see and hear fabulous and illustrative letters read aloud by Senators, from sheriffs and school superintendents describing the horrific scenarios they will be forced into if the Legislature passes a budget without the tax extensions.

An email letter is circulating at the Capitol asking Senators to contact their county Sheriffs and schools to send in letters of support for the 2009 tax increase extensions.

The email letter reads:

As the pro Tem mentioned on the floor last week, we will begin to use our floor this week to discuss and debate colutions to our budget problem.

The pro Tem is asking all Senators to call their Sheriffs and the Superintendents of the school districts in their Senate districts and get short letters from each of them, describing the cuts they will have to make, worst case scenario (if the Senate must pass a budget without continuing existing revenues). Our floor session on Wednesday and Thursday will include reading these letters aloud on the floor of the Senate.

I know it is a short timeframe for turnaround, but we are requesting letters by COB on Tuesday. I just concluded a meeting with the Democratic Chiefs of Staff and made this same request. Would you like to pass this request on to all of your Caucus members and COSs, or would you like me to send out an email to the Republican Chiefs of Staff?

The email was signed by Kathy Dresslar, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s chief of staff, addressed to members of the Senate Republican Caucus.

On the Senate agenda for tomorrow expect theatrics and emotional appeals – do not expect adult discussion, debate, logic, reason or rationale. Mother Goose won’t be there to read to the kids, but in her place, I am confident that the State’s Senators can handle continuing the oral tradition of story telling.

This latest game plan for Senate Democrats has dropped to a new low as it  appears that they don’t have any other plan to resort to.

When dealing honestly, openly and with integrity, one does not have to obfuscate, deflect or or conceal the real goal or intensions, or even resort to theatrics and drama. But in this Legislature, the attempts to divert attention from their real motives and goals has become the norm, in order to cloud the issues.

Story time in the Senate tomorrow should be entertaining at the very least. However grand the fairy tales are,  folk tales and fantasy are always popular, even if grim.

JUNE 7, 2011