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Local Government

Missouri House Approves Task Force To Oversee Task Forces

It will be called the "Missouri Task Force Task Force."

Billy Binion | 5.16.2019 3:15 PM

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missouricap | davidwilson1949 / licensed under CC BY 2.0
(davidwilson1949 / licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Task forces on task forces on task forces! Can a state ever have too many?

Missouri Democratic House Rep. Jon Carpenter (District 15) wants to find out. He introduced a legislative amendment—which passed yesterday—to create a task force to oversee task forces.

Rep. Jon Carpenter's amendment to create a task force on task forces passes with a voice vote. pic.twitter.com/EMNPKySXRo

— Benjamin D. Peters (@BenjaminDPeters) May 15, 2019

The task force on task forces would be partially composed of members from other task forces, according to the amendment's text. Appropriately, the task force would be named the "Missouri Task Force Task Force."

While the role of the state's Task Force Task Force is still a tad ambiguous, the amendment says it would "investigate the current status of task forces in the state" to include "whether each task force is fulfilling its statutory obligations."

The Task Force Task Force would not have jurisdiction over every committee. Logically, the next step would be to assemble a Standing Committee Standing Committee to monitor Standing Committees, a Subcommittee Subcommittee to oversee Subcommittees, as well as a Special Committee Special Committee to watch over Special Committees.

But perhaps the biggest looming question is exactly who will monitor the Task Force Task Force without a Task Force Task Force Task Force. That's a conundrum—one Rep. Carpenter might more easily solve with a task force to evaluate the task of evaluating task forces that oversee task forces.

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Billy Binion is a reporter at Reason.

Local GovernmentMissouri
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  1. loveconstitution1789   6 years ago

    They don't call it Mis-ery for nothing.

  2. Eddy   6 years ago

    Sounds like an old Yes Minister episode.

  3. Agammamon   6 years ago

    Weeeeel, at least now we know who watches the watchers.

  4. MatthewSlyfield   6 years ago

    I am chairman of the committee to select the members of the committee to select the members of the committee to select the members of the task force task force.

    1. soldiermedic76   6 years ago

      Monty Python?

      1. MatthewSlyfield   6 years ago

        Might have been, not sure. I know I saw the basic committe->committee thing somewhere , don't recall where though.

      2. Teddy Pump   6 years ago

        Does Missouri have a Ministry of Silly Walks?

      3. markm23   6 years ago

        Many places, and some of them came up with the idea independently. The comic strip Cathy had the Committee Committee, and I recall similar things in Dilbert and Monty Python. Even the ancient Romans got the basic idea: "Who watches the watchers."

    2. Teddy Pump   6 years ago

      Can I come to work for you?, I'm very qualified as I used to run the Dept. of Redundancy Dept

      1. Agammamon   6 years ago

        Until you were made redundant?

    3. Kevin Smith   6 years ago

      D-D-D-D-Don't quote me regulations. I co-chaired the committee that reviewed the recommendation to revise the color of the book that regulation's in... We kept it grey!

  5. Jerryskids   6 years ago

    While the role of the state's Task Force Task Force is still a tad ambiguous, the amendment says it would "investigate the current status of task forces in the state" to include "whether each task force is fulfilling its statutory obligations."

    I can give you that one for free: The state's task forces are doing the best they can to fulfill their statutory obligations given that they are chronically understaffed, critically underfunded, and woefully underappreciated by both the legislature and the general public.

    1. Eddy   6 years ago

      Holy crap, who leaked this confidential report to you?

    2. SQRLSY One   6 years ago

      Yes, indeedy! Yes, indeed, my General Pubic feels VASTLY pubically underfunded!!! So PLEASE better-fund my underly, fantastically under-funded pubic undies RIGHT NOW, before I have a hissy fit!!! Right out in WAAY-embarrassing-to-YOU pubic, no less!!!

  6. cheivous   6 years ago

    Wow! As a resident, this is embarrassing...

    1. Minadin   6 years ago

      Right?

      Oh well, at least we're still not Illinois.

  7. AD-RtR/OS!   6 years ago

    JIM GERAGHTY is kicking himself over missing this.

  8. Ann in L.A.   6 years ago

    Who will watch the watchmen's watchmen?

  9. Longtobefree   6 years ago

    Funded by the Department of Redundancy Department.

  10. merely_speculating   6 years ago

    But who's going to oversee the task force overseeing other task forces? I bet Democrats can waste even more taxpayer money funding a task force to study that question...

    Hold on....didn't we read a few weeks ago that 17 million people are in government work? Only 17 million? With this kind of redundancy, it's gotta be a whole lot higher.

  11. Rockabilly   6 years ago

    Comrades ! Excellent News, Central Committee applauds you !!!

  12. Echospinner   6 years ago

    I really want that job.

  13. Echospinner   6 years ago

    They gave it such a silly name that the other task forces will just make fun of them.

    I would have called it the Super Force because it is the force above all other forces.

    That might make the other task forces think twice when the hear Super Force is on the job.

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