Stealing a motto from the I-69 movement - In a Democracy, the public comment period never ends.
Today I am heading to the Statehouse to support the Democrats in their efforts to protect working Hoosiers.
I will attempt to provide updates throughout the day as to what is happening.
[edited Feb 25, 2011 to add: links to video I shot while attending the Labor Rally at the Indiana Statehouse on February 23, 2011
Walkabout
Raising Voices in Song
Chants Through the Day ]
Posts
Resistance And The Environment
4 hours ago
45 comments:
Our form of government is a constitutional republic, not a democracy.
It's a combination of both, a Democrat-Republic if you will. A constitutional republic with a representative form of Democracy in our legislative bodies.
While you're up there, remind the Democrats that they lost the last election, because Hoosiers don't want them in control right now. How about that as a sign of the people's will? Tell your Democrat legislator friends to come back to the statehouse and do the jobs the were elected to do by participating in the legislative process. How about you take time to protect Hoosier voters instead of your commie pals in the Democratic party? It's okay for the Democrats to steamroll their agenda through when they have the majority, but now that the shoe is on the other foot they flee the state. Saul Alinsky would be proud.
8:44 am -- it took half an hour to get through security, even though they were efficient. Lines getting longer. Ladies, come on down. We're underrepresented !
Anon 8:39 -- Hoosiers didn't vote for this radical agenda.
I think it'd be more accurate to say that Hoosiers didn't vote for the Democratic agenda. There was an election, your people lost. Play the game by the rules like you expect everyone else to.
The word democracy doesn't appear in the Constitution.
9:37 am - crowd growing events just now rolling
9:49 am - roll call of the House is supposed to start at 10:00.
9:58 am - comments from students and families now being heard.
10:08 am - House activity beginning.
10:14 - Bosma making comments... "looking at all options" to keep his radical agenda moving.
0:16 am crowd absolutely deafening.
10:18 am - folks kicked out of 4 th floor balcony area.
10:29 am - R's heading to caucus. Chants of " You're fired" and " He'll no, we won't go"
10:36 am - only the start of the Indy 500 is louder than this crowd achieves!
10:43 am - Vi Simpson speaking. crowd thanking House D's.
10:51 am- things quieting down a bit. Good. Folks need to let their voices recover. good mix of people here. young, old, men, women.
11:11 am - strong community speeches beginning.
11:25 am - Dixie land band entertaining now.
11:32 am - Folk music now. crowd upbeat and talkative.
12:13 pm - they've ordered in pizza due to the difficulty of getting everyone back through security in a tmely manner. I'm hearing 800, and it's not going to stretch far enough.
1:05 pm - Things starting up again, with sings of God Bless America
1:14 pm- running through the various bills that represent the radical agenda.
Anon 7:42,
Back then the term "republic" and "democracy" were used pretty much interchangeably. People make way too much of the use of the term "republic" in founding documents.
Our government, even as set up by the Founders, had a lot of democracy in it. The Founders weren't entirely trustful of democracy though and put limits on it. The notion they didn't believe in democracy at all is contradicted by the democratic institutions which were created.
The best description of our government is that we are a democratic republic, i.e. we elect the people who represent us.
1:29 pm - hb1468 (right to work) is being assigned to a summer study committee.
Sb333 ( elimination of project labor agreements) is dead
Sb273 (ban of collective bargaining for state workers) is dead
Both of the corresponding house bills are still alive
1:57 pm - Rep. Terri Austin addressed the crowd to wild applause.
2:02 pm - union leadership making comments.
2:06 pm - R caucus leaving room to loud jeers.
2:20 pm - while the main speeches are going on, group has assembled outside the house chambers where they are reacting to what is going on inside.
4:07 pm - festival atmosphere changing over to roll call watch.
4:22 pm - incredible quiet waiting for the roll call.
4:23 pm - Bosma speaking.
4:27 pm - Bosma's comment " No concessions" rewarded with crowd eruption. first repeating his words, then to "Hear our voices"
4:39 pm - chanting continues unabated. Now sustained booing.
4:42 pm singing "We shall overcome"
4:47 pm - "We'll be back"
5:13 pm - Vi Simpson addressing the crowd.
numbers well off peak crowd size, with evening coming on.
5:28 pm - looks like it's a day. "We'llbe back"
This is a Republic. You must have had a public school education and considered that sufficient?
Democrats lost because Hoosiers voted for the Republicans. Democrats are not representing anyone by running away, they are the worst of cowardly unethical idiots! We have unemployment problems but Democrats can just play hooky from work and you think that is okay?
Is this America or Egypt? Dems, get your butts back here and vote. Trust me, we will remember every single one of you that ran away come next election! Republicans fight, Democrats run away.
I would hope that if Democrats controlled the house, senate and the govenors office Republicans would take every advantage of every loop-hole possible to prevent a core political belief from being crushed. That's exactly what the Dems are doing. It's what the Reps have done...it's politics.
Okay. When was the last time the Repubs fled the state to prevent a quorum? I'd be interested to know.
I believe the last time the Republicans walked out was in 2001 when they could not get the Dems to pass a ban on gay marriage.
Got it. Thanks.
The structure of a democratic republic is deliberate & cool headed as opposed to the whiplashed instability or emotional roller coaster of democracy. You need only look at California's referenda (and IN's "budding" version) process to get a glimpse of the problem.
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