On my return from the Annual Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures in New Orleans today, I found an intriguing editorial in the News & Observer today, obviously written by someone who was not there, and had apparently not read the agenda. Here are some of the most enlightening portions of the editorial:
“No doubt there are things legislators can learn from each other, and issues that states have in common. But in a time when North Carolina, along with every other state, is feeling an economic pinch, and when many citizens fear for their jobs and already struggle to make ends meet, this meeting is a foolish venture. The Jones Street world of Tar Heel lawmakers can be a bit cloistered — one where it’s easy to … not recognize, through the insulation of Big Shot-hood, the negative appearances of a trip like this. … But some of that could be accessed at home via the Internet or on the phone or with staffers consulting with each other … ”
Before leaving for New Orleans, I culled from the agenda the meetings most relevant to me, which I list below. I attended at least one of the meetings listed below in each and every time block below. Many times, there were multiple meetings at the same time and I attended parts of two or more You might notice the heavy emphasis on issues like redistricting, ethics, public records, and access to emails. There were a total of 273 DIFFERENT meetings listed on the master agenda.
“Foolish venture”? NOT.
Posted by gercohen 
Drafting Musings 