

Dear California, Stop hitting yourself. - thinkcomp
http://www.aarongreenspan.com/writing/essay.html?id=90

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BrandonMarc
Sounds to me like your opportunity for comment on the bill was simply a
ceremonial formality, and those assembled already had their minds made up (or
their votes bought and paid for) ... and your insightful, useful, and
knowledgeable comments were a mere obstacle to their already-decided vote.

It's hilarious that, at the 11th hour, one politician gets scared that this
thing might effect lawyers. Oh, the humanity! Only to be reassured, no,
lawyers won't be affected, because, and I quote "um ... common sense ... um
... don't worry, no".

Of course lawyers wouldn't be affected by politicians' screwups. Professional
courtesy and all.

~~~
redcircle
I agree. Governance bodies may take public comments, but for the ceremony and
to legitimize the process; they ignore them, and vote as if they never took
place. I've seen the same elsewhere, such as at the Menlo Park City School
District meeting: they take comments, ignore them, then vote how they intended
to vote prior to the public discussion. But think how hard it is to process
creative discussion on your feet, particularly when arguments arise that
repudiate your position, and you have no way to validate the new arguments or
to research them prior to the vote. Whom do you trust? What should you do? It
is the process that is broken: votes should not happen immediately after the
comment period, but after a period of evaluation of the comments; and then the
governance body should have to repudiate the comments or at least to reply to
them.

