Former high school teacher, Representative Mike Lair (R-Chillicothe), chair of the state education appropriations committee, is bucking to become former Republican representative to the Missouri House from Caldwell, Carroll, Clinton, and Livingston Counties.
This week Mike made the terminal decision to hi-jack the state appropriations process to insert “$8 for tin foil hats,” according to Missouri.net. “The line item’s exact language reads, ‘For two rolls of high-density aluminum to create headgear designed to deflect drone and/or black helicopter mind reading and control technology.’”
The line item is was inserted to chastise all those anti-Common Core activists who seem to have a problem with schools taking retinal scans of children without parents’ permission.
“When you deal with conspiracy theorists, you do logic first,” said Lair.
“If you can’t deal with folks with logic,” he continued, “I always felt you use humor.”
Oh too FUNNY, Mike. Way to pee on the base during an election year.
If he doesn’t have a primary for the GOP nomination for his seat, Lair should probably count on one now.
Because if there is an establishment GOP version former Rep. Todd Akins, who, when running for U.S. Senate in Missouri, made the verbal boner of saying that victims of “legitimate” rape rarely get pregnant, Rep. Lair is it.
When you wonder why citizens express increasing frustration with politicians who seem out-of-touch, Lair is exhibit one.
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You might agree with the adoption of common standards, while having reservations about the data collection aspects that are always a part of an Obama initiative, without wearing a tin-foil hat.
In Wisconsin the GOP managed to address privacy concerns without blaming the parents for their concerns. Or insulting them along the way.
“Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax) said lawmakers needed to set such limits before abuses occur,” writes Milwaukee’s jsonline.com. “Technology is rapidly changing, and he contended the government could turn on the video cameras installed on people's computers and record what they were doing without their knowledge.
‘They can turn on your Skype, your camera, without the little red light coming on,’ Larson said. ‘We're living in a different day and age. We need to start being a little proactive.’"
The government would never do THAT, would they?
I mean the proactive thing, not the camera thing.
Because if one thing is certain about the totality of human experience in history, it is this: Any powers not specifically prohibited to the government, will be exercised by them, along with a few they sneak in that they’ve been disqualified from for good measure.
I know there are Republicans who agree to disagree about Common Core; there are Democrats who disagree with each other over the issue too.
But I’m not sure anyone outside of the rarified air of state legislatures and the education bureaucracy, would dismiss privacy concerns, as wholly illusory.
Rep. Lair qualifies on both counts.
And the base of the GOP, the ones who get out the vote, the ones who show up at meetings, are also solidly against this federal takeover of education known as Common Core.
You want to know how I know this?
Because Lair is getting support from places he wouldn’t brag about on his campaign literature:
“MO Rep. Proposes $8 Tin Foil Hat Budget, Mocking GOP Common Core Conspiracy Theorists” headlines Americans Against the Tea Party. “It’s not often a Republican wins our hearts, but you have done it Mr. Lair,” the site concludes.
I wish it were less often that a member of the GOP turned my stomach, but once again, one of them has done it.
The childish behavior of Lair isn’t so surprising considering that state legislatures are the nursery schools for the United States Congress.
But Mr. Lair needs to grow up or go home if he has nothing productive to offer from his position in the legislature.
Hopefully the foot soldiers of the party in Missouri will send him home.
I'll send the tin foil.
H/t to Shane Vander Hart of Truth in American Education for the following contact information below. As Vander Hart and Anne Gassel point out, Lair is typical big government guy spending $8 on an item you can buy for $5.80.
Here is Representative Lair’s contact information:
Address:
MO House of Representatives
201 West Capitol Avenue
Room 400
Jefferson City MO 65101
Legislative Assistant:
Gregg Pfister
Phone:
573-751-2917
E-Mail:
Mike.Lair@house.mo.gov
I’d also encourage you to contact the Missouri House leadership.
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