Saturday 3/23 Annapolis: Last Details

[Maryland Hunter]

I was that guy yesterday MH. She certainly has not been the norm we've typically encountered though. Nice to have met you and be able to put a face with the name. Hope to see you and others in Annapolis again.

Great to meet you as well, I'm afraid I forget the screen names as fast as I hear them.

I will be there again and again, I just hope that I can more to come with me next time. I'm getting real tired of some of the lame excuses.

MH

 

[jayc0968]

I think some of dels were surprised to see all of us there. Gave a li'l warm fuzzy on a chilly-ass morning...

 

[SomeGuy]

difference between a clip and a magazine.

A clip is the reason that my tie stayed on in Annapolis and a magazine is labeled 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition'

 

[Mr H]

One funny story from early in the morning. About 30-40 of us were standing the mall area around 8:30am, where the statues are just chatting and laughing and putting 2014 stickers on our jackets and one of the DGA police officers walked up. This was a short black lady that I had met at our other events there. She has always been very nice.

She looked over as she was walking by and I said "good morning!" She came over and asked if we were preparing for a rally or demonstration or just waiting to get into the House Bldg. and I said "no, we're just all meeting and chatting". She smiled and said that she was wondering if we were getting ready for a rally or demonstration. We told her we were not, and Mr. h, says "no ma'am, were all law abiding citizens here and if there are ANY issues please let us know". She smiled and said "well you all are just chatting and getting to know each other so you all have a good day" and she gave that knowing smile and went on her way. That's how far we have come since the first day when they were planning for mass hysteria. Like Patrick said, they are seeing our faces and getting to know us. Now I don't know if that's a GOOD or a bad thing!! But I am glad to be doing it.

You give me too much credit! I wasn't involved in that particular conversation, but I did enjoy hearing about it. I did have similar exchanges with several folks, encouraging them to take that approach, though.

 

[Maverick0313]

I just want to say that ALL Y'ALL ARE SO AWESOME. Period.

 

[Atlasarmory]

Whens our next skirmish

 

[gmhowell]

You give me too much credit! I wasn't involved in that particular conversation, but I did enjoy hearing about it. I did have similar exchanges with several folks, encouraging them to take that approach, though.

"No ma'am, we're musicians."

 

[Hopalong]

Patrick,

You had stepped away from the group in the House Office building, but when Chairman Vallario came out of the quick committee meeting and passed by on the way to the elevator, he greeted all of us and made the comment of no hearings on the bill today. When asked if he had an idea of when, he freely and cordially told us that their current priority was to get bills in committee and to the floor to be voted on by the close of business on Monday and then they would turn their attention to SB281.

I'd bank on that intel. I've heard from several sources that most of the committees were tied up with crossover issues and that the absolute earliest they'd be voting on anything else would be Tuesday.

 

[Quacker]

I'm really tired of people excusing politicians for some of their actions.

Ok with them falling asleep on the job? Seriously? Do any of you have a job where you can sleep and not get fired????

Are you serious??? We complain about our representative government but look at the standard we hold them to!

im ok with you sleeping on the job. Im ok with you playing video games, watching basketball games/tennis matches and screwing off on Facebook (all during votes). This is all fine. Then we get mad when they consider gun legislation. We get mad that they don't know the difference between a clip and a magazine.

This is why we end up with a government we can't stand. Do you think Washington, Jefferson and the boys would be doing this type of thing while discussing taxes or restrictions on personal liberties???

What Galled me more than the Delegates sleeping, reading the newspaper, watching golf videos on their tablet, etc, was how they "covered" the vote when a fellow Delegate was out of their seat for an actual vote. I watched the debates happen, when the vote was called, if a Delegate was not in their seat the Delegate next to their seat reached over and placed a vote for them. I saw this happen several times. Really makes me think that they canned many of their votes prior to showing up on Saturday or maybe even had established a party line vote in advance.

 

[Mr H]

What Galled me more than the Delegates sleeping, reading the newspaper, watching golf videos on their tablet, etc, was how they "covered" the vote when a fellow Delegate was out of their seat for an actual vote. I watched the debates happen, when the vote was called, if a Delegate was not in their seat the Delegate next to their seat reached over and placed a vote for them. I saw this happen several times. Really makes me think that they canned many of their votes prior to showing up on Saturday or maybe even had established a party line vote in advance.

In a very real and large sense, this is what they've come to do when no one is holding them accountable, and why we need to be on them like white on on a Polar Bear's ass.

The People have let this slide too long (and most of us have been guilty, lo these many years, and need our hands smacked for it), and this is the result of the inmates running the asylum.

We are, IMO, in a unique position in history right now. In several states--and now starting here--people are discovering their hind legs, and rising up on them. The legislators are there to REPRESENT us, not to dictate their masters' wishes to us.

