What is Digg?53 Comments
- i440, on 10/12/2007, -0/+34What are you talking about? Politicians have been doing that for centuries.
- dunezone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31"they are a waste of taxpayer dollars"
The second I get a chance, im so outta this state. - flameboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28Perfect. Politicians need to know that they cant just draft up ***** legislation without consequences.
- gumby05, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27Me too, especially if Blagojevich is still here. He's trying to pass video game legislation when we have much more important things to deal with.
- ScottyQuest, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14My roommate is a Political Science Graduate student. His text book about state government started something to the effect of "State governments are a wonderful model of the democratic process at work... unless you live in Illinois."
It went on to describe (in great detail and accuracy) just how corrupt the system and people involved in it are. At least, in Illinois. Sometimes, I really dislike this state, but not half as much as I dislike idiots who think they can solve the world's problems by removing something they object to. Brilliant strategy. You've just made kids want it ten times more.
- Scott - AKBryant54, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13the only reason this is even an issue is because midterm elections are coming up, and politicians want to seem interested in the future of the kids. well too bad!!
gg illinois politicians - jpyun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Hey now, trans fat is some bad *****.
- workharderscum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Small victory for gamers? Sounds like the usual victory for the lawyers, who are the guys getting the money.
- FinishdLawSkool, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12But politicians are not paying for this everyone in IL is.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10"Not only are efforts to ban the sale of violent video games clearly unconstitutional, they are a waste of taxpayer dollars."
And the government having to pay $500,000 isn't a waste of my tax money? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I'm glad my state is concered with fat kids drinking pop in school, and going home to play video games rather than the kids I hear about being shot in Chicago on the news every week.
- TimG, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Living in Chicago, Illinois you see a lot of fun bans.
Smoking in Restaurants and Bars Ban, Trans Fats Ban, and Foie Gras Ban
at least I won't have to add a Violent Video Games Ban to the list! - FinishdLawSkool, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9They are a waste of taxpayer dollars yet there are still other states trying to pass these wastes of time...
But considering there are politicians who think that the internet is made up of tubes, why should voters expect their government officials to also understand how the courts and constitution work much less why the same law gets ruled unconstitutional in each and every state it is voted in? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7ScottyQuest, what is this book's title and author?
- artnez, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Amen.
First though that came into my mind was: "victory for gamers? haha.. as if the ESA are gamers!" - surfing, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I hate illinois nazis
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This kind of thing will NEVER happen. No member of government would ever write a law to fine himself incase he goes over the line.
- scrubadub, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7The crappy thing is you can never "win" a case against police/gov since they pay out fines with your tax dollars. They need to fine the people pushing these unconstitutional laws
- rjnagle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5This is kid's stuff. For more outrageous examples of incompetence leading to lawsuits, look at Governor Bush's cancelling of emission testing contracts with Tejas Testing
http://weeklywire.com/ww/current/austin_pols_feature.html
The State contracted a private service to build auto emissions inspectors all around Texas. They agreed to pay them $200 millions, but Bush as governor enacted legislation unilaterally cancelling the contract after the contract was made (having some visceral dislike for environmental regulations). The inspectors sued the State of Texas, and not only did they win, but they received a judgement of the $160 million in damages which had to be taken from the Texas TNRCC (its environmental protection agency). Quite apart from political viewpoints, this has to be the single biggest piece of legislative incompetence I've ever heard about in my life.
$500,000 is petty change compared to the Tejas Testing fiasco in Texas. - arg553, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@jesusfreak
why would you give an 8 year old enough money to buy a video and let him go off alone and spend it any way he wants with no supervision. As a parent it's your job to determine what is appropriate for your kids, not the government's.
don't be too lazy to supervise your own kids. - Murdats, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3a month of him playing GTA and your not supervising his computer use. In that case its your fault, in most cases the parent can easily monitor and filter the games their children play
- HighDecibel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"And the government having to pay $500,000 isn't a waste of my tax money?"
