A visit to the State House

Cameron and I got to go to the SC State House yesterday for a real life education. We went to hear the Senate Banking and Insurance Hearing on the autism funding. Cameron was the only kid who came and "everyone" came to talk to him. We got to meet Senator Thomas and his gang as well as the current and some of the previous board members of the Department of Disabilities. They were a little quiet because DDSN is on the hot seat right now about how they have been handling funds that seem to be missing as well as how they decided to cut soooo much from the autism devision relative to the other groups that they are over. Cameron thought it was mostly boring, and it really was, but it was interesting to see government at work. The most surprising to me was how nonchalant the many senators were. One played with the microphone the whole time, wispering out to someone in the crowd. Another one kept leaving in the middle of conversations to answer cell phone calls. Three got up and left before the meeting was even over. Makes you feel not so important. But I could tell from the get go who was there because they cared and who was there because they had to show face time. All in all it was agood experience. Cameron picked the front row so that everyone could see us. I was also a little underdressed but it turned out fine because everyone knew that I was a parent of an autistic child and went out of their way to talk to us and introduce themselves. At the end Cameron told me "they are talking to me like they want me to be a Senator". Great experience!!! (I just found out that Cameron was on T.V. in relation to this. Darn I missed it!!)