Just curious how many people here serve in government in any way?
Local, state or federal?
From just attending town planning meetings as a private individual to being a city council member or anything.
I get an e-mail with every agenda for my local city council and county commission meetings – as well as the planning commissions for each. I attend some (but with my work schedule it’s kind of hard).
I run a blog on social media where I put the agenda’s for the meeting and put my comments on what’s on the agenda.
As follow up I go back and read the minutes when they are posted online and make blog comments on things that have happened.
The other thing I do – Every year, Utah legislature has a 45 days session. Couple weeks before it begins I pull up the bills that have been filed, look at the titles (In Utah, they can be single issue bills only, and the title reflects what’s in them). Ones that are of interest I mark and get an e-mail update on hearings, moving to the house, moving to the senate (or vise versa).
I regularly e-mail my state rep and senator (and on occasion the ledership of house and/or senate). Back a few years my e-mail generated a rather angry phone call from the Utah speaker of the house. 
That’s when you know your doing something right.
And I did run for a seat on my local city council. I’m considered an outsider (even though I’ve lived here for almost 30 years). Every other candidate had a “legacy” to the city/county – as in a second or third generation citizen. Guy who go the highest vote talley . . . didn’t spend a single dime, didn’t attend any meet the candidates nights. People just knew him so they voted for him.
Well, thanks for replying, Snow.
Guess no one else on these boards serves their country (by serving their local government) in such a way…
There are a lot of what I call keyboard commando’s. Every January my boss asks “how many phone calls you going to stir up with your crap this year. Oh and by the way let me know if you see any bills that might effect us.”
One town I lived in, I asked one of the city council members if they did a happy dance when they learned I moved and wouldn’t attend any more city council meetings. He said they sure were boring without me there
The city council where I live now, they know I’m not afriad to take to letters to the editor in the paper, stand up and give a different point of view, or on occasion fully support what they are trying to do. They also know when I quote figures I’ve done my research and they are accurate.
I do not, but my wife helps local politicians with their campaigns. She’s at a lot of meetings, marches, and demonstrations as well. She also helps collect signatures to get candidates and issues on the local and state ballots.
At this point in our lives, she is taking advantage of our financial security to enjoy her work as an unpaid volunteer.
I work at least 60 hours a week. I would love to if I could.
I would also like to thank Snow for replying and being active in politics. Snow walks the walk. Most of us just vote and bitch. Like me. Just vote.
I lobby, paid and unpaid, most for agricultural and agri-business concerns.
Is that how you got to know the law so well?
I would say it definitely helped.
Unrelated Safiel, but I am curious on your take on the FY2019 NDAA appropriations for the Navy. Obviously two additional LCSs is ■■■■■■■■■but I found the idea that it keeps capacity till the new frigates come on interesting. Or that’s just ■■■■■■■■also.
I would prefer an immediate shutdown of the LCS program. We should expedite the new frigate, based on an existing design. I believe Spain has a good platform that we could adopt and put into production quickly.
I would agree. But this is something I don’t quite get, is there logic in continuing production on ships the Navy doesn’t even want so the infrastructure is there for the new frigates? Cause that seemed why Congress did that when the Navy didn’t want two more. But I don’t know ship building.
It is pretty much feeding the shipbuilder’s, who in turn feed the politicians. The Navy has to keep these shipyards busy building something. The shipyards and their stockholder’s contribute to Representatives and Senators, who in turn put pressure on the Navy to keep their worker’s employed.
Basically, it is an endless circle. Until they have a frigate ready for the shipyard’s to construct, they will keep those shipyards busy producing useless LCS’s.
2 Likes
Sounds about right. Just kinda wish instead of two additional LCSs to kill time, those workers could help make Virginias, Arleigh Burkes faster.
Only a couple of shipyards are specialized to build sub’s.
As for Arleigh Burke’s, political concerns would stop that notion right way. Any Arleigh Burke built in Mississippi or Wisconsin would be an Arleigh Burke not built in Virginia or Maine.
Politically, it would be a nonstarter.
Interesting. Thanks. Like I said, I don’t know ship building.
Retired Deputy Sheriff, does that count?
Ugh. And we wonder why the Navy and the military as a whole has so much waste.
Just like the F-35. Contractors across 47 or so states.
$$$$$ lots of $
Logic has nothing to do with this.
