More Oogy in Iowa in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

Constitutional Convention votes are votes that a State Government takes up to attempt to demand that the Constitution consider new amendments. Iowa is currently attempting to be the 13th State to demand a Constitutional Convention. According to law, 34 states must call for a Constitutional Convention for one to occur.

What is the current Amendment Iowa Government wants to see added to the Constitution? Well… the advertised bill sounds good but when you dig into it deeper… it creates worry.

The Iowa GOP is stating that the Amendment they would like added to the Federal Constitution is a “Federal Powers Limitation”. Examples of limiting the Federal Power that were given in support of this vote? (1) Limit the Federal Government’s ability to increase the deficit; (2) End the Federal Government’s ability to create/have entitlement programs; (3) bring the Federal Government to heel and stop its uncontrolled growth and power grab.

Those examples are already pretty loaded (ending entitlements? you mean like Social Security which I’ve paid into since I was fucking 15 years old?!). But just a tiny bit of digging blows open why this whole thing should offend anyone that still feels America should be a land of the free or a land governed for the people by the people. This Constitutional Amendment push, and the subsequent amendment that folks want to see get ratified… has all been written and paid for by the Koch Brother’s lobbying arm. If you don’t know the Koch Brothers and if they don’t worry you… I would encourage you to do your own investigation. I won’t TELL you how to think. But for my money? The Koch Brothers are as bad or worse than the NRA in demonstrating how enough lobbying money can poison the well of government. Should the GOP, who has traditionally been a State’s Rights entity, work to pass laws that support state’s rights? Absolutely. Makes a shit ton of sense. Would a constitutional amendment limiting the power of the Federal Government be in State’s Rights? Easily debatable. But a bigger question… why would the Koch Brother’s lobbyist arm be so gung ho about limiting Federal Power? Honestly? That’s frigging obvious (and rather well documented in several dystopian future movies). A weaker Federal Government, unable to push back against a larger National (International) Conglomeration, will have to abdicate more and more power and resources to the Private Sector to simply achieve the goals of the government. In short… the easiest way to make sure the Private Sector has total control and can screw anyone they want? Destroy National Governments. And I’ll be damned if the Kochs haven’t been doing an adequate and significant job of it.

And painfully, the Tea Party has a lot to do with it :(

When I was part of the Tea Party the concept was simple… New York bitched that Nebraska got a National Security Endowment the same year that New York state’s National Security funding decreased. But here’s the math… New York lost less than 1% of their funding because they were already receiving so much. Nebraska saw a HUGE increase because they were seeing so little. But, while New York is heavily populated, popular with tourists, and houses the UN and Stock Exchange… Nebraska has the fallout position for a President when the country is in Danger. Remember after 911 when Bush gave speeches? A lot of those were from the podium in Omaha, NE. BUT New York didn’t give a shit. Why should Nebraska receive a 10% bonus the year we receive a 1% loss? Raised holy hell. Likewise, Kansas (due to their own State’s incompetence led by a GOP push to decrease taxes on the top 20% and businesses) is MASSIVELY hurting. They get “bailed out” by the Federal Government.... that money comes from states that DIDN’T shoot themselves in the foot. So… when I was part of the Tea Party… the push was that States weren’t seen as “separate piggy banks for the Federal Government” and that the Federal Government didn’t start disconnecting too much from “all states” in an effort to appease the “heavily populated states” in order to curry National Favor.

Things changed and I got the hell out of the tea party.

And things changed the moment the Koch Brothers took over.

They saw a grassroots group that wanted to protect the sovereignty of State’s Rights (as detailed in the Constitution) and realized that by using Tea Party fervor, they could fund literally the bills they wrote to be addressed by GOP members of government. And that is exactly what they’ve done. “Tea Party says smaller government. Well, here’s a bill I wrote that they want. What does it say? It says Government shouldn’t regulate my business. Now get it passed!” Is basically where we are with them.

We’ll just roll this into my day, too. Or rather, start with yesterday.

1) Wife’s job interview was for a Seed Company. Right now she would be a gopher/assistant type person… cleaning glassware, delivering samples, that kind of thing.

But yesterday was… different? So… Wife goes to the interview than feels such extraordinarily massive pain in her neck that she can’t go to work and has an Emergency Chiro Appointment. Meanwhile, her parents text us the item about MIL’s eye and FIL’s cancer. When I come home, Wife is assuring me that she thinks she got the job but that makes her more terrified. To the point where… just contemplating the change made her break down sobbing with fear. I’m supportive… but I don’t know what to do with her. She hates Wal Mart, despises it, says it is the center and cause of everything horrible in her world… and yet the thought that she succeeded in an interview makes her bawl with terror. And her neck was still really killing her. SO she scheduled another appointment for today.

