Jim Viebrock
Where's My Violin?
Lobbyists routinely buy catered meals for lawmakers who meet during the lunch hour in committees.
"We're going to lose a large part of our working day by not being able to work through lunch when we break from noon to 2," said Rep. Jim Viebrock, R-Republic.
As someone who lives and works and eats in Jefferson City most days of the week, I have first-hand knowledge that it's possible to eat in less than two hours here.
Today, I'm eating at my desk -- while working. Crisis averted!
Read More »Whither the MIAC hearings?
Once upon a time, Rep. Bob Dixon wanted a series of hearings to retread information we already knew about MIAC's controversial Modern Militia report. Speaker Ron Richard acquiesced, and Dixon convened a hearing in June. At that hearing, Dixon promised future grandstanding in Springfield, St. Louis and Kansas City, and wanted to schedule those hearings ASAP.
Don't Dixon, Jim Guest, Shane Schoeller and Jim Viebrock want to be on teevee again interrogating Highway Patrol officers? Didn't Peter Kinder think the MIAC report needed a full investigation?
Are Freedom and Justice on vacation?
"Nowhere to be found when the actual work takes place"
Last week, Rep. Jim Viebrock (R-Republic) was angry with the many groups that protested the cruel and unnecessary cuts in the House GOP budget:
These groups are nowhere to be found when the actual work takes place, they do however, have no problem showing up after the fact to complain.
However, in this morning's Post-Dispatch, I read that Republican leaders are "secretly hashing out ideas" for how to spend the federal economic recovery money. "Most of the major decisions are still being debated behind closed doors" in Budget Chair Allen Icet's office.
Mr. Viebrock: The "actual work" is taking place right now -- how can the public be a part of the process?
Rep. Viebrock: Advocacy groups "are nowhere to be found when the actual work takes place"
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Rep. Jim Viebrock (R-Republic) has an interesting take on why so many are upset with the House Budget: they're not actually interested in providing input.
"Right on schedule, the protesters showed up on Wednesday for a rally and to encourage the legislature to fully fund their cause," Viebrock wrote. "They gathered out on the front lawn, got all pumped up and stormed the building chanting and screaming clever catch phrases. They demanded changes and additional monies be put into the budget. All of that is well within their rights to do, however, as I have been stating in previous reports, the time to have that kind of input- has already passed. The day we are voting on the final proposal is simply too late. These groups are nowhere to be found when the actual work takes place, they do however, have no problem showing up after the fact to complain," he said.
Fascinating. I suppose that the public was "nowhere to be found" in the sense they weren't invited to the meetings in Allen Icet's office --- but I bet folks would jump at the chance if Mr. Viebrock would let people know when and where to show up.
