With a little over six weeks to go in the Legislative session, the House and Senate Democrats seem to be auditioning for the next freak reality show. Judging by their comments, votes and press conferences, you would think that Jerry Springer had emerged as chairman of the screening committee.

  It readly apparent that both the House and Senate Democratic leaders have no control over their members. There are no priorities or acknowledgement of the real issues or the reality people face each day. The House of Connecticut is on fire and the Democrats think we need a task force to study the need for smoke detectors.

But there is a central theme to their approach - let’s spend more tax money or soak those who make money, or at this point, have jobs that are not subject to the gathering storm of a recession. Soon, House Speaker Jim Amann and Senate President Don Williams will talk about the needs of those in trouble - whether it’s the collapse of the housing market, white collar layoffs or property tax hikes at the local level.

Amann will sneer “let those rich guys pay more, they can afford it,” but not tell us the taxing will probably start on families earning around $150,000 a year. Williams will call for a complete takeover of the private health care system by requiring small businesses  to provide health care or opt into the state program to “pool risk.”  Anyone with a room temperature IQ knows what that means - state run health care that will drive the cost up by thousands of dollars per person.

Democrats are already laying the ground work for another vote on increasing taxes on another front - the unquenchable needs of the non-profit industry. A story about tin cup rattling from these agencies across the state told of how thousands of working poor, indigent, mentally disabled people will be turned into the streets if the Legislature doesn’t radically increase funding.

State Rep. Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, earned the quote of the week by saying in response to this calamity that “if there is another blizzard, we should plow only one lane,” and give the balance to the non-profits. I don’t know how you response to something like that, other than to say he is lucky is father was born before him.

But fear not - the non-profits do have help, and much of it is taxpayer subsidized within the chambers of the House and Senate. Several Democratic legislators enjoy employment opportunities at these agencies and are more than ready to help through quiet suggestion to their colleagues or outright support, to make sure the coffers are filled.

But let us review the really good work of out-of-touch Democratic leadership at its best - the temporary defeat of the “three strikes” provision by the Judiciary Committee. With three exceptions, Democrats on the panel voted to kill a bill that would have required mandatory sentencing of three-time violent offenders to the can. Judiciary Chairman Mike Lawlor, D-East Haven, a former state prosecutor, said the law wouldn’t work because it removed a prosecutor’s discretion and could lead, to, and get this, people being acquitted at trial. 

 ”We are trying to fix something that we don’t know as yet is broken,” said Judiciary Co-Chairman Andrew McDonald,  D-Stamford.

Really? The criminal justice system isn’t broken? Nice to know that.  A member of the Petit family, where three of its members were murdered and burned in their Cheshire home disagreed.

 ”The three-strikes bill is about those who have offended society in a violent way three times. They just do not get it,” said Dr. Petit’s sister, Johanna Petit Chapman.

Lawlor and his Democrats colleagues think they have dodged an issue here, but they have merely added more kindling to the debate. But this is typical of a party that has been at the helm for 22 years and who has written all the laws governing crime and punishment. 

Once that vote was over, the Judiciary panel held a hearing on the issue of protecting transgendered citizens against discrimination.  Several people with gender identity issues testified and we will leave it at that. Such are the priorities of the Judiciary Committee.

Then, Thursday, there was a press conference to announce that State Rep. Dianna Urban, D-Stonington, is now branching out from her “bull-hook” period. House Speaker Jim Amann took to the podium and read a hostage note announcing Lady Di would be looking into animal cruelty and what more can be done about it. One can only imagine where Urban will take this, but it appears Jim Amann will do anything to keep her away from serious legislative business.

It appears this task force will study the studies that show that people that torture animals are indeed, sick, demented people and there should be stronger laws against it or counseling for youngsters that blow up frogs. 

During her brief remarks, Urban told of several instances of cruel behavior to animals that she said were not sufficiently punished, including one uncorroborated tale of a young man who put the pet Chihuahua in the microwave and cranked it to the popcorn setting.

Urban, we all recall, along with her boyfriend State Rep. Steve Fontana, D-North Haven, were the one’s who spent an inordinate amount of time lecturing Ringling Brotherson how to manage elephants last year. Their bill to abolish a tool, known as a bull-hook, was met by a convoy of small cars driving in tight circles while honking their horns and throwing confetti.

Urban is not alone, another bill out there in the litter box of life if legislation preventing the declawing of cats.

Time to go hide the Easter Eggs.