Oregon Legislative Sessions - Reason to go to an Annual Session

The Oregon Legislature is about to end its bi-annual session - with no real (apparent) legislation actually being passed of any value.

A lot of fluff stuff was passed - and other bills that were likely passed but never reported on by the newspapers; like the law they did in 2002 for school zones speed limits that once people found out about it - and pointed out the stupidity of the law - it took 3 YEARS before they could repeal it - three YEARS of a stupid law on the books and a LOT of wasted money printing up and posting new speed zone signs! If there were multiple sessions we would have had to only go through a year of this stupidity. (No one in the legislature who passed it ever looked into the impact of the law or the "unintended consequences" that passing it would cause - i.e: no gadflies to point out the bad things that could happen.) - it sounded good and appeared to be good "for the kids" and to all Democratic party members that means it MUST be good since it is for the children "of the state" and passed it. Wrong.

Another bad idea about only having a bi-annual session is that when they run for election A YEAR AND A HALF from now, what they did - or did not do - will seldom be reported on at all outside of 5 seconds in a campaign attack ad - which most people discount since it is an attack ad.

It would be better if a session ended THEN the campaign season immediately started since people would have it FRESH in their awareness (well, some would) of what went on and then people could immediately point out who did work, who did not, who blocked logical laws and who wrote and sponsored stupid laws and then vote with more awareness of what type of person is trying to REPRESENT you in YOUR state government.

Elephants may have a long memory, but most residents adhere to the "short attention span theatre" mental model. 

 

 

"Human Capital" - A New Phrase for Workers

What's in a name? Considering the number of lawsuits over people using words it means a lot. It also tells upon the person using the name - or company - as to what they think of the people being referred to.

The latest name fashion to hit is renaming "Personnel", or "Human Resources" , to "Human Capital" - making it sound like an investment term.

However, one aspect of "Capital" is that you always "depreciate" it away since there is the "Capital  budget" used to buy goods that are written off in a period of years.

This places people on the same status as a red office stapler.