Another Good Idea
As I've remarked over the past several months, California is in a world of hurt when it comes to our state budget. The red ink is so deep that the bailout requires some pretty drastic measures. The measures chosen by the governor and the GOP members of the legislature include cutting funding of the schools and social programs, a hiring freeze and wage freeze for state workers, and the closing of state parks. They figure those proposals are more fiscally sound than raising taxes on the wealthy.
Well, the state commission that sets the salaries for elected officials, including the state legislature has come up with another idea. From today's Sacramento Bee:
With state finances in turmoil, the state salary-setting commission on Tuesday took a step toward lowering the pay of California legislators and statewide elected officials.
The California Citizens Compensation Commission informally agreed that this was no time to raise the pay of members of the Assembly and state Senate, the governor, lieutenant governor and several other constitutional officers.
Two panel members, Chairman Charles Murray and Kathy Sands, said they want the commission to consider reducing salaries, given the precarious condition of the state budget and the drastic cuts to state and local government services that are under consideration. ...
"We have a deficit of $7 billion" that news reports say will double by this summer, Murray, of San Marino, said during the short meeting. "Everybody has to take a cut."
Sands, a retired banker and former mayor of Auburn, said a vote to reduce top government officials' salaries would send a message about their performance.
"We don't have a budget and they're not working any overtime to get it done," she said. "People have said that to me. They're not doing their job."
What a novel idea: holding the state's elected officials to the same standards the rest of us have been forced to adhere to. And the really fun part of the proposal is that apparently the commission can in fact reduce the pay of state officials. Because it's never been done before, the process is a little murky, but I'm sure with a little more research and a little creativity the commission can get the job done, assuming all of the commission members fall into line with the two mavericks who are obviously as pissed off as the rest of us.
This just might be an idea whose time has come.
Well, the state commission that sets the salaries for elected officials, including the state legislature has come up with another idea. From today's Sacramento Bee:
With state finances in turmoil, the state salary-setting commission on Tuesday took a step toward lowering the pay of California legislators and statewide elected officials.
The California Citizens Compensation Commission informally agreed that this was no time to raise the pay of members of the Assembly and state Senate, the governor, lieutenant governor and several other constitutional officers.
Two panel members, Chairman Charles Murray and Kathy Sands, said they want the commission to consider reducing salaries, given the precarious condition of the state budget and the drastic cuts to state and local government services that are under consideration. ...
"We have a deficit of $7 billion" that news reports say will double by this summer, Murray, of San Marino, said during the short meeting. "Everybody has to take a cut."
Sands, a retired banker and former mayor of Auburn, said a vote to reduce top government officials' salaries would send a message about their performance.
"We don't have a budget and they're not working any overtime to get it done," she said. "People have said that to me. They're not doing their job."
What a novel idea: holding the state's elected officials to the same standards the rest of us have been forced to adhere to. And the really fun part of the proposal is that apparently the commission can in fact reduce the pay of state officials. Because it's never been done before, the process is a little murky, but I'm sure with a little more research and a little creativity the commission can get the job done, assuming all of the commission members fall into line with the two mavericks who are obviously as pissed off as the rest of us.
This just might be an idea whose time has come.
Labels: Budget, California
posted by Diane at 3:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home