Posted by
The CL Project on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:12:03 PM
Standing behind the bully pulpit and preaching political courage, is one thing. Yet truly taking a stand and pushing for reform even when it is against one's self interest is quite another.
Yesterday the Majority party proved yet again it isn't interested or willing to vote against self-interest, even when it would mean helping save the State from fiscal collapse. The California legislature has voted to retain it's pension plan, otherwise known as the Integrated Waste Management Board.
"Faced with a choice of saving between $2 million and $3 million a year, or preserving a potential and lucrative post-legislative retirement haven, Democratic lawmakers in both houses rejected bills today that would have abolished the state's Integrated Waste Management Board ," reports Steve Wiegand in the Bee.
"Senate Bill 44, by Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, was torpedoed by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, while Assembly Bill 1150, by Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, was scuttled by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. Neither bill received any votes from Democrats."Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had sponsored the bills. They would have shifted the board's duties to other state agencies – and wiped out $132,178-a-year jobs for three former legislators who were appointed to the board by the governor and Legislature."
As Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) noted, "In the midst of a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, if the Legislature can't even make this – the easiest of cuts – it's going to be a long summer."
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