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GOOD ONE, CALIFORNIA. The Corner's Anthony Dick needs a better sense of your humor. He's got a post today on California House Resolution 36, which focuses on Pluto's planetary status and the concern that "[d]owngrading Pluto's status will cause psychological harm to some Californians who question their place in the universe and worry about the instability of universal constants." As you may expect, he sells it as evidence of California's cosmic self-absorption and total looniness when, in fact, it's quite the opposite. The resolution is a clever joke meant to mock the priorities of the legislature -- which it does, with more flair, self-consciousness, and genuine humor than any similar bill I've seen. I really recommend you download the pdf, but here are some of the choicest lines:
WHEREAS, The deletion of Pluto as a planet renders millions of text books, museum displays, and children�s refrigerator art projects obsolete, and represents a substantial unfunded mandate that must be paid by dwindling Proposition 98 education funds, thereby harming California�s children and widening its budget deficits; andWHEREAS, The deletion of Pluto as a planet is a hasty, ill-considered scientific heresy similar to questioning the Copernican theory, drawing maps of a round world, and proving the existence of the time and space continuum; and WHEREAS, The downgrading of Pluto reduces the number of planets available for legislative leaders to hide redistricting legislation and other inconvenient political reform measures; and WHEREAS, The California Legislature, in the closing days of the 2005�06 session, has been considering few matters important to the future of California, and the status of Pluto takes precedence and is worthy of this body�s immediate attention;Etc and so on. It's actually very cute, and shows that some lawmakers can laugh at both California and themselves. Now, if only all legislation read so enjoyably, my job would be a lot easier.
--Ezra Klein
