Posted on 01/22/2007 6:13:34 PM PST by NormsRevenge
We were all awakened late last week to a disclosure that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger paid substantial sums from his political accounts after the election to four key aides in his administration. If this does not tell the people of California that this Governor is no better than the last, then I do not know what will.
The funds paid out to the key staff members were characterized as ‘bonuses’ and paid to the Governor’s chief of staff, his communications director, the governor’s personal assistant and the first lady’s chief of staff. All of these individuals are full-time state employees.
The first thought is why these people should be paid anything beyond their substantial publicly-paid salaries? Who do these individuals work for --- the people of California or Arnold? Obviously, Arnold believes that they work for him. Why else would he have his spokesperson refer to the payments as “bonuses.” Let me see, if I get the state to pay for my staff’s base pay, then I have to raise the funds to pay them what they should really be paid. It makes perfect sense to Arnold because it is just like a production deal with a studio. I have studio pay for my staff, then I give them a cut from my movie fees. Arnold thinks his governorship is one big movie production so these deals fit right in with his logic.
The next thought would be why these state employees cannot live on the high state compensation. Three of the four earn at least $123,000 from their publicly paid paycheck. That is before huge benefits. That would appear to be quite a lot of money to most Californians -- not the Schwarzeneggers. They must have looked at these people and wondered how could they live on such measly salaries. They could not envision their staff scraping by on such a pittance. After all, the Governor is a former highly-paid movie star. Everyone he knows lives in a fairyland of finances. His wife is a Kennedy, and we all know what their lives have been like since the rum-running days of Grandpa Joe.
Continuing on, one must wonder how the four staffers were able to squeeze in time to earn these hefty sums. The Governor’s spokesperson stated they worked their ‘full-time’ jobs for the Governor, then came in mornings, evenings and weekends to work on the campaign. That conjures up so much. If they were so dedicated to electing the Governor, why did they not volunteer? Why did they need to receive anywhere between $25,000 and $192,500 from the campaign? More importantly, what happened to their full-time jobs? Anyone who has been around the political arena knows that staffing for an elected official, especially a position as lofty as the Governor of California, is not a nine-to-five job. Most people I know who have worked such positions work 70+ hours per week. It comes with the territory. Apparently not these four working for Arnold. Could someone check their time cards?
Did none of the people involved here think that there might be an ethics question? These are the top people who are supposed to be protecting our interests. The fact that these sums are being paid from the millions of dollars raised from special interests did not peek their interest. Arnold had time to consult Uncle Teddy on his grandiose health insurance scheme; maybe he should have talked about this issue instead.
This explains to me why the Governor was continuing to raise funds after the election. When I mentioned that to some old political hands, they were also puzzled. This is a termed-out governor who should have no need for additional contributions.
In the news accounts I read, there were no braying democrats questioning these ethically-devoid actions. It might be that the four staff people are all democrats. It might also be that this governor has given so much of himself and our money to the democrat’s political dreams that they don’t wish to challenge him on this matter. It may also be that they want to be able to get their own ‘bonuses’ in the future, and who wants to kill the golden goose?
Make no mistake; this travesty is a breach of ethics of the highest level. All four employees should be forced to pay back the funds received and the donations returned to the contributors. The legislature should pass emergency legislation that will put an end to this behavior. While we are focused on changing the ethics in Washington, we should insist that the ethics in Sacramento set a better example. As long as this chicanery is allowed, no one in the administration can be trusted.
Bruce Bialosky's Biography
• Founder of the Republican Jewish Coalition of Southern California.
• Former National Treasurer of the Republican Jewish Coalition. • Golden Circle Fundraising Chair for the California Republican Party 2000-2003
• Statewide Chair for Jewish Outreach for Bush-Cheney 2004.
Schwarzennegger -- ethics gone
You cannot have what you never had.
Balls said the queen, if I had two I'd be King.
The King laugh, not because he had too, but because he had two.
Ethics are for the little people.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
A fantasy governor for our fantasy state.
This guy doesn't seem to even know if any of the four (or all of them) are Democrats.
The title is tantalizing but there are few facts here and the general case is very thin. Staff scandalized because they're paid post-election bonuses from campaign dollars and thus potentially tainted by special interest money? Come on, is this guy for public financing of campaigns?
Don't like the "loophole" in the law which allows for this? OK, collect signatures Bruce! Put it before the voters.
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