Barnes: the transcript

Well, apparently the staff at the lege was in a hurry to wrap up before the holiday, so the video archives from yesterday's session of the House is already posted on the website. Click on the "video" link for "11/23/2009 - House Third Reading - Special Session 11/23/09".

Here's the "unofficial" transcript, "unofficial" meaning "transcribed by a blogger with a newfound respect for court reporters" (note: it's not perfect, I left out a lot of the umms and pauses and the like) (Note2: "B" = Barnes, "A" = House Speaker Kirk Adams, and "S" = Representative Kyrsten Sinema):

[37:35 mark]

B: My light is lit, sir.

A: Please explain your vote.

Thank you mr. speaker. there's a couple of things...when I walked in here the first thing that I heard was that there weren't any Republicans that were against this thing...and..umm...I think maybe the other side should learn to count, Maybe it will help them with their budget problems.

As far as I could see, all the Republicans were there. The second thing that bothered me was when Mr. Ableser said that there was no bipartisanship here. I guess he forgot that he's a member of the Environment Committee and that I've helped push his bills through...I've helped push Representative McGuire's bills through and it has nothing to do with the fact that they're Democrats that I did it and it has nothing to do with the fact that other people are Republicans that I do that.

If it's a good bill, it goes, if it's not a good bill it doesn't go.

And this is the same thing with this. If it's good, it goes.

Now is this the best? No, it's far from the best.

[Start of the juicy stuff at the 38:45 mark]

And you say that "well you can't touch education".

When I went to school, we had the superintendant of schools and that was it. and then, for the school itself, it was the principal and the assistant principal was the English teacher, and when the principal wasn't there a substitute came in and took the English teacher's place and she became the principal.

[volume rising]

Now, you have the superintendant, the deputy superintendant, the superintendant of communications, the superintendant of sports, the superintendant of government affairs.

Ya got the principal, the assistant principal, the assistant to the assistant principal, the principal of recess, the principal of discipline, the principal of sports, and I'm sure unless we got a bisexual teacher somewhere, there's probably a principal of the girls restrooms and a principal of the boys restrooms.

[39:38]

And that bothers me, because I'm telling you that's not...[muffled]...padding the books...

[interrupted for a point of order from Rep. Sinema]

A: Mr. Barnes, point of order. Ms.Sinema, your point.

S: Impugning. I think, lack of decorum. Something inappropriate. Please keep your comments to the bill and not to people's orientation. Thank you.

B: I'm sorry, I didn't hear what she said sir.

A: Mr. Barnes, she would like you to keep your comments to the bill. Please proceed.

B: She wanted me to keep what?

A: Your comments to the bill.

B: I think this IS THE COMMENTS TO THE BILL! IS THERE NOT ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT EDUCATION CUTS?!? WHAT'S THE MATTER? DON'T YOU READ THE BILLS BEFORE YOU START VOTING ON THEM?!?

It is a part of the bill. And now I'll tell you something, it's gonna happen again and it's gonna happen again and it's gonna happen again and I don't know where it's gonna stop. But you think it's in trouble now, you wait! Because if we don't solve all of the problems this year, which I doubt if we will, we got three times as many next year.

Somewhere, somewhere down the line, that thing is going to break. and then...I tell ya, one of the school districts came in and talked to me and said {mocking tone} "you can't vote against the school problems because we need the budgets, we can't solve them."

And I says "lookit", I says "quit putting pressure on me, I got enough pressure, I'm not against education. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for education."

And he says "but we can't take any cuts." I says "now wait a minute." I says
"I tell you what". "why don't we just let the state go bankrupt and let a trustee come in that's not...you can't vote on a trustee...the trustee comes in and he decides who's gonna take the cuts.

"Oh no no no, you can't do that!"

I says "yes we can, and maybe we should."

The transcript doesn't really capture the nuance and flavor of Barnes' rant. I heartily recommend that those who are interested view the video for themselves.

Those that don't live in AZ's LD7 will find themselves laughing their butts off and having something to be grateful for this Thanksgiving holiday; those that live in Barnes' district will find themselves crying this holiday.

BTW - Le Templar at the EV Tribune points out here that Barnes' bankruptcy scheme isn't feasible or even legal here.

Update - The AZ Capitol Times has posted the video on YouTube.