It's nice to see what we pay our representatives to do with their time! Even if the time was winding down, Rep. Mathis should have been more attentive and involved with the process. Oh, and why did he bring his wife to work with him? What a poor respresentation for District 55.

If A Concerned Citizen would notice, none of the other representatives were doing much, either. I'm happy to pay for the 3.5 seconds that Rep. Mathis played with his tie, because I'm quite sure that the rest of the time spent during the legislative session was put to good use--we still have street lights, running water, paved roads, and other essentials. The state hasn't fallen apart, so I'm not concerned. Besides, better to play with a tie for a few minutes than spend an hour or two puttering away at a game of Solitaire like many office employees.

As far as Mathis "bringing his wife to work," I don't think it's a problem if she's being used as a staffer. Other representatives have interns, so why not? What's that saying about "behind every good man," anyway?

If you've attended a legistlative session, you'd understand that this is business as usual--there are pauses in every work day while waiting for things to get done. We shouldn't be so quick to find ourselves offended or irritated at those in a position of responisibility and/or public notice.

And if it's that big of a deal to you, run for office yourself.