Today? Another… different… day.

I wake up to make sure I am at work at 8. It typically takes me 30 minutes to get to work, so I make sure to leave with 40 minutes to spare. Except it has been snowing and the boy’s State Basketball Tournament is going on. SO… just getting out of my suburb took 40 minutes. I made it to work at 8:20. Not cool. I set up my computer and got to work. Because on the way to work, Chinese Boss texted me that one of our clients wanted to leave the jurisdiction and her Parole Officer expressly told her that she would need permission from the court. I called the clerk of court, drafted the motion, sent it off. Then Chinese Boss calls and says, “The new office is set up enough that I should come over and work from there.” So I do! And… the office isn’t set up at all. Her desk is set up (in the wrong room) and that is about it. So… I essentially stand around for 4 hours while the office is still being worked on by no-shit actual builders: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, all of it. So… yeah. The office is “done.”

During this, Wife texts me. She has Arthritis in her neck! Just one joint but… that is the diagnosis. Damn.

The firm takes me and the Assistants out to lunch and when we come back, Chinese Boss asks me to put together a SafeCo metal shelf for the break room. She takes me to the break room. Oh, by the way, that will be your office. SO… here’s the layout:

Primary Floor (facing street): Large reception area and desk with sign. Conference area with tv. Large office for Chinese Boss. Large separate office for White Boss. Small Office for Assistant. Two bathrooms. downstairs (with immediate, close access to the parking lot and a door to it)… the break room (center) and two offices connected to the break room. One is for storage. Mine? In mine, the wall that my desk faces is actually a large window… that looks out into the break room. So… when I’m in my office… I’ll get to see anyone/everyone that comes down to take five, grab a drink, eat their lunch.

Then I start putting together the shelving unit. It sucks. It is really cheaply made. And when I finish it? I discover that it is missing two parts. Important parts, as they are the parts that stabilize the shelving unit so it doesn’t just rock back and forth. Now… that is bad enough. But my bosses saw that one of the movers put a small scratch in their new Bamboo Table and flipped absolute shit demanding that the movers buy them an entirely new bamboo table. So… this cheap piece of junk missing pieces is certain to upset them.

So now it is 16:00 and I’ve “set up” my office. Basically, I’ve taken out a bunch of folders (most of which aren’t mine, but the Primary Level’s filing system hasn’t been resolved) and connected my phone and laptop to the internet. Because… yes. New Office, knowledge that a new hire will be needed in this office and… the two things the firm hasn’t sprung for? (1) An independent phone line; (2) a computer for the associate attorney. So… personal cell phone and personal laptop still it is.
Not to mention they need to entirely re-order their business cards. They bought the entire building which houses suites 2211 through 2215. The business cards say the lawfirm is located at 2211. The lawfirm is actually located at 2213. 2211 is an empty, dilapidated suite that the firm hopes to renovate and lease out. So, congratulations. Our brand new business cards don’t have the correct address.

This new office placement is even more extreme reason why I’m glad I turned in my notice.
(1) We went from “within walking distance” to Juvenile and Criminal Court to.... now we need to drive there and pay for parking
(2) We went from “within walking distance” to a food court and the UPS Package send out to… now nothing is within walking distance.
(3) On a more personal level: I went from an office that was 5th in a circle of offices typically occupied by lawyers at least once a week. Now? I’m the only occupied office on the entire floor of this building. At least I’ll see people when they come down here for breaks.
(4) At the old office… when I came in before anyone else, people would have to pass my office when they arrived. So at least my bosses knew I was there. When I came in after everyone else, I would have to pass my bosses’ office, so I knew that they were there. At the new office? I basically have my own door to the parking area. I can come and go as I please (which might sound cool) but at the same time… I expect to receive a lot more text messages of “Can you come to my office?” even if I am still in the building… because instead of calling out and asking, they have to text me. Hey… another reason why they should get an independent phone system. Bloody system to beep me and ask me to come up via Internal Calls.

So.... yeah. I just got a brand new office designed to be just as lonely (if not more so) than what I had in Tiny Town. Except in Tiny Town, I could still walk to Court or walk to Pizza Ranch… of even walk home if I so felt like it. Here? I can walk to a funeral home and that is about it.

24 Days left here. And if I am not unexpectedly forced to work weekends… functionally, that is just 18 days of actual work days left.

Though, I must confess… the closer I get to not working, even though I am still confident it is the right call, the more I worry about the possibility of re-joining the work force when I’m ready. I mean… hell, my compassion fatigue is fatal to my current occupation and that is why I need to take a break. Remind myself that not every single life on the planet is scum… that kind of thing.