Today, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Governor Schwarzenegger is planning on doling out hefty, substantive salary adjustments (they are too large, in my opinion, to simply characterize them as ‘raises’) — his Chief of Staff, former California Democratic Party Executive Director Susan Kennedy, could end up making $225,000 annually. There will be a healthy discussion, I am sure ,as to whether these raises are a good idea or not. I can certainly see both sides of the argument — with talent attraction and retention on one side, and cost to taxpayers as well as symbolism being on the other. I would simply suggest on this quiet Saturday morning that what is most egregious is the backdrop of a massive state bureaucracy that is vastly larger than it needs to or should be, with entire agencies and departments that, frankly, should be eliminated. Just as an exercise, I went to the State of California website, and clicked down the state agency/department list a random number of times. When I stopped, I looked at the list. It took me about one second to find something to eliminate, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Cut it. Let local governments create this function in their areas if they so choose to do so. If it is gone, guess what, there is one less department head who is getting a big salary adjustment. So the real issue here, in my mind, is not how much these senior aides and department heads are paid, but simply that there are way too many of them, as a function of a grossly obese state government.
Earlier this week, State Senate President Don Perata, a liberal Democrat from the East Bay Area proposed a ballot measure, that if placed on the ballot by the legislature and the Governor, would have California voters this February casting ballots in a non-binding public-opinion vote on whether the President should withdraw our troops from Iraq. This is a terrible idea. In the United States, we are a democratic republican — we elect people to represent as at the national state and local levels, and they should do their jobs. I could go into a long story about how broken California government truly is, and how that has literally forced common-sense Californians to pass citizen-initiated ballot measures (from Prop. 13’s taxpayer protections to Prop. 140’s term limits, and so forth). But there is certainly no precedent for, nor is a good idea, to start putting public-opinion ‘survey questions’ on the California ballot — let alone on issues at the national level. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger should issue a statement right away making it clear that this is a bad idea, and that it would meet a veto if placed on his desk. Oh, he can do it in his flowery, non-offensive way, where in issuing the statement, he also praises the troops, praises Don Perata for being concerned, and praises twenty other people. But being the Governor means exercising leadership. Often times this means driving the process by, especially in the cases of the most egregious, or in this case outlandish ideas, making a bold, strong statement. Governor, terminate this loser of an idea by Don Perata!
Have a great Saturday!
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