CA: Even hard-bitten lobbyists roll eyes at Capitol's dysfunction

Sac Bee ^ | 5/19/03 | Dan Walters

[NormsRevenge]

The more than 1,000 men and women who lobby Capitol politicians on behalf of thousands of clients don't approach their jobs with high levels of expectations for procedural purity.

They know that the California Legislature is more a bazaar than a deliberative body. They know that legislators have ideological biases, often tilt toward their big campaign supporters and are prone to other exterior influences. They expect to see a certain quota of grandstanding. They often watch procedural rules bent, or even violated, in pursuit of certain predetermined ends.

[Paul C. Jesup]

"I've never seen it this bad," one veteran lobbyist confided recently. "Not only won't they let us talk at hearings, but we can't even talk to their staffs. They just want to push the stuff through."

Translation: THE POLITICIANS HAVE GONE INSANE!!

[mercy]

Like anybody in California gives a flyin flip. They don't even look at those little squares on their check stub telling them how much of their money has been looted and they don't even know what all those alphabet designations mean.

[Zack Nguyen]

Democrats do this because they can. Though I do not live in California, I am sure that they run the State Assembly like their own private feifdom, and woe to the man or woman who gets in their way.

[Paul C. Jesup]

You know the state is trouble when EVEN the lobbiests have lost control of government.

[Hank Rearden]

I'm gonna make some popcorn and pull up a chair - 1,200 miles away. I abandoned that stupid state 8 years ago.

[Thud]

ping

[Thud]

"Like anybody in California gives a flyin flip."

Correct. The people of California don't want a state government.