I drove an hour and a half to Richmond for a 1:15pm committee meeting. It’s 2:05pm, and there’s no sign that we’re any closer to it starting.
I’m told that the bills that I came to see discussed — all pertaining to payday lending — will be pushed off for another day. That’ll come as tough news to the dozens of people packing the lobby waiting to see this bill heard. Many of them no doubt took the day off work, incurring great personal expense to see government in action. Instead they’re witnessing government inaction.
The first snow of the season is coming down — and it’s only getting worse — and I need to get back to work. I’ll sit here a little longer and, if nothing happens, I’ll shamble on down to the garage, pay my $12, and complete the three-hour round trip home.
They don’t call it the sausage factory for nothing.
That sucks, Waldo. And $12 for parking is extortionate. Is it one of those deals where the first hour is $5 or $6, and 61 minutes or “all day” are both $12?
Those garages were a bane of mine in DC.
That’s the way it goes. Let me know next time and I’ll let you buy me a beer.
Seems it’s the least you could do. ;-)
Judge Smails,
As a resident of Northern Virginia (oh god, how I hate to admit that), I can say that that is one of two reasons that I do my utmost never to drive into the city. The other being that I’m terrible finding my way around, due to the street layout.
Sorry to hear that Waldo.
They oughtta leave payday lending alone and do something about those parking garages. ;)
When that happens one can always look around to see what other committee meetings are going on and pop in for them. I whiled away many an idle hour doing exactly that when I lived in downtown Richmond.
A few times I actually ended up speaking about a bill that I’d never even heard of until that day. One time I ended up explaining the concept of triangulation to a committee chair when they were hearing a bill on cell phones and the 911 system. Another time I wandered into a random committee meeting because the bill I was there to lobby against had been shelved and I somehow torpedoed a bill about penalties for multiple DUIs when I mentioned that there was no DMV data on how many drivers with a single DUI ended up getting another one when they got their licenses back. You, too, can be a citizen legislator! The capitol building in Richmond welcomes pretty much anyone who wants a seat a table. Virginia has the closest thing to real democracy that I’ve ever seen.
I usually do check out the other committee meetings, but I wasn’t interested in any of the bills before any other committees. I ended up wandering around, making social calls on legislators.
Maybe you should try to APR a the $12 parking fee for three hours. I’d bet that would be astronomical compared to payday lending.
I got there just in time for it to work out to $10. Though I cannot understand how to calculate an APR for a service like that. There’s no loan, thus there’s no percentage.
I’m glad you’re keeping an eye on this. I’ve already emailed my delegate about it, (Lohr) and I’ll continue to follow the payday loan issue fairly closely this session.