Re: HB 4076 makes me laugh.

by **Stephanie** on Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:47 am

Aaron,

I've been a resident of this state less than 2 years yet I get the feeling I have a better understanding of how the legislature works, or fails to work, than you do. In addition, you obviously have paid little attention to the legislation that has failed to find its way through various committees and both chambers with the speed required to be successful here in WV.

Once you have a rudimentary understanding of what is required for a piece of legislation to make it to the governor's desk perhaps you'll have some concept why some people, myself included, believe the current schedule is inadequate.

Personally speaking, I don't believe any government body can solve all of any group's problems. I do know, however, that the WV legislature should have passes legislation requiring insurers to cover the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, as HB 4091 and SB 146 would have done.

In your opinion the REAL ID Act is Constitutional, there are many who disagree with you. In any event, by your own admission, there are unfunded & unConstitutional federal mandates being rammed down the throats of the citizens of WV. We should refuse to comply with them and the money saved could be spent more effectively and more appropriately on services and programs that will improve the lives of West Virginians and lower taxes to boot.

by Aaron on Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:02 am

Maybe one of these days I can be half as smart as you think you are. I just hope you don't have any trouble with your elbow from patting yourself on the back!!! Rolling Eyes

As for the legislature, I know how it works, at least enough to know what they want passed gets passed and what they don't, never sees the light of day. That from the word of a former legislature that I know.

If your autitism bill didn't make it to the governors desk, it wasn't due to time spent on the bill.

by **ohio county** on Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:17 pm

...legislation that has failed to find its way through various committees and both chambers with the speed required to be successful here in WV.

In my experience, legislation that fails to emerge within sixty days is purposely bottled-up in committee. It is not a case of running out of time, it is a case of a member, group of members, or the leadership applying the kiss of death. A sure sign is multiple committee assignments.

by **Stephanie** on Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:03 pm

Aaron wrote:Maybe one of these days I can be half as smart as you think you are. I just hope you don't have any trouble with your elbow from patting yourself on the back!!!

As for the legislature, I know how it works, at least enough to know what they want passed gets passed and what they don't, never sees the light of day. That from the word of a former legislature that I know.

If your autitism bill didn't make it to the governors desk, it wasn't due to time spent on the bill.

Please, I'd settle for you one day being half as intelligent as you think I am. A girl can dream, you know.

by **Stephanie** on Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:16 pm

ohio county wrote:
...legislation that has failed to find its way through various committees and both chambers with the speed required to be successful here in WV.

In my experience, legislation that fails to emerge within sixty days is purposely bottled-up in committee. It is not a case of running out of time, it is a case of a member, group of members, or the leadership applying the kiss of death. A sure sign is multiple committee assignments.

Jimmy,

I agree what you say is true, however, under the current system, there is no time for members of the public to make any sort of show of support for a bill that is languishing in committee. The events surrounding SB 248 makes this evident.

The WV Senate passed that bill and it was introduced in the House on February 28th. From there it was sent to House Roads & Transportation committee and from there it was to go to the Judiciary committee. The chair of the R&T committee wouldn't place it on that calender. Although a request was made for a hearing on that legislation, she denied that too. A week simply wasn't enough time to press the issue with anyone. So the bill is dead because of the actions of a lone delegate from Logan county who may or may not have received some pressure from Manchin the Magnificent Moron. How does this serve the needs of the citizens of WV?

If there were more time available, those of us who support this legislation would be in a far better position to get it passed. While there are those of us who have no intention of letting this be the end of things, our options now are severly limited.

by Aaron on Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:25 pm

Your options include our distinguished Governor. They also include Dale Martin and Brady Paxton, both whom serve as your representatives if I'm not mistaken. I would also contact this one committee chair were I you. Granted I'm not near as fart a smeller as you are but I do belive committee's meet throughout the year and you've always got special sessions if there are any although those are usually limited to the scope of what they were called for. But then, being as smart as you are, you knew that, right!!!

They could be in session year round and if she doesn't want it to come up for a vote, it's not coming up for a vote.

by **Stephanie** on Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:21 pm

Aaron wrote:Your options include our distinguished Governor. They also include Dale Martin and Brady Paxton, both whom serve as your representatives if I'm not mistaken. I would also contact this one committee chair were I you. Granted I'm not near as fart a smeller as you are but I do belive committee's meet throughout the year and you've always got special sessions if there are any although those are usually limited to the scope of what they were called for. But then, being as smart as you are, you knew that, right!!!

