The members of the California legislature pull down a full-time salary, though many months of the 
year are spent in district "work periods" far from the State Capitol. But you really have to wonder in the absence of a state budget, now well past the Constitution deadline, why all our legislators are not in Sacramento working hard at finding a solution to the budget impasse?
Perhaps no member of the State Legislature has demonstrated the arrogance of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. While Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines stands by attentively in Fresno to return to Sacramento (on his favorite three hour drive), the Speaker of the California Assembly is off vacationing in Europe…
What? You didn’t know that? Yeah, not much has been written about it all of the newspaper stories covering the budget impasse. Trying to figure out where Nunez is vacationing on the other side of the pond is a bit like trying to play