Representative Don Humason



NO WAY TO RUN… By Representative Don Humason, Jr. October 13, 2007 I hate to start my column by complaining or griping but I’m going to anyway. I’ve gotten pretty frustrated with certain aspects of the Democrat House leadership. Of course, as a minority member of the House, a Republican, I’m bound to have disagreements with the Democrats in charge from time to time. But I wanted to let my constituents know what rank and file members of the House of Representatives, both Republicans AND Democrats, have to put up with from this leadership of the House. This past Tuesday, the Speaker’s office emailed the members to tell us that we should expect to be in informal session on Tuesday, with formal sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. So I planned my week to be in Boston those days, cancelled appointments in the district, and headed to the State House. Then, on Tuesday afternoon members got an email from the Speaker’s office saying we were not going to be in session Wednesday and they were not sure about Thursday. So now our schedules were up in the air. Do we schedule district appointments and meetings or not? Do we plan to be in Boston or not? Can I attend events back in Westfield or not? Then, Wednesday afternoon, around 3:30 PM, we got word that the House would be in full formal session on Thursday at 11 AM. We were told to expect to take up the final deficiency budget for fiscal year 2007, as well as the Governor’s labor agency reorganization bill and some other big pieces of legislation. That’s less than 24 hours notice! That gave us practically no time to read and analyze the legislation we were going to take up. It’s like the leadership doesn’t know what they are doing. In my opinion, that’s no way to run a railroad! They don’t fly by the seat of their pants like that in the private sector. Hell, they don’t even do it that way in the state Senate where the Senate leadership at least has the courtesy to inform its members, in advance, when they will be meeting and what they can expect to take up. It’s getting worse and worse. And it’s not unusual or uncommon for this Speaker and his leadership team. Last week, we were given a complex bill on sporting and event ticket re-sale, the so-called “scalping” bill, with less than 1 hour to review the newest version released by the House Ways and Means Committee, before we were expected to vote on it. Most members, Republicans AND Democrats, hadn’t even seen it in print when they were forced to vote on it. People sometimes ask me if things are “better” under the new Speaker, Sal DiMasi, than they were under former Speaker Tom Finneran who had a reputation of being an iron-fisted, heavy-handed leader. I tell them at least Speaker Finneran gave us the schedule of formal sessions a month in advance every month. It made it a heck of a lot easier to do your job. Maybe it’s like that old saying about Mussolini during World War II: “At least he made the trains run on time.” I know some of you don’t like it if I get a little partisan in my column. But I think my constituents in Westfield, a hundred miles from the state capitol, have a right to know what’s going on and how their legislature is being run. They certainly don’t learn of these things through ordinary news media. Unfortunately, I don’t see things improving much. With only 19 Republicans out of 160 House members, the Democrats have a solid lock on the Speakership and all leadership positions. As I’ve illustrated, sometimes having a supermajority and controlling the legislative process is not a good or healthy thing for democracy. I reiterate: it is rank and file members of BOTH parties who suffer, and the democratic process along with it. Until Massachusetts voters see fit to restore some semblance of a two party system to the Bay State, our government and ultimately the people it represents, is going to suffer. If you would like to refute or disagree with me about these facts, I’d appreciate it if you would contact me at my office directly instead of in the Pulse Line. My Westfield District Office telephone number is 568-1366. Hopefully I’ll be there to take your call, not stuck at the State House waiting to hear from the House leadership whether we’re going to be in formal session or not. Thank you. * * * Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us
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NO WAY TO RUN…

By Representative Don Humason, Jr.

October 13, 2007

I hate to start my column by complaining or griping but I’m going to anyway. I’ve gotten pretty frustrated with certain aspects of the Democrat House leadership. Of course, as a minority member of the House, a Republican, I’m bound to have disagreements with the Democrats in charge from time to time.

But I wanted to let my constituents know what rank and file members of the House of Representatives, both Republicans AND Democrats, have to put up with from this leadership of the House.

This past Tuesday, the Speaker’s office emailed the members to tell us that we should expect to be in informal session on Tuesday, with formal sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.

So I planned my week to be in Boston those days, cancelled appointments in the district, and headed to the State House. Then, on Tuesday afternoon members got an email from the Speaker’s office saying we were not going to be in session Wednesday and they were not sure about Thursday.

So now our schedules were up in the air. Do we schedule district appointments and meetings or not? Do we plan to be in Boston or not? Can I attend events back in Westfield or not?

Then, Wednesday afternoon, around 3:30 PM, we got word that the House would be in full formal session on Thursday at 11 AM. We were told to expect to take up the final deficiency budget for fiscal year 2007, as well as the Governor’s labor agency reorganization bill and some other big pieces of legislation.

That’s less than 24 hours notice! That gave us practically no time to read and analyze the legislation we were going to take up. It’s like the leadership doesn’t know what they are doing. In my opinion, that’s no way to run a railroad!

They don’t fly by the seat of their pants like that in the private sector. Hell, they don’t even do it that way in the state Senate where the Senate leadership at least has the courtesy to inform its members, in advance, when they will be meeting and what they can expect to take up.

It’s getting worse and worse. And it’s not unusual or uncommon for this Speaker and his leadership team.

Last week, we were given a complex bill on sporting and event ticket re-sale, the so-called “scalping” bill, with less than 1 hour to review the newest version released by the House Ways and Means Committee, before we were expected to vote on it. Most members, Republicans AND Democrats, hadn’t even seen it in print when they were forced to vote on it.

People sometimes ask me if things are “better” under the new Speaker, Sal DiMasi, than they were under former Speaker Tom Finneran who had a reputation of being an iron-fisted, heavy-handed leader. I tell them at least Speaker Finneran gave us the schedule of formal sessions a month in advance every month. It made it a heck of a lot easier to do your job. Maybe it’s like that old saying about Mussolini during World War II: “At least he made the trains run on time.”

I know some of you don’t like it if I get a little partisan in my column. But I think my constituents in Westfield, a hundred miles from the state capitol, have a right to know what’s going on and how their legislature is being run. They certainly don’t learn of these things through ordinary news media.

Unfortunately, I don’t see things improving much. With only 19 Republicans out of 160 House members, the Democrats have a solid lock on the Speakership and all leadership positions.

As I’ve illustrated, sometimes having a supermajority and controlling the legislative process is not a good or healthy thing for democracy. I reiterate: it is rank and file members of BOTH parties who suffer, and the democratic process along with it.

Until Massachusetts voters see fit to restore some semblance of a two party system to the Bay State, our government and ultimately the people it represents, is going to suffer.

If you would like to refute or disagree with me about these facts, I’d appreciate it if you would contact me at my office directly instead of in the Pulse Line. My Westfield District Office telephone number is 568-1366.

Hopefully I’ll be there to take your call, not stuck at the State House waiting to hear from the House leadership whether we’re going to be in formal session or not. Thank you.

* * *

Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group