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EDITORIAL: State lawmakers - play by the rules
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/8/8 | Editor

Posted on 06/08/2008 3:02:41 PM PDT by SmithL

Karen Bass, sworn in as Assembly speaker less than a month ago, is facing her first big test of leadership. The events of those ignoble three days in May - when the Assembly scrambled to meet a deadline to pass bills it originated - represented an affront to representative democracy.

In one documented case, a member of the leadership team, Assemblyman Kevin de León of Los Angeles, hit the voting switch of a fellow Democrat, Mary Hayashi of Castro Valley, while she was elsewhere in the Capitol. That would have violated Assembly rules even if she had agreed with the vote. She did not.

Is this the way the Democrats will operate in the Bass era? On Thursday, she pledged to address the issue in a closed-door caucus with the Assembly Democrats.

"I'm going to talk to people ... because we don't want to have it happen again, ever," said Bass, D-Baldwin Vista,...

The problem with the California Legislature goes well beyond one or two overzealous lieutenants. It is about a culture that leads lawmakers to think they are above the rules they create.

Step one would be to enforce those rules, starting with Assembly Rule 104: "A member may not operate the voting switch of any other member."

It was remarkable to learn that at least three members of Bass' leadership team - Alberto Torrico of Fremont, Fiona Ma of San Francisco and Kevin de León of Los Angeles - did not seem aware of the strict wording of Rule 104.

Those three days in May also provide compelling evidence of what else needs to be fixed in Sacramento. Let's start with these five:

-- Too many bills...

-- Money talks way too much...

-- Reinventions of reality...

-- No "ghost voting."...

-- Create a culture of accountability

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: corruption; cultureofcorruption; democratscheat; govwatch; rats

1 posted on 06/08/2008 3:02:42 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Democrat farm team in training for the Big Leagues in Washington...


2 posted on 06/08/2008 3:14:59 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier; SmithL; calcowgirl; ElkGroveDan; Carry_Okie; Grampa Dave; tubebender; hedgetrimmer; ...
Well, whataya expect?

One time when I went to Washington, D.C. to lobby for something as a citizen, my clock radio in the Mayflower Hotel woke me to an announcer saying "Welcome to the world's most powerful city!"

Well, since I was there on behalf of citizens and interests in the Sacramento region of CA, it occurred to me that Sacramento, being the capitol of America's most powerful state, must certainly be the world's second most powerful city!!!

I checked once a few years ago and found that Sacramento has over 8,000 registered lobbyists and Washington, D.C. has over 12,000!!! Even the cities and counties in CA have to hire lobbyists with taxpayer's money, just to have a reliable voice in Sacramento and not get pushed aside in the political scuffeling!!!

3 posted on 06/08/2008 4:15:12 PM PDT by SierraWasp (Liberalism's prime directives are: taxation, regulation, litigation, legislation, agravation, etc..)
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To: SmithL

Elites ain’t got no stinkin’ rules.


4 posted on 06/08/2008 4:21:19 PM PDT by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: SierraWasp
Even the cities and counties in CA have to hire lobbyists with taxpayer's money, just to have a reliable voice in Sacramento and not get pushed aside in the political scuffeling!!!

Maybe Arnold should have hired some of his own lobbyists, back when he was at least trying to act like a Republican.

I'm sorry I gave the man my vote now. Back then I fell for the same line of logic that's propelling John McCain at the moment. Never again.

5 posted on 06/08/2008 4:24:09 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: SmithL

Wow! The Chron is almost sounding... errrr... ethical!

Nah... couldn’t be.


6 posted on 06/08/2008 4:24:31 PM PDT by calcowgirl (Schwarzenegger and McCain are trying to castrate the elephant)
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To: SmithL
The problem with the California Legislature goes well beyond one or two overzealous lieutenants. It is about a culture that leads lawmakers to think they are above the rules they create.

To which they are not accountable because they care more about cushy lobbying jobs when they get done than they do about getting re-elected.

Just another of the unintended consequences of term limits.

7 posted on 06/08/2008 4:33:21 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (We have people in power with desire for evil.)
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To: Windflier; Carry_Okie; calcowgirl; ElkGroveDan; GVgirl; All
I'm so truly happy to see you say that!!!

I just wish more FReepers that helped create a huge "self-fulfilling prophecy," right here on FR during the historic Recall and again during the state CONvention that pre-empted any Primary challenge and yet, even AGAIN, during the following Gubernatorial election would have the courage to say what you just typed!!!

8 posted on 06/08/2008 4:35:53 PM PDT by SierraWasp (Liberalism's prime directives are: taxation, regulation, litigation, legislation, agravation, etc..)
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To: SierraWasp
I'm so truly happy to see you say that!!!

Well, I'm humbled, but I'm not the first on this board to admit that they were wrong about voting for Arnie.

First Arnold, then George Bush, taught a great many of us that principle has to stand for something in elections. If you compromise with your reality, it's a violation of your personal code of honor, and it WILL have repercussions.

I've had quite enough of that, thank you very much. Look at where those sorts of compromises with our integrity have gotten us. We're now *this* close to seeing a committed Marxist elected president of the United States!

No more. I'd rather fight the leftists in the streets, than give up another ounce of my sacred honor.

Especially when there are better Americans than I, dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for our freedom at this very moment.

9 posted on 06/08/2008 5:06:14 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier

Well said, Windflier... What a powerfully true statement!!!


10 posted on 06/08/2008 5:26:18 PM PDT by SierraWasp (Liberalism's prime directives are: taxation, regulation, litigation, legislation, agravation, etc..)
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To: SierraWasp

I appreciate you saying so, SW.


11 posted on 06/08/2008 9:46:33 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: SmithL

Interesting article coming from the Chron.

The California legislature could have crafted an eminent domain bill in a matter of days to fill the vacuum created by the Keno decision.

Instead we wait, four, six years for a ballot proposition?

Other than spend money, and worry about dog poop, what do these people do?


12 posted on 06/08/2008 11:41:19 PM PDT by GVnana ("They're still analyzing the first guy. What do I have to worry about?" - GWB)
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