I GUESS THE CASKET is closing on E-verify again this year. How unfortunate for the citizens of Rhode Island. That the taxpayers will still have to bear the burden of $350 million for the social-service costs of supporting illegal aliens, and that 21,000 illegal aliens currently hold jobs while 65,000 citizens and legal immigrants are unemployed, is beyond comprehension.

Ours is not government “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Our system seems to be government by just four people, and the governor is not one of them. It’s nothing more than a complete sham. The power resides solely with the speaker of the House, the House majority leader, the House Finance Committee chairman and the Senate president.

Go along to get along seems to be the rule in both chambers. If anyone doubts a sham is being perpetrated on Rhode Island citizens, all one need do is attend a committee meeting in either chamber.

At the session of the Senate Judiciary Committee (Michael McCaffrey, chairman) on April 1, I witnessed the following:

Over 20 bills were heard. While testimony was being given, most of the time there were only four senators on the dais (not a quorum).

Senators Harold Metts and Leo Blais were continually nodding off in full view of the spectators.

Sen. Rhoda Perry arrived halfway through the process and proceeded to talk on her cell phone for some time.

Senators Maryellen Goodwin and Erin Lynch held private conversations on more than one occasion for several minutes while testimony was going on.

While citizens were testifying on various bills, at least four other senators who are not members of the Judiciary came in and had conversations with various committee members.

The majority of the bills were held for further study, and the way they were handled was actually offensive to most of the citizens there. The chairman, almost losing his breath, simply stated “that ends testimony on bill No. ***, Sen. *** recommends bill be held for further study, Sen. *** seconds, all in favor, all opposed, bill held for further study.”

Only on two occasions did any senator other than the chairman actually vocalize the words “recommend for further study” or “second.” They all did respond either aye or nay. The chairman simply skipped around the dais from senator to senator with each different bill, stating who recommended or who seconded any motions. They simply nodded their heads after the chairman used their name. It seemed like the chairman did as he pleased in regard to the disposition of the bills.

Abuse on the House side seems to mirror that of the Senate. The gavel seems to be the most used tool in the chamber. The speaker is continually banging it to restore order.

At times, I have witnessed at least 12 separate conversations with numerous representatives being carried on at reps’ desks while other reps were presenting their bills. Side conversations are continually occurring with the speaker at the dais while representatives are presenting. Only the “chosen few” representatives are paying attention so when the time comes for them to interject the speaker’s mandates, they’re prepared.

Use of cell phones, eating, lack of quorums, private conversations and apparent disregard for the opinions of constituents, with the exception of the ACLU, unions and paid advocates for the poor, seem to be business as usual for both chambers.

It’s time for some of our legislators — they know who they are — to grow some backbone, start doing their jobs and truly represent the people they were sent there to represent, not just a chosen few. It gets more difficult to go in good faith to testify when it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the citizens’ opinions do not matter.

Why can’t our representatives take back our government and restore it to the way our Founders intended before Rhode Island becomes simply a county in Connecticut or Massachusetts?

I say to our legislators: “If you don’t have a say, why do you stay?”

Terry Gorman is president of Rhode Islanders for Immigration Law Enforcement.