Apparently, the Texas Legislature is getting close to being hopelessly snarled as the personal pillow fight between Lt. Gov. Dan 'The Man who would be King' Patrick and House Speaker Joe "Special Interest" Straus continues to fester.
Not that this is a bad thing. Because when the Lege gets it going, Texas taxpayers typically take a hit to the pocketbook.
So how about this then: Just pass the budget and walk away.
It's the only thing that the Texas Legislature is required to do by the Texas Constitution, and the only thing they should do in this raucous atmosphere. Pass the budget, leave well enough alone. Ignore those "important" conservative issues and those Democratic plans to increase spending, just pass the budget and walk away.
Yes, there are important issues out there that need to be addressed, tax reform (especially property tax) being the most important, but do you trust this cast of clowns to pass anything meaningful?
I know I don't.
At this point it seems most prudent for lawmakers to just admit that they don't have the skill, creativity or talent to address those issues, pass a budget and fade into the sunset. Let the voters sift through the ashes in the next election cycle.
I'm not suggesting that will change anything, because people will re-elect the same idiots back into the offices they currently hold for the most part, but maybe it will give this cast of D-list public servants two more years to talk to people who actually understand the issues and craft some legislation that makes sense.
Right now it's a clown show, a crisis not only of leadership, but of statesmanship as well.
Hit the reset button folks, pass the budget and go home.
