Monday, January 15, 2007

Mr. Brain on MLK Day and Utah’s Constitution

Mr. Brain here - I heard something that pissed me off this morning on the way in to work.  I heard about how Ms. Jeanetta Williams wants the state of Utah to change its Constitution so that whenever their Constitutionally-mandated first day of the legislature falls on Martin Luther King Day, the start of the state legislative session won’t interfere with the holiday. 

That’s utter bullshit.  Holidays should never be mandated by any Constitution, and modifying a Constitution to allow for a holiday honoring an individual to occur unsullied by work is just shy of idolotry.  I don’t mind the Utah chapter of the NAACP lobbying for their cause, but come on, people, get some perspective already.  MLK Day was first celebrated in 1986.  Utah established the legislative session start as the third Monday in January in 1992, and the state celebrated MLK Day for the first time in 2001.  If the NAACP believes that Utah changed the start of it’s legislative session specifically to fuck with MLK Day, then by all means, bitch and moan all you want.  But if not, get fucking real.

That being said, Utah ain’t exactly squeaky clean here either.  In this ABC story, Senate Majority Assistant Whip Sheldon Killpack says “If the constitution changes every time another holiday is created it is cumbersome. It isn’t simply a matter of approving it on the Hill, it has to go to the people.” Ok, but if you’re going to amend your state Constitution to screw with property taxes so companies don’t have to pay taxes on office furniture, then you’ve got a Constitution that is probably packed full of bullshit.  And, in fact, here are a few more examples of crap that flat-out doesn’t belong in a state Constitution that just happens to be in the Utah Constitution:  rules on debt, LOTS of exceptions against property taxes, voter ineligibility due to criminal status, and the fact that you can’t be arrested if you’re in the process of voting.  WTF?  I don’t have a problem with any of these as state laws, but as Constitutional provisions, each of them and more should be stripped out.

So what do I say to the Utah chapter of the NAACP?  Get a life.  And to the state of Utah?  Stop putting every stupid little bullshit thing into your Constitution.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.