Animal House” was a movie about the crazy antics of a college fraternity. But if you live in Massachusetts, you don’t have to buy a ticket to the movies, just stroll down to the state capitol and take a peek at your legislators.
Amidst the shouts of “Toga! Toga! Toga!” and drinking and partying, you’ll see an orgy of spending by entrenched politicians. Bay State lawmakers partied, drank and slept their way through a spending spree recently where they added nearly $200 million to state spending.
House Speaker Thomas Finneran admitted the session might be confused with a keg party. But another legislator defended himself, “I’m a responsible drinker,” he says. Perhaps he IS a more responsible when it comes to drinking than when spending the people’s tax dollars. Is this a legislature of rookies who just don’t know any better? Nope. These are elite professional politicians arguably doing what they do best partying and spending our tax money.
Sure, Massachusetts’s voters presented legislators with a petition for a constitutional amendment for term limits. The state constitution says the legislature must vote on it. But lawmakers ignored the constitution and refused to even hold a vote on the measure. No doubt they had a big night on the town planned and couldn’t be bothered by their constitutional duties. Career politicians are wilder than college students. And we need term limits in Massachusetts.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.