In following dumb bills and amendments proposed by Republicans—the same people who want “small government”—I came across the following one. Unfortunately, the amendment has been withdrawn, but it’s well worth a chuckle, or possibly a groan because the sponsor may have been sincere. This is what Wyoming Republicans are doing these days to “limit government.”
Republican state Rep. David Miller sponsored Wyoming House Bill 85 that calls for a “continuity task force” to study what to do if the country disintegrates. The ideas included having a state currency after the collapse of the federal government. In arguing for this bill, Miller said, “We wouldn’t have time to meet as a Legislature or even in special session to do anything to respond.”
Republican state Rep. Lorraine Quarberg gave enthusiastic support for Miller’s bill: “I don’t think there’s anyone in this room today what [sic] would come up here and say that this country is in good shape, that the world is stable and in good shape — because that is clearly not the case. To put your head in the sand and think that nothing bad’s going to happen, and that we have no obligation to the citizens of the state of Wyoming to at least have the discussion, is not healthy.”
Not content to stop there, however, Republican state Rep. Kermit Brown introduced an amendment to examine “conditions under which the state of Wyoming should implement a draft, raise a standing army, marine corps, navy and air force and acquire strike aircraft and an aircraft carrier.”
My map of the United States shows that Wyoming is a few states from a large body of water. All it has is Yellowstone Lake, frozen from December through June, sitting in the middle of a giant volcano, and measuring about 140 feet deep. Fortunately the draft of a Midway-class carrier, is only 33 feet, and even the biggest carrier available, Nimitz-class, needs only about 40 feet of water.
Then there is the issue of cost. The newest Nimitz-class vessel, the USS George H.W. Bush, cost about $6.2 billion (aircraft sold separately) and took about eight years to construct. This sum is 50 percent more than the state’s annual budget of $4 billion. A used aircraft carrier, such as the decommisioned one the British Navy placed on eBay in 2010, would be much cheaper, but the engines, pumps, and gear boxes in this one had been taken for use in other ships. And then there are operation costs. A Nimitz-class carrier requires about $120 million. Annually. That’s without establishing and running a naval academy. Plus a collapse of society would drastically drop revenues for the state.
Not all Wyoming lawmakers supported the bill and its amendment–the one with the aircraft carrier. The state House of Representatives voted 30-27 in opposition even without the provision for the aircraft carrier; 31 votes are needed to pass the bill. When the vote was taken, the bill had already been stripped of provisions for the aircraft carrier and draft. State Rep. Dan Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne) said lawmakers did not debate the bill before the vote.
Wyoming lawmakers said that they did not understand why the rest of the country was so fascinated about their discussing whether to get an aircraft carrier for their landlocked state. Duh!
Nel's New Day 