Fire Our Senators

[wlotus]

Dear Governor Patterson:

I am unhappy with the way our state senators are making a mockery of the democratic process. We did not elect them to put on the embarrassing power struggle the nation has seen from them in recent weeks. Since they seem unable to do the work we elected them to do, I recommend firing all of them and not allowing any of them to stand for re-election. Perhaps then we can elect legislators who will work for us, rather than grandstanding for their own special interests.

Sincerely,
wlotus (NYC)

You can send your thoughts to the governor, too.

Comments

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

I don't honestly know whether mass political insanity is better or worse than the mass corruption we have to deal with here in Illinois. Did someone put something in the water at the New York state senate?

The worst part is going to be sorting the mess out, because that article is right -- there is almost certainly no precedent for how to decide what, if anything, from that session is legitimate.

That is one spectacular mess.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I don't understand how there can even be a "coup". And I think this came about primarily because certain Democrats were adamant they did NOT want a vote on same-sex marriage to come before the senate for a vote. If that is not HATE in action, I don't know what is.

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

Certain Democrats didn't want a vote on same-sex marriage? Usually that sort of hatefulness about homosexuality is a Republican prerogative, but as we both know, there's nothing about being a Democrat that guarantees virtue.

It bothers me considerably that duly elected representatives of a state with a long history of democratic government would try this kind of strong-arm tactic. I could understand one or two senators actually considering this, but how the heck did the whole group of Democrats actually think this was a good idea? And what got into the Republicans that they responded the way they did?

I seriously think that every one of those legislators needs to be removed and new elections held, but I'd be shocked if the governor had the authority. If it's anything like the federal Senate, the senate itself can probably throw out a member, and there is certain to be a way for a senator's constituents to get rid of her/him, however difficult, but it would be inappropriate for the executive branch to have that kind of power over the legislative. Possibly the New York State Superior Court could weigh in, in terms of legitimizing or throwing out anything passed by that circus, but I doubt they have anything to say about who gets to remain as a senator, either.

My own feeling would be that everything passed by either side should be thrown out, but I'm not sure what the constitutional backing would be, because I don't know anything about your state constitution.

And Illinois worries about one federal senator who we can throw out two years from now if we want to!

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Let me clarify: certain Democrats from certain historically homophobic ethnicities did not want a vote on same-sex marriage. Need I say more?

All it took was for those Democrats to (supposedly, as I have not heard of them officially changing parties) defect to the Republican party, thus giving the Republicans the majority in the Senate. The majority party controls the Senate. The fight now is over which party has the right to be in control: the Democrats, who were voted into the majority in the last election, or the Republicans, who now claim to have the majority thanks to the defected Democrats.

I'd be shocked, if the governor had the authority to fire all of them, too. But I wish he could, in this case!

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

Oh. No, you don't need to say more.

I think that in the national Senate, if a senator officially changes parties and it tips the balance, the majorities do change. I'm not sure, and of course, New York's state constitution may be different, or may not address the matter at all.

If the Dems didn't officially change parties, then the Dems are still in control, I should think.