WE... The People...

This can be huge, folks... This is not an exercise.

 

[Brooklyn]

I'm really tired of people excusing politicians for some of their actions.

Ok with them falling asleep on the job? Seriously? Do any of you have a job where you can sleep and not get fired????

Are you serious??? We complain about our representative government but look at the standard we hold them to!

im ok with you sleeping on the job. Im ok with you playing video games, watching basketball games/tennis matches and screwing off on Facebook (all during votes). This is all fine. Then we get mad when they consider gun legislation. We get mad that they don't know the difference between a clip and a magazine.

This is why we end up with a government we can't stand. Do you think Washington, Jefferson and the boys would be doing this type of thing while discussing taxes or restrictions on personal liberties???

Our founders were people as well. Flawed as are we all. And yes they did nod off and they did yell and cuss. And some owned slaves and some did not think women should vote or own property. It does not change what they did.

Likewise our reps are flawed. And some need to go on the merits.

But others are just trying to do what they think is right. To change their thinking you must treat them well. Respect the office if nothing else.

 

[mac1_131]

You give me too much credit! I wasn't involved in that particular conversation, but I did enjoy hearing about it. I did have similar exchanges with several folks, encouraging them to take that approach, though.

Was me!

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2

 

[Brooklyn]

I concur, after all these people sought the office by choice. How can these people vote honestly on a bill if they are sleeping, playing games, watching basket ball ect when debate on the topic is going on?
They should be held to at least the same standards as us or higher being an elected official.

Because most of the real work is done off the floor. The floor is in part a show where questions are asked even if the answer is known, and in some cases unknowable. Much of the business on Saturday was pro forma having been agreed to beforehand. It not a state secret --they discuss in commitie, pass memos among the staff. Etc. Do you never use email to make decisions at work which are then only finalized at a formal meeting....

The floor is a show, and side conversations are just as likely to be about coming businesses as basketball.

But if you want something to be concerned about, I noticed a fair number of unrecorded votes. Could not tell if they were parlimentary motions or actual bills( bad acoustics ). If bills this has to stop as it means no accountability at all. Every delegate could claim that they did not vote for it and yet it passed.

One main reason for not picking nits about nothing is that when there is a real issue you will be taken more seriously.
Perhaps some of you here would like to help look into the issue of unrecorded votes....

 

[tsmith1499]

You give me too much credit! I wasn't involved in that particular conversation, but I did enjoy hearing about it. I did have similar exchanges with several folks, encouraging them to take that approach, though.

Sorry Mr.h, I could have sworn that was you. Still nice to meet you yesterday morning.

 

[TheRealSundance]

What Galled me more than the Delegates sleeping, reading the newspaper, watching golf videos on their tablet, etc, was how they "covered" the vote when a fellow Delegate was out of their seat for an actual vote. I watched the debates happen, when the vote was called, if a Delegate was not in their seat the Delegate next to their seat reached over and placed a vote for them. I saw this happen several times. Really makes me think that they canned many of their votes prior to showing up on Saturday or maybe even had established a party line vote in advance.

Is this legal?

 

[baybilly]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the patriots that attended Saturday. I could not make this one. One of the things I have learnered over the last few months is that I am not alone in my beliefs. The media does a "good" job of portraying us a small group of radical right wing nut jobs. I have found hope in the last few weeks that maybe we can make a difference. For that I am truly grateful. Let's keep the pressure on this week.

 

[Biggfoot44]

On the subject of Floor Vote dynamics , I was watching the Board during the actual voting, and noticed somthing curious. Usually on any bill there would initially be 3-5 NO votes, then things would briefly change around until it was unanimous. On bills that were delibertly controversal there could be twentysome votes against , but never 10 , or 5 , or 1 . What's up with this in real life you can't get consistant 100% agreement for free $20 bills , or free oral sex.

Is this shyness of individual Delegates , who don't want to seem out of step with their peers ? Party discipline at work ?

 

[Tomcat]

Trying to put screen names to faces, who's the old guy standing left of center?

 

[hodgepodge]

Trying to put screen names to faces, who's the old guy standing left of center?

Admiral Winfield Schley, hero of the Spanish American War.

I used my time awaiting the delegates to look around my State House.

 

[Brooklyn]

On the subject of Floor Vote dynamics , I was watching the Board during the actual voting, and noticed somthing curious. Usually on any bill there would initially be 3-5 NO votes, then things would briefly change around until it was unanimous. On bills that were delibertly controversal there could be twentysome votes against , but never 10 , or 5 , or 1 . What's up with this in real life you can't get consistant 100% agreement for free $20 bills , or free oral sex.

Is this shyness of individual Delegates , who don't want to seem out of step with their peers ? Party discipline at work ?

Or they pushed the wrong button. Some votes really are minor changes.