He just completely and totally exploited the memory of his deceased granddaughter Ellie to benefit his re-election efforts. I bring you this missive from the Hansen office:
For the record, Sen. Hansen, I don't even think you're all that vulnerable this fall. Some people would disagree with that assessment, and that's fine. But the fact that you're circulating this bill TEN days before the end of session can only lead people to believe (somewhat logically) that this is more about you wrapping yourself in the cloak of your granddaughter's tragic death than it is about making a legitimate effort this session at enacting public policy.
Dave, you've been in the Capitol for over seven years now. You know how the place works and the timelines on which it operates. The idea you're pitching isn't rocket science. This is a four-page bill that a drafter could write in his or her sleep. You could've had your staff draw this up with LRB the week after it happened and had something introduced a week after that.
In fact, based on the LRB number on this draft, 3272, this bill was probably done well before Thanksgiving, possibly as early as September. (In the future, know that you can disguise that by requesting that the bill be re-drafted as a /1. It's also a good way to bury drafter's notes and memos from lobbyists and donors about the bills you're working on.)
Instead, you're dropping it into the hopper a week and a half before session ends. Seriously, what choice are you giving people but to assume that this is just an attempt on your part to remind everyone that people should feel bad for you? If you were serious about this bill as public policy and not as a stunt, why did you leave this sitting in a file cabinet until such time that you knew there was almost no way it could pass this session, then pulled it out, slapped your granddaughter's name at the top and circulated it for public consumption?
Furthermore, if it wasn't about you Dave, why not have one of your Dem colleagues introduce it? After all, haven't we seen one legislator after another get chastised this session for introducing bills based on their own personal lives and experiences?
Maybe talk to Luther Olsen about that. Or Sheryl Albers. She got put through the wringer by the Wisconsin State Journal for a week over a doggie divorce bill that was inspired by a dog that was dead long before the bill came around. At the time, Mike McCabe said "When you work on legislation that hits really close to home, that raises serious questions about whether you are looking out for the interests of all the people in the district or looking out for your self-interest."
Gee, wonder if Mike will be consistent enough to say the same about your bill?
Frankly Dave, I think I learned all this stuff in driver's ed, so I'm not really sure why a mandate is necessary. And on top of that, if it's really a concern, maybe you should send EVERYONE back to driver's ed to learn these things. Clearly you needed the lesson. And I don't say that to be rude. I say that to be objective. You screwed up and now you think the answer to the "problem" is a government mandate that, if passed, wouldn't effectively be phased in at 100% for another sixty years.
Look, I feel bad for you Sen. Hansen, and I feel bad for your family. But not only is this bill largely without merit, it's designed and timed to let you exploit your granddaughter's death to benefit your campaign.
You can call me a cynic if you want. But you can also call me right. This is a spade and someone has to call it.
To: All Legislators
From: Senator Dave Hansen
Date: March 3, 2008
Re: Ellie's Law - LRB-3272/4
Deadline: 5:00 PM, March 4.
I am introducing this legislation on behalf of my granddaughter who tragically passed away last summer as the result of a back-over accident. Nothing can bring our dear Ellie back, but my daughter and her husband and the rest of Ellie's family and friends would like her memory to help prevent other accidents like hers.
LRB-3272/4 requires driver education courses to teach students the hazards of leaving young children unattended in vehicles, of motor vehicle blind spots, of backing motor vehicles around small children, and of accidental activation of power windows. The bill also requires DOT to develop and administer a child safety program regarding vehicle hazards to young children. The legislation finally requires the department to include with license renewal notices a one page informational sheet reminding licensees of these hazards.
My family and I believe this legislation also complements a federal bill recently signed by President Bush. That legislation, the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, requires the federal DOT to issue new safety standards in these areas, as well as maintain a database and conduct a public safety campaign.
Because the end of the legislative session is near, this bill has a very short deadline. If you would like to cosponsor LRB-3272/4 please reply to this e-mail or call Eric in my office by 5:00 PM on March 4.
For the record, Sen. Hansen, I don't even think you're all that vulnerable this fall. Some people would disagree with that assessment, and that's fine. But the fact that you're circulating this bill TEN days before the end of session can only lead people to believe (somewhat logically) that this is more about you wrapping yourself in the cloak of your granddaughter's tragic death than it is about making a legitimate effort this session at enacting public policy.
