A couple of years back I drove the guest speaker for a conference from Lambert Airport to Columbia, Missouri. As we entered Boone County I warned her that when I got off the interstate it would appear that I was driving against traffic and, for a second, a catastrophic head-on collision would seem inevitable.
This was, of course, just the normal experience on one of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s exotic cross-over intersections.
I got reminded of that warning yesterday afternoon while heading for I-70 eastbound on Fifth Street in St. Charles. About halfway into the cross-over a large SUV driver panicked, hit their brakes hard and slid across two lanes of busy roadway. Fortunately the six of us closest to the chaos managed to swerve or stop or slide past the mess.
What surprised me was that the offensive SUV had Missouri license plates: these crazy cross-over intersections are quire the rage for MoDOT, part of the Missouri Way of re-designing highway interchanges.
Meanwhile, in Jefferson City, the Missouri Senate enters its third day of a filibuster over Congressional redistricting. House Bill 2117 likely maintains two Democrat and six Republican districts. The Conservative Caucus in the Senate won’t allow a probable two and six delegation, no, they join with Missouri Right To Life and others in requiring a one and seven map.
Before midnight Tuesday the writing was on the wall. The conservatives lacked the votes to pass a one and seven map.
So, did they accept the will of the chamber and move on to some of the many other pressing issues before the legislature?
No, they read to the Senate the story of Jim The Wonderdog. The next day they recited pop song lyrics into the record (a rural Missouri senator did Spice Girl lyrics). Blitzkrieg leader Bob Onder promised to filibuster through the weekend – depriving Senators of seats at the Republican’s gala Lincoln Day Dinner.
Superman fought for truth, justice and the American Way (a nice touch by an illegal alien). Conservative Republicans fight for the Missouri Way – chaos, authoritarianism and stupidity.
You see, based on election results Missouri ought to have three Democratic members of Congress. And, despite what gets claimed, Missouri Right To Life does not represent the majority of Missourians. Follow the polls and while most Missourians aren’t fond of abortion they don’t want it banned, nor do they want it to be the all-deciding motivator for state government. Yet for hours the Conservative Caucus damned a two-Democrat map as a gift to Nancy Pelosi, a boon to baby killers and the final step in the conversion of this nation to a communist state.
Ironically, the Missouri House of Representatives is still open for business. During this morning’s hearing of the Budget Committee, state treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (a former rural Republican state rep promoted by His Accidency) explained that he has trouble filling jobs because of the low salaries authorized by the legislature. Then, in a convoluted exchange with Democrat representative Peter Meredith, the treasurer noted that he had the ability to re-arrange funds so that, if necessary, he could overrule the will of the legislature and pay employees what he had to, to get jobs filled.
Ignoring the rules and doing what has to be done…that’s also The Missouri Way.
Glenn Koenen