They could be in session year round and if she doesn't want it to come up for a vote, it's not coming up for a vote.

With the help of Senator Barnes, a meeting is being set up with the governor and a protest will be held on the day of that meeting, which is tentatively set for next Friday. Like I said before, we're not letting this die quietly.

by SamCogar on Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:17 am

Stephanie wrote:I do know, however, that the WV legislature should have passes legislation requiring insurers to cover the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, as HB 4091 and SB 146 would have done.

In your opinion the REAL ID Act is Constitutional, there are many who disagree with you. In any event, by your own admission, there are unfunded & unConstitutional federal mandates being rammed down the throats of the citizens of WV. We should refuse to comply with them and the money saved could be spent more effectively and more appropriately on services and programs that will improve the lives of West Virginians and lower taxes to boot.

OH GOOD GRIEF, .........Stephanie.

Just what good would it do to require insurers to cover the treatment of autism spectrum disorders ........... when probably 98% of the kids diagnosed with said do not have an insurance provider, .......... other than the Government itself via Federal and State programs?

And “saving money that could be spent more effectively and more appropriately on services and programs”, …….. GIMME A DOUBLE BREAK.

Steph, the current DHHS budget is already more than the rest of the State’s budget ……. and neither of them DISCLOSES all the Federal dollar$ that are spent on those programs.

They cancelled the “Ritalin program” …….. and everyone involved is bitching because of lo$$ of million$ of dollars. Especially the parents, they loved those monthly checks.

Steph, EDUCATION ……. is the ONLY THING …….. that will improve the lives of West Virginians and lower taxes to boot.

I would say that 98% of the “learning disabled problems” are the result of illegal drug use …….. and incest.

And the more funding you provide for those LD problems ......... the more LD problems you are going to create. Ya can't just keep buying "more buckets" to catch the increasing "drips" through the roof ....... because soon they will overflow and start "dripping" into the basement.

And 98% of all Autism Spectrum Disorders ……. is nothing more than “a juvenile Carpal Tunnel Disorder”.

The "parasites" spend 90% of their "awake hours" trying to figure out ways to get "taxpayer funding" to support their lifestyle and they do it mostly by creating "imaginary problems" .......... and then propose solutions for said.

And just as soon as one (1) parasite gets a "wee little bit of taxpayer money" ......... all the parasites start jumping onto that "money train" and it soon becomes MILLIONS N' MILLIONS of taxpayer dollars, to wit:

What ever happened to carpal tunnel?

Trendy techno malady has eased, but we've already got a new ache

Remember when half your co-workers complained of “carpal tunnel” and wrist braces were the fashionable office accessory?

Cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, the white-collar epidemic of the '90s, have plummeted in recent years, according to labor statistics. What happened? Did all those ergonomic keyboards cure us of our aches and pains or is something else going on?

Something else is going on.

For one thing, the lumping of nearly every patient with an achy arm into the carpal tunnel category has diminished, and other trendy, multisyllabic diagnoses such as repetitive stress syndrome (RSS), cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) and musculoskeletal disease (MSD) are filling the gap. Secondly, measures taken in the workplace — job rotation, stretch breaks and attention to ergonomics have indeed had an effect — even if what had been labeled carpal tunnel was in reality plain old tendonitis, bursitis, spasm, or even muscular lack of conditioning.

Unquestionably, workers engaged in repetitive work many hours each day experience a variety of musculoskeletal pains. So do gardeners, waitresses and baseball players. That does not mean the work causes the problem. Association is different from causation. Just because chest pain often happens in cold weather does not mean winter causes heart disease.

Explosion of acronyms
There is little question that since use of computers has proliferated both in and out of the home, musculoskeletal problems have been common in the American workplace. But whether you call it carpal tunnel, RSS, CTD, MSD, or any other acronym, this vague, poorly defined, almost impossible to prove constellations of symptoms is responsible for lots of lost work time and hefty medical bills.

