Bakersfield Republican doesn’t think she has been using her time productively.
by Brian Leubitz
If you are like me, you don’t really know who Shannon Grove is. But if you are also like me, you are going to be rather confused when you hear the message that she brings to you courtesy of the Inter-tubes.
See, she’s a member of the Assembly who wants to go back to the idyllic days of a “citizen legislature” who aren’t “professional politicians.” What Shannon apparently doesn’t remember from her California history classes or didn’t bother to look at in Texas, the state closest to us in size that has a part-time legislature, is that a part-time legislature breeds corruption and conflicts of interests galore.
Sure, it would be great if the state could be governed in a period of 90 days every other year, but things aren’t really that easy. Leaving California to a part-time legislature means that while the lobbyists never go away, the legislators do. Guess what that means for the relative power between the groups? The last thing we need is a further increase in power in unelected staffers and lobbyists.
But, you know, what the heck, why not have people who are in industry vote on that industry? Sounds great!
If Shannon Grove thinks she’s not busy enough, maybe she should find a different line of work. One that she finds more satisfying. Maybe she doesn’t like regulating fonts (that would be so we have better campaign finance disclosure) or shark fins (so we stop torturing sharks), but these are important issues. That she is so flippant about them, makes me think that perhaps she could find work that is more satisfying.
I think Assemblymember Grove could do much for her cause by leading by example. If she were to only show up to the legislature 90 days every other year and take only $18,000 per year, she would show everyone that she is not just flapping her jaws, but that she means what she says.
Also, I know that she does not care for Democrats in the legislature, but her lewd and vulgar language in this video is really in poor taste and I think she should consider using more appropriate language before saying things such as “the legislature is sucking off the taxpayer”.
California has one of the world’s largest economies and a mutl-billion-dollar budget. Having all this run by a part time legislature would be like having Microsoft, Disney, Apple, Chevron, etc., managed by part-time CEOs.
Just as term limits already does, a part-time legislature will put more power in the hands of bureaucrats and lobbyists. Is that what we REALLY want to do?
Yes, Shannon Grove would not be missed if she absented herself from the legislature most of the time and turned back her paychecks.
Like most Republicans in the CA legislature, she doesn’t take governance seriously.
Most of them are just showing up to collect their per diems, paychecks, health insurance and car allowances.
I agree with you. Shannon Grove is darn flippant about many points of her “citizen legislature”. And I think there is no venue for her here. She will find more suitable job for her, not regulating fonts.