Changing the tone in Lansing ----For the bad

As if we needed another example of what happens when one party controls everything for too long we get one, and it’s just one more reason why we need to change things in Lansing and send Mike McGonegal to the House. This is also another example of why we need to change leadership in the House. As the Majority Floor Leader, Chris Ward decides the daily agenda of the full house, and this is just one more example of his arrogance, attitude and rudeness. Michigan is facing real problems, and we’re going to need everyone at the table to come up with some solutions. Why is Ward trying to keep the people who represent more than half of Michigan’s residents away from the table?

Lawmakers spar over daily House agendas
Democrats contend GOP is not sharing enough information
By David Eggert Associated Press
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060630/NEWS04/606300323/1005/news04
Partisan acrimony in the state House became especially bitter Thursday when a top Democratic lawmaker said a House sergeant wrongly blocked her from seeing what bills were in a box to be taken up that day by the chamber.
Democratic Floor Leader Mary Waters of Detroit said she was trying to see the bills on the rostrum because Republicans, who hold a majority in the House, won't give Democrats a daily agenda.
"Members need to know what they're voting on," Waters said. "It could be something very critical for our districts. ... What kind of democracy is that?"
But Republicans said no lawmaker is allowed to sift through the bills because of concerns a bill could be tampered with before or after it has been voted on.
Republicans said Democrats can see a daily calendar of every bill before the House. But Democrats said the calendar doesn't tell them what measures are likely to come up for action on a given day, so they have no way to plan.
Thursday's spat capped a long-simmering dispute in the House that began last year. That's when Democrats began trying to tie bills on a variety of issues to Democratic legislation that would limit the importation of out-of-state trash and reverse Michigan's law protecting drug companies from product liability suits.
The tactic angered Republicans, who in response stopped a custom - likely started within the last decade - of making their daily voting plan available to Democrats. In response, Democrats began causing long delays on votes.
DeRoche spokesman Matt Resch said Democrats have turned their side of the House chamber into a campaign office, constantly trying to amend unrelated legislation with their pet issues. Democrats have argued their legislation is never taken up by Republicans so they have to try other ways to get their concerns addressed.

(This is so untrue, and anyone who has spent more than one session day in Lansing knows that. As an example of how the House leadership and Ward plays politics everyday of the year take the example of Rep. Kathy Angerer, D-Dundee. The popular lawmaker committed the sin of unseating an incumbent Republican two years ago, and her seat has been targeted with the same guy running against her. She can’t get any bills even considered, and even the simplest resolution from her is a no-no. something as simple as designating a battlefield in Monroe as an 1812 bi-centennial battlefield gets no consideration. Instead, she passes it on to the republican senator representing Monroe for the good of her district. However, her constituents know how responsive she is, how she fights for them and answers every letter, e-mail and phone call.
Too bad Ward can’t say the same thing.)