Links:
* The Capitol Notes Podcast features an extended interview with Jerry Brown. It’s certainly not geared for progressives, as he’s hitting on Whitman’s turf.
* And the Steve Poizner shift dramatically to the Right continues. He’s now reconsidered his support for changing the vote threshhold from 2/3 to 55% for school bonds. Apparently, the majority of the ELECTORATE cannot decide when to issue bonds, they need Howard Jarvis’ corpse to decide those decisions.
* CalBuzz is annoyed that they went out and praised Poizner for his first stand on the the above bill, only to get the ol’ flipity-flopity. In other news, they are glad to see Jerry Brown’s eyebrow shaping.
* Karen Bass took some heat for handing out pay raises to 20 Assembly staff members. But, honestly people, do legislative staff have to live under a situation where they can never be promoted? What kind of job situation is that? Would you want to work where you had no chance of promotion? All but a handful of these staffers made under $50,000. This isn’t gold-plated toilet seats we’re talking about, it’s people striving for achievement, something conservatives claim to respect.
* The LA Times did a profile of Speaker Perez, focusing not on his work for the downtrodden, but for some of the more deep-pocketed types around the state. Look, in today’s political world, there is no purity any more.
for this… per a tweet from Matt Weiser, Bass, on last day as Assy. boss, makes 1st appointment to new #SacDelta Stewardship Council: Gloria Gray (pdf) http://bit.ly/9r0rW1 #cawater
Now, I have no doubt that Gray is a capable woman and will capably represent the needs of the Metropolitan Water District rather than the needs of the Sacramento Delta. Just one more inning in the political game and one more example that those living in the Delta will have no say.
We have veteran teachers in California – also some making less than $50k – taking pay CUTS this year and last year. Times are tough. There are a lot of good people not getting raises or promotions, who understand it’s meant to be temporary due to the economic conditions.
You can see data here:
http://www.sacbee.com/2008/07/…
10% raises for 20 workers making $50k = $100,000. That’s 1 1/2 – 2 teacher positions in some districts. That’s a couple of home health care aides. We have a local park that’s been waiting on $180k promised to it 18 months ago for the groundbreaking. Penny-pinching is being done on smaller levels than this.
I’m sure those staff members did deserve those raises, and maybe needed them. But what about all the other people who are doing without?
But so did every other State worker who hasn’t seen a cost of living adjustment in years, and who would like to bring home the amount they used to before the Governor (with the helpful assistance of advisors Susan Kennedy and Pete Wilson) unilaterally reduced their pay.
However, there is simply no money as is always the case when one’s government has adopted the shock doctrine tactics of the Neo-liberal/Norquist lovin’ minority party that runs the state, assisted by the majority party that fails to use the bully pulpit to clearly define a principle of either economics, governance, common purpose, criticism (constructive or otherwise).
And yes, we will fight amongst ourselves for the crumbs fallen from the table of the “have mores.”