Because the Citizen’s Commission process that actually determines legislator salaries is clearly hopelessly br-

Declaring that elected officials must share the pain of California’s fiscal crisis, an independent commission voted today to impose an 18 percent pay cut for statewide elected officials and all members of the Legislature.

The California Citizens Compensation Committee, which sets salaries for state officers, earlier voted in favor of a more modest 10 percent pay cuts in an April 29 meeting in Sacramento. But the action couldn’t stand because the seven-member board lacked the required four votes.

But today the commission voted 5-1 to make a deeper reduction in elected officials’ salaries because of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s announced plans to lay off 5,000 state workers.

The only reason this didn’t pass before is that the Governor didn’t do his job to keep the required amount of appointees on the committee.  Of course, by his logic, aren’t these state workers?  Shouldn’t they all be fired so we can “live within out means?”

Now that the already-in-place process did what it was supposed to do, clearly we can all agree that Abel Maldonado is the kewlest man evah.  Two snaps up with a circle, Abel.  Two snaps.