There is no law, no matter how preposterous, that will not be given serious consideration if it is advanced as being for 'the public good.'"
For the Kids.
Algie Howell has some competition in the category of "dimwit state legislator of the year." I give you Rhode Island State Sen. Roger Badeau:
The next time sports figures come to town selling autographs, they better choose their buyers carefully or have their own checkbooks handy.
Legislation introduced by Sen. Roger R. Badeau (D-Dist. 20, Cumberland, Woonsocket) would make it a $100 offense for any professional athlete or entertainer or anyone representing them to charge an autograph fee of any person under the age of 16.
"Late last year, a number of the World Champion Boston Red Sox came to Rhode Island. Scores of Rhode Islanders, old and young, rushed to the event to see their heroes," said Senator Badeau. "Many of them left the event quite a bit lighter in their pocketbooks, not from the admission fee but from the $195 or more these heroes were charging for their autographs."
"It's outrageous, sickening and disgusting, on so many levels," said Senator Badeau.
It sure is. The bill, I mean. Choice Badeau quote from another article:
How about the kid who, by virtue of the new law, gets a free Manny Ramirez autograph, runs home and puts it on eBay for the highest bidder?
McBurney doesn't think it would happen, not often anyway.
"Not my children, that's for sure," he said. "Maybe I'm behind the times, but I don't see that as a big problem."
Yeah. Can't see that happening at all. |