Well thats sort of stated, but then it equals bad press for the industry supposedly, and so they want their compensation I guess. Of course, if they hadn't kicked up a fuss in the first place, then I can see where you're going with that. - lightningrod220, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I, for one, would welcome our new smoking-banning overlords. Smoking screws up not only the smoker, but everyone else around them.
- arg553, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3There is no proof that games are what made him violent. It's more likely that the kid already had violent tendencies and that is why he preferred violent games.
- chess007, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'm glad at the outcome of this. It amazes me that when an artist puts a cross in a jar full of urine its a "freedom of speech issue" but when there's a video game where someone does violent things, people think it should be banned and that banning it, is somehow not in conflict with freedom of expression.
- logicalnoise, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2**** you blagoevich, thanks for continuing ot be even worse than George Ryan.
- nblsavage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@gameboyhippo, the movie rating system (and the movie theater's compliance with it) is voluntary....IT IS NOT A LAW. That is the difference.
- Gatesophile, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2*sigh* Yet another reason I am ashamed that my parents have chosen for us to live in Illinois...
- cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2 toekneebullard
The money is going to pay back the legal fees that the gaming industry had to pay to fight the legislation, it is not money they can just put in the bank or give to a charity,
as nice an idea as that is. - robohoe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4That's because of those games >.>
- bbear, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"And the government having to pay $500,000 isn't a waste of my tax money?"
Wow you missed the entire point of the statement. He was talking about the $500,000. - bookishboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Added: The legislature wasted the money of their taxpaying constituents in 3 different ways here:
-Time spent drafting, deliberating and voting on this law.
-Time spent in all court proceedings.... testing the law in lower and upper courts, then in the lawsuit against the state.
-Damages paid out by the state.
And yet I don't doubt that many voters will still think that the videogame industry is somehow to blame in this case, rather than the legislature. - anorris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Nothing is incorruptible
- Genma, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2ahhh this sounded so awsome until you brought that up. now it's only slightly awsome, and justice is served, but only in theory.
- OBKenobi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Nor will they ever willingly admit they broke any laws. E.g. Dick Cheney.
We need some kind of incorruptible non-partisan group to watch over this stuff. Not someone powerless, and possibly biased, like the ACLU or the EFF, but as an actual part of the government. - xlocust, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@lightningrod220
Yes, the Chicago Democrat machine is about as corrupt as they come. The local Republicans, however, are not much better. It wasn't too long ago that the Republicans ran the show here with the ultra-corrupt George Ryan regime and my local (Republican) representative out here in Elgin (speaker of the house Hassert) gets about zero done except for holding Bush's hand when he comes to make a photo opt here. We are in dire need for a third party here in IL and in every state of the union IMHO.
- bookishboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It would be nice if this money were taken from the salaries of the legislators who voted in favor of the law.
If there were some penalties for passing a patently unconstitutional law, perhaps there would be fewer of them passed, and less time wasted on higher-court proceedings to overturn the laws. There would also be less motivation to propose these laws in the first place, as a publicity stunt to gather supporters. I think that many of these laws are proposed and voted on by politicians who know full well that the laws can't stand up to a constitutional challenge, but support them anyway because this will make them more popular with voters. - tcardone05, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1spend money on roads and stop charging to use tollways. Seems like a better use of money to me. Plus, last I looked, Illinois was in the United States. The United States also is governed under the basic freedoms of Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition an Religion. If the gaming industry wants to say stuff in video games that may not be appropriate to kids, slap a restriction on them. But outlawing them is against the freedom of speech. You also have the freedom NOT TO BUY THE GAME. And I like the idea of the idiotic senators paying for it. When you screw up at work, the whole damn city doesn't pay for your mistakes.
- TheFoundry, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"The second I get a chance, im so outta this state."
Illinois has some of the worst laws of any state. I hate having to pay these bastards for laws I don't support. - colemip, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Who's actually getting this money, btw?
