Posted on 05/31/2005 8:40:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — Approval of a 12 percent pay hike that will elevate the salaries of California legislators — already the nation's highest-paid state lawmakers — to $110,880 annually has set off a new annual salary since taking office in November 2003, was disappointed with the commission's vote, believing the state's fiscal condition — though improving — does not justify a pay raise.
"What have they accomplished since 1998 (the last time legislators received a raise)?" he asked. "Because that's what we do in the private sector, we will now analyze what have they accomplished: They have chased businesses out of the state and jobs out of the state. And they took the economy right down into the toilet.
"Yes, they deserve a raise, they deserve an increase. That's fair. Can you believe that?" he said, sarcastically. "I mean, under any normal circumstances, they would be fighting now to keep their salary and to keep their job. But no, not in government."
No other state elected officials were granted a raise by the commission.
"I think the Legislature has been dysfunctional," said Assemblyman Keith Richman,
R-Granada Hills, a Schwarzenegger ally and a candidate for state treasurer. "If they paid us what we were worth, we would be giving taxpayers a refund back."
Calls placed to Citizens Compensation Commission Chairman John Mack were not returned.
Many lawmakers feel uncomfortable accepting the raise, and say they personally would have voted against it had it been up to them. But they say what to do with it is not that simple.
Republicans such as Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, do not want to refuse the raise, as they are afraid the money will end up in the Assembly operating budget, which is controlled by the majority Democrats. Dutton is instead considering using the money to set up a charitable foundation.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuez's spokesman, Steve Maviglio, said many Democrats are also planning to give their raises to charity.
Nuez, D-Los Angeles, said through a spokesman that he respects the "independent" decision made by the commission.
"The voters put the board in place to reach its decision regardless of the political ramifications, and that's what they've done."
Created by voters in June of 1990 with the passage of Proposition 112, the seven-member Citizens Compensation Commission was designed to prevent lawmakers from voting themselves unwarranted pay raises. Two six-year appointments on the commission, most of whose members were appointed by former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, are currently empty because Schwarzenegger has failed to fill them. The raise was approved on a 5-0 vote.
By law, the commission meets once a year, no later than June 30, to decide if lawmakers should have their salary and benefits adjusted. Commissioners consider witness testimony, cost-of-living statistics and the salary levels of local government officials in California as well as those of lawmakers in the 12 most populous and six industrial states, as well as those of comparative private-sector jobs.
Cost of living has increased markedly since 1998, when legislators last received a raise, rising 18.7 percent nationally and 22.4 percent in California, according to the state Department of Finance.
Critics, while recognizing the Legislature did not ask for a raise and had no say in whether one was approved or denied, are troubled lawmakers would receive an increase in the midst of continuing budget deficits.
A spokesman for the California Taxpayers Association pointed to the Legislature's failure to address major issues, saying that's why it has become so common for activists and the governor to take their agenda directly to voters via the initiative process.
"Whenever there's a sticky decision to make over there, it doesn't happen until one side or the other qualifies an initiative for the ballot," said the spokesman, Ron Roach.
"To each according to his need," Norm. They have more needs than you or I.
/ mega angry ranting ON.
Ranting Anti-Opus to Cynics and Trolls (vanity)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1412019/posts
The legislatures are mostly dumb-o-crats. And the only way a dumb-o-crat is going to get a raise is if they seize the legislature and pass a law requiring them to have a raise.
bump and ping!
I say it is taxation without representation.
Bunch of worthless schmucks. They epitomize what's wrong with the government. I wish the people would march on the state capital, shut it down and demand every last one of them resign and go home.
Too much broad brush demonizing for me. This attack of the entire legislature is insulting to some of the good warriors
that have been fighting against the leftists.
Schwarzenegger is paying his staff more salaries of $100,000 or more than Gray Davis did, and many of them are leftists.
Who deserves more salary, Tom McClintock or Terry Tamminen? Dick Ackerman or Bonnie Reiss?
Demonizing the legislature as a whole is just the propaganda to promote direct democracy, a dangerous path, IMO.
Glad CA has already gotten its last tax dollar from me.
"Demonizing the legislature as a whole is just the propaganda to promote direct democracy, a dangerous path, IMO"
Insight of the day. Wisdom, thou art Calcowgirl today.
Wow, that is a great quote. Thanks.
LOL
Thank you, kindly!
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