Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Brief Notes on "Shit State Legislators Say"

Since SSLS has become a relatively easy way to produce content something of a mainstay here at Donkeylicious, I wanted to say a couple of things about the criteria for inclusion on SSLS.
  • SSLS is not specifically partisan. If you can find a crazy quote from a crystals & wuwu dirty hippie Democrat who represents some hotbed of liberalism, I'll be more than happy. That said, for structural reasons The Crazy on the right is more likely to have political representation than The Crazy on the left. Also, the news sources I consume are more likely to pick up said Crazy. But again, happy to report on shit lefty legislators say if anyone finds it.
  • Local elected officials--mayors, city council members, etc.-- are also eligible for SSLS: Extreme Local edition.
  • I have mixed feelings about the concept of SSLS. On the one hand, it's funny as hell. On the other hand, it contributes to the generally negative attitude people have about elected officials, who are working long hours dealing with hard questions, often for little pay. So, just remember that for every time I quote someone saying something dumb, there are a half-dozen members of the state Budget committee poring over spreadsheets with their handful of staff members while eating Chinese takeout.
Of course, this blog is for the readers as much or more than it is for our own personal glorification. What does everyone think of Shit State Legislators Say? Fun times, or annoying debasement of an honorable profession?

    3 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    I think that all one has to do to find crazy Democrat shit is pay a visit to Albany.

    Anonymous said...

    I say the previous as a loyal Democrat, and diehard New Yorker: the NYS Legislature makes California and Illinois look like models of well-functioning, honest, clean states. I mean, we had a COUP for Chrissakes.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_New_York_State_Senate_leadership_crisis

    Nick Beaudrot said...

    Yeah, I feel like I should make a category of crazy associated with states that have close to one-party Democratic rule: NY, NJ, MA, probably CT, IL, etc. It's not crystals and wu-wu, but crazy shit happens there.