Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Abolish the Legislature

By

That’s it.  I think we’ve had just about enough.  Let’s utilize the considerable energy and resources of Blue Mass Group to commence efforts to abolish our laughingstock of a state legislature.  

I choose my words carefully.  I said abolish, not tweak, not reform.  Let’s just bring it down, in one fell swoop, and start from scratch.  

I have no idea how to begin, nor what it would take.  Constitutional convention?  Statewide referendum? Shame the legislators themselves into committing political harakiri?  Let’s put our heads together and come up with a plan, because this outfit seems to be beyond repair and incapable of resetting its own course.

Anything will be better that sitting idly by while the fools on the hill crown another short term king.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  2. a perfect form of government, and i’ll support a transition to it.  wherever people are, there you will find trouble.  getting rid of the legislature won’t solve any problems, it would only shift where the annoying people hold sway.  i’d rather have them in the open air and accountable to voters.

    • You been out of Massachusetts too long, and must be thinking of some other legislature.  The Galactic Senate maybe?

  3. There’s an opportunity to bring it down and start from scratch every other November.
    The voters just haven’t seen fit to really avail themselves of it since about 1990. One could gripe all day long about the reasons- one-party state; power of incumbency; lack of term limits; lack of public campaign financing. But ultimately, when most voters think about how much they dislike the state legislature they seem to come to the conclusion that their guy is O.K.- it’s the other 159 or 39 jerks causing all the problems.
    As I’ve said here before– returning to a 240 member House would be a good step towards increasing accountability on Beacon Hill.  

    • The Somerville Journal reported on an odd non-binding ballot question a few weeks ago:

      Question 5 reads: “Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor amending the state Constitution to replace the state Legislature with 100 randomly selected adult residents of Massachusetts, each serving one year terms on a rotating basis to be named the Commonwealth Jury and to have all powers of the current Legislature.”

      Wow. Something even more unconstitutional than the Patriot Act.

        • Was a hell of a lot more complicated than that, although it did revolve around random choice.

          <

          p>I would also point out that banning the Legislature would pretty much kill the Republican Party in Massachusetts.

      • The article makes the sponsors sound extremely loony, so loony that it brings the news report into doubt.

        <

        p>I suspect that 100 random people suddenly responsible for legislative functions would quickly realize how in over their heads they were. They might end up relying obsequiously and excessively on advice of the first expert-sounding people they met.

        <

        p>During his campaign, Deval Patrick pointed out that a person was behind every number in the budget.

  5. is there anything that precipitated such a radical proposal?

    <

    p>Also, you do realize that you essentially called for the end of Democracy in Massachusetts.  

  6. …of Sabutai catches the essence of the argument.  He’s absolutely right!  The sentiment behind my post is quite similar to that which drove people to propose and vote for abolishing the income tax, i.e. being fed up to the point of drastic action.  

    <

    p>In this case, however, I don’t think the fallout would be as disruptive.  Of course, dear ernest Christopher, we would need some form of legislative branch (I did say “…start from scratch”).  Just give me something that looks different from the institution we got.  At this point even the Somerville proposal looks like an improvement.

    <

    p>And while my cousin Shillelaghlaw is correct in pointing out that an opportunity to start from scratch comes around every two years, old style “bringing home the bacon” propaganda and the pervasive funneling of lobbyist money from leadership to loyal local representatives makes unseating an incumbent a daunting task.

    <

    p>So I stand by my call,
    tongue somewhat in cheek.
    Let’s throw the bums out!
    It’s no time to be meek. (into the middle of next week?; it’s reform we seek?)     Apologies to Dr. Suess

Archives