Doctors have never been entirely comfortable with these types of labels. That’s because such an eponym tries to assign a specific diagnosis to subjective complaints of pain rather than something the practitioner can observe or demonstrate. Putting a name to what is essentially an overuse problem leads the patient to believe there is serious injury, giving the condition a magnitude often undeserved, rather than recognizing it as one of the aches periodically experienced by each of us.

Not surprisingly, it has been a short leap to the belief that office work somehow “caused” the problem and that it should be compensable. Right or wrong, the upside is that it brought attention to ergonomics issues at the office, and these improvements have reduced our aches and pains no matter what they’re called.

Thumb’s up?
So now that carpal tunnel is no longer the plague of cubicle workers everywhere, what’s our next pain point likely to be? The thumb. Yes, “Blackberry thumb” — the trendy malady of the text-messaging set.

There is no question that thumb problems are on the rise, particularly in the basal joint, the joint at the thumb closest to the wrist. This joint has long been vulnerable to wear and tear as we age. But while doctors used to just see this in a patient’s dominant hand, we’re now seeing it at an earlier age, and in both dominant and non-dominant hands. But how will you know when “Blackberry thumb” has become the next white-collar epidemic? Probably when you start spotting thumb braces around the office.

Dr. Edward V. Craig is Attending Surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Cornell Medical School.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23502573/

by **ohio county** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:35 am

If there were more time available, those of us who support this legislation would be in a far better position to get it passed.

Maybe that's by design... As I mentioned before, if the Rules Committee makes multiple committee assignments, that is a sign that the legislation is slated for a descent into obscurity and the Island of Forgotten Legislation.

I applaud your civic involvement. Seriously. Years of watchng the Legislature both from a distance and from a bird's eye view have made me very cynical.

The lawyers rule the Judiciary Committees and the whole shooting match is run by a ragtag collection of bought-and-paid-for hacks. In a perfect world, I'd be inclined to agree with you. But this is West Virginia...

by **ziggy** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:20 pm

OC, is it the the rules committee or the House and Senate leaders who decide to which committees bills are assigned?

by **ohio county** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:57 pm

In 1973 as a drug-addled fourth year college freshman I had the pleasure of presenting a questionaire to the WV Senate Finance Committee. At that time, Senator Holliday, D-Fayette, indicated that committee assignments were handled through the Rules Committee. Largely as a result of his response I got a B. The A went to a fellow named Matt Foreman. If you Google Matt Foreman today you will get results relative to the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Whatever Alliance. He is the national chairman. Coincidence? I think not.

by Aaron on Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:15 pm

ziggy wrote:OC, is it the the rules committee or the House and Senate leaders who decide to which committees bills are assigned?

Is there a difference?

Senate President:
Earl Ray Tomblin-Rules Committee
President Pro Tempore:
William R. Sharpe Jr.-Rules Committee
Majority Leader:
H. Truman Chafin-Rules Committee
Majority Whip:
Billy Wayne Bailey
Minority Leader:
Don Caruth-Rules Committee
Minority Whip:
Clark S. Barnes

HOUSE LEADERSHIP
Speaker of the House:
Richard Thompson-Rules Committee
Speaker Pro Tempore:
Ron Fragale-Rules Committee
Majority Leader:
Joe DeLong-Rules Committee
Majority Whip:
Mike Caputo-Rules Committee
Assistant Majority Whips:
Sam J. Argento
Jeff Eldridge
Timothy R. Ennis
Tim Miley
Clif Moore
Don Perdue
David Pethtel
Sharon Spencer
Jack Yost
Minority Leader:
Tim Armstead
Minority Whip:
Larry Border
Assistant Minority Whip:
Patti Eagloski Schoen

by **ohio county** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:36 pm

I once heard Bill Sharpe in a Finance Committee hearing. They were talking about the cost of the brown paper bags that the ABCC used to package bottles of liquor. Dick Barber, who later went to prison, was Commissioner. Sharpe said, "Why do you keep talking about the cost of bags? Don't you people put liquor in bottles anymore?".

by **ziggy** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:14 pm

He isn't sometimes called Bill Notso Sharpe for nothin'.

by **ziggy** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:23 pm

After the bill is numbered, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Delegates assigns the bill to a committee or committees to be considered. When the bill is formally introduced on the floor of the chamber, the bill number and the committee reference(s) are announced.

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Educational/Bill_Becomes_Law/Bill_Becomes_Law.cfm