No, this is not a joke. No, this has nothing to do with Halloween. The state of Illinois has actually declared October “Zombie Preparedness Month.” From The Chicago Tribune:
The measure instead encourages people to learn more about natural disasters and ensure they have emergency supplies that could last up to 72 hours.“I am told that if you are prepared for zombies, then you would be prepared to deal with a natural disaster like tornadoes, blizzards — natural disasters of any kind,” Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch, D-Hillside, said.
Republican Grant Wehrli from Naperville stated that the talk of “zombies bring levity to the conversation,” but “the measure calls attention to the importance of natural disaster planning.”
The Chicago Tribune continued:
The measure stirred some debate on the House floor. Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said the proposal “awakened various zombies in the chamber.”Rep. Steven Andersson, R-Geneva, questioned which type of zombie should be used as a model for natural disaster preparedness, noting that the undead featured on the show “Z Nation” are quick and smart. Those portrayed on “The Walking Dead,” though, are slow but come in droves.
But Democrat William Davis from Homewood reminded his fellow lawmakers that these zombie apocalypses do not offer “a fair representation of natural disasters from which resilient Illinoisans bounce back.”
NO S***, SHERLOCK.
CNN has posted the full bill.
Of course, normal lawmakers of the state went off on the other lawmakers for not concentrating on the budget. Illinois remains one of the most corrupt and bankrupt states in the nation.
Republican Jeanne Ives from Wheaton reminded the lawmakers that they should pay attention to the economy:
“This may sound like fun, but if you’re really concerned about disaster, the natural disaster that’s happening in Illinois is all economic,” Ives said.
Why do lawmakers seem to think Americans are so freaking stupid that we can’t comprehend disaster preparedness without some kind of comic element??
Fuzzy pointed out to me that the federal government received a lot of heat for zombie-related preparedness and parties.
Back in 2012, the Department of Homeland Security spent an enormous amount of taxpayer money on a zombie apocalypse training program at a counter terrorism summit:
Among those wasteful expenditures include a $30,000 underwater robot for Columbus Ohio, a $69,000 hovercraft for Indianapolis, Indiana and a $240,000 armored personnel carrier to protect Keene, New Hampshire’s annual pumpkin festival.
The National Endowment of the Arts spent $60,000 of taxpayer money in 2015 for a “raunchy zombie-themed play” called “Zombie: The American.” The play was “about a president who faces a zombie invasion of the White House basement, met its funding guidelines, so it deserved the money.”
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) lashed out at the waste of money:
The show carried a warning about a long running time and “strong adult content, sexual situations, nudity and fog.” It ran for nearly a month earlier this summer, and despite the $60,000 in taxpayer help, still charged up to $68 a ticket, Mr. Flake said.An NEA spokeswoman wouldn’t say what, specifically earned the play taxpayer money, pointing instead to agency guidelines that say projects are evaluated on artistic excellence and merit.
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