- toekneebullard, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3If the ESA was smart, they'd turn around and donate that half million to Child's Play this Christmas. They should not be taking taxpayer's money, it just makes them look bad.
- lightningrod220, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2The problem in IL is that the state is controlled by the Democratic power elite from Chicago. So, as long as you're a rich Democrat from Chicago, you're fairly well represented in the government of Illinois. But I'm a politically active Republican living and going to school in Peoria. Do I get fair representation? No. My parents live in Rockford, and even though it's only a 1.5 hour drive from Chicago, it gets virtually ignored by the state government. For local governments outside of Chicago to get state/federal money to improve their roads (i.e., filling potholes) is like pulling teeth. They are forced to fight with the state representatives, who will favor requests from Chicago and the suburbs over any other part of the state. The government is more corrupt now than it was when George Ryan was in office. It's just not as obvious.
- HighDecibel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@Murdats
I agree, but as we know the exception breaks the rule. The children whos parents dont filter the games their children play, are the ones with the problems. The same children who copy matrix scenes and kill or get killed. Hence why banning violent games is the wrong course of action. Because for most people it isn't a problem.
All these studies about violent games and behaviour are always inconclusive. Again because the age of the study groups is far too high to yield any real results. - wizard1218, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Did the proposed law ban the sale of violent video games just to minors (rated M or higher)? I don't see what would be wrong with that... actually I thought most states already did that. Or did the law go beyond that, banning the sale in general? That would of course be ridiculous. The article doesn't mention how the ban would work.
- HighDecibel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I think you have a point, but I don't believe its as cut and dry with all cases. It may be true he had violent tendencies, but I can't say that, because theres not enough evidence either way.
Parents should know their children well enough to know if its affecting them or not. And yes for some kids its doesnt have an effect. For others it does. The problem is parents can't recognize these signs.
I used to play video games, my friend gave me his master system. I used to get irate, and I become moody when I had to stop playing at important parts of the level. So they stopped me playing them for almost a year. Yeah I hated it, but looking back it made sense. I believe games do affect children. Its the reason abused children are much more likely to abuse their children. Your childhood affects who you will become. Some people can control it, others can't. I've seen it happen with people I know. And now we're talking about games that involve (in the case of GTA) stealing cars, killing people (innocent or not), drug abuse, prostitution, etc. Its going to have an even greater effect on them.
I wouldn't let my children play them until they reach the age that I believe they are mature enough to play them, at the age when they aren't going to become violent because they learnt it from a game. - HighDecibel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Screw that. I do agree that certain violent games will have an effect on a player under a certain age. Some program on TV here in UK, some kid was really violent to his mother and he was like 9 years old. Suprise suprise he'd been playing violent games...I assume mostly rated 18. In cases like this they have an effect. But you can't just go about banning violent games. Wrong way completely. Take most mature players who play violent games, and there will be no harm done to their mindset. It doesn't affect their actions.
In this case you can't try stopping violent games. Create awareness for parents to stop their children playing violent games, until they reach a certain maturity. Also what constitutes a violent game? And is clearly set in a fantasy environment? Once again someone thinks they understand everything, and goes headlong into some argument/case they can never hope to win. - gameboyhippo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I completly agree. It's scary to know that lobbiest can overturn laws and regulations made by a democratically elected legislator. Here's my question, why is it okay to restrict underaged people from watching R rated movies, but "unconstitutional" to restrict M rated videogames from being sold to minors.
Last time I checked, we all have the freedom of speech, not the freedom of an audience. - Strider817, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Well, there are definately worse causes for this money to go too.
- Peeps, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"The fees will be paid to the Entertainment Software Association, Video Software Dealers Association and Illinois Retail Merchants Association, plaintiffs in the lawsuit."
From the article. . . - danielpike, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1haha. they're a waste of taxpayer dollars....except for the $510k that's going to them. I guess they don't feel that that's a waste.
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