district 95 representative, walker hines is one of those new orleans liberals who would just love to micromanage every breath and step you take, from the moment you pop out from betwixt your mama's legs, to how they dispose of your estate long after the undertakers tamp down that last dirt clod over your bone box.
as far as we've been able to tell, rep. hines displays the usual symptoms of the liberal disease -- no common sense.
but the thing about rep. hines, is that he comes across as so passionate and sincere about the causes that he believes in, that we just cant stay mad at him.
we've also noticed that a lot of other legislators seem to regard him as a colossal pain in the ass -- so in our eyes thats a definite plus. also, from time-to-time in committee and floor debates, rep. hines does offer some interesting insights and questions.
this year rep. hines authored his HB 781; it would have created the program for homeless assistance and prevention, the position of a director for homeless assistance and prevention, and the louisiana interagency council for the homeless.
rep. walker hines listens as randy k. nichols, executive director capital area alliance for the homeless, testifies for his bill
off hand we dont remember watching any committee or chamber action on this bill according to its history HB 781 was assigned to the house committee on health and welfare which heard it and reported it with amendments on 27 may 2009. [click here and scroll down to 27 may to view the committee video to view the agenda .pdf click here].
HB 781 was heard on the house floor on 03 june 2009. the history shows that it passed out of the house by a vote of 99 - 0. [click here and scroll down to 03 june to view the house video to view the daily journal .pdf click here].
HB 781 was received by the senate on 04 june 2009 and was assigned to the committee on health and welfare.
on 10 june 2009 the committee on health and welfare suspended the rules and reported HB 781 favorably. [click here and scroll down to 10 june to view the committee video to view the agenda .pdf click here].
on 11 june 2009 the senate sent HB 781 to the legislative bureau where on 15 june they reported it back to the senate without amendments.
on 16 june 2009 the senate, after placing some floor amendments on the bill, passed it by a vote of 39 - 0. [click here and choose chamber. HB 781 is on page 46 (of 56) in the journal so its a good bet that its in part two. to view the journal .pdf click here].
on 23 june the house concurred in the senate amendments by a vote of 89 - 0. [click here and scroll down to 23 june to view the house video. HB 781 is on page 31 (of 161) in the daily journal so the house probably heard it in the am session. to view the daily journal .pdf click here].
on 25 june 2009 HB 781 was sent to the governor.
on 07 july 2009 governor jindal vetoed HB 781 ostensibly because it grew government by creating "an executive level position within the department of social services and an 'interagency advisory council.'" this is exactly what the governor should have done.
the governor should have went a step further though and named names and called out all the criminal con-artists a/k/a rino's who voted for this garbage.
no one wants to see homeless people and any decent person wants to help the homeless but can any thinking person honestly believe that government can solve a problem that so far, local churches, charities, the salvation army and the red cross havent been able to solve in hundreds of years?
rep. hines in his press release in response to the governor's veto wrote in part:Today is a sad day for all Louisiana residents. HB 781 would have created a cost effective approach towards reducing homelessness by streamlining the delivery of homeless services, federal grants, and transitional housing.
Moreover, the costs of administering the new Director of Homelessness was to be fully funded with federal grants provided by Congress through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Louisiana taxpayers didn’t have to pay a dime for the new Director and Homeless Council for at least the next two years. The costs thereafter were negligible. ~ link
there is no need to create a new "homeless czar" thats absurd. the thing is though, is that the department of social services should already be doing this. they need to be investigated to find out why they arent doing their job properly.
rep. hines writes that "louisiana taxpayers didnt have to pay a dime..." just who does he think has to pay back -- with interest, all those trillions of dollars in american recovery and reinvestment act money president obama had created out of thin air?
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