It took Peggy Lee six hours to drive from her home to Englewood to testify before the Florida Legislature about the need to provide more money to 911 systems.
But Lee -- the mother-in-law of murder victim Denise Lee -- learned in a matter of minutes how things really work in Tallahassee.
Lee got roughly 1 minute to talk to legislators on Wednesday. Lobbyists for and against a proposed bill on 911 funding got anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes.
Roughly 30 seconds after Lee spoke, a House committee delayed action on the bill she testified on. A move was made to bring the bill back up later, but there was confusion over House rules, ultimately leading to a decision to shut the meeting down.
"We just feel very frustrated," Lee said. "I guess that's just how it works."
Read more here at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
I laugh when citizens come to Tallahassee and think their input really means something. No check, no influence!
Posted by: Paul | March 19, 2010 at 02:15 PM