Dave, you've been in the Capitol for over seven years now. You know how the place works and the timelines on which it operates. The idea you're pitching isn't rocket science. This is a four-page bill that a drafter could write in his or her sleep. You could've had your staff draw this up with LRB the week after it happened and had something introduced a week after that.
In fact, based on the LRB number on this draft, 3272, this bill was probably done well before Thanksgiving, possibly as early as September. (In the future, know that you can disguise that by requesting that the bill be re-drafted as a /1. It's also a good way to bury drafter's notes and memos from lobbyists and donors about the bills you're working on.)
Instead, you're dropping it into the hopper a week and a half before session ends. Seriously, what choice are you giving people but to assume that this is just an attempt on your part to remind everyone that people should feel bad for you? If you were serious about this bill as public policy and not as a stunt, why did you leave this sitting in a file cabinet until such time that you knew there was almost no way it could pass this session, then pulled it out, slapped your granddaughter's name at the top and circulated it for public consumption?
Furthermore, if it wasn't about you Dave, why not have one of your Dem colleagues introduce it? After all, haven't we seen one legislator after another get chastised this session for introducing bills based on their own personal lives and experiences?
Maybe talk to Luther Olsen about that. Or Sheryl Albers. She got put through the wringer by the Wisconsin State Journal for a week over a doggie divorce bill that was inspired by a dog that was dead long before the bill came around. At the time, Mike McCabe said "When you work on legislation that hits really close to home, that raises serious questions about whether you are looking out for the interests of all the people in the district or looking out for your self-interest."
Gee, wonder if Mike will be consistent enough to say the same about your bill?
Frankly Dave, I think I learned all this stuff in driver's ed, so I'm not really sure why a mandate is necessary. And on top of that, if it's really a concern, maybe you should send EVERYONE back to driver's ed to learn these things. Clearly you needed the lesson. And I don't say that to be rude. I say that to be objective. You screwed up and now you think the answer to the "problem" is a government mandate that, if passed, wouldn't effectively be phased in at 100% for another sixty years.
Look, I feel bad for you Sen. Hansen, and I feel bad for your family. But not only is this bill largely without merit, it's designed and timed to let you exploit your granddaughter's death to benefit your campaign.
You can call me a cynic if you want. But you can also call me right. This is a spade and someone has to call it.
4 comments:
And of course, it will be called "Ellie's Law". I truly grieved for the family and for the senator when the accident happened. But this is, as you pointed out, really unnecessary. And it will probably pass and take up space in the statute books for eternity, because no one will want to be perceived as insensitive by voting against it.
Playground:
huge fan. read you all the time. breath of fresh air. but this time, you're off the mark. i read your headline and the first sentence of your blog. i didn't go any further. i respect your opinion. i really enjoy your blog, normally. but this post just makes me sick. you clearly have never met dave hansen. nor his grand daughter. i have. you officially disgust me. dave's gonna win. it won't even be close. he doesn't need to exploit anything to win. this wasn't about campaigning. i i reiterate, you make me sick. you usually have a pretty good political pulse. but at this point, i'd point out you may be comotose.
The mandate should not be placed on teenagers, it should be placed on old dudes like Dave Hansen. If I were a 15 year old entering driver's ed, I'd be furious about this proposal. He wants to burden kids with the lessons that apparently he must have forgot. I know this all sounds cruel, but if a legislators f**ks up, why should others be punished for it?
After reading your intro. I give you permission to Hate Me. At my daughter's wedding July 3, 2010 in Havre,MT her male cousin, (Karl) ran over and killed his 3 year old nephew,(David) the son of my daughter's female cousin, (Karrie). It was heartbreaking and will forever break our hearts. As a healthy part of the grieving process, we have looked at ways it could have been prevented. You see, we don't want anyone to every hurt as bad as we do and witnessed. Maybe not all ideas are good, but I am willing to do anything I can think of to prevent that from ever happening again. So to all of you, it's OK to HATE me,but I am so glad it hasn't happened to you, I don't wish it on anyone!
Sincerely, Susan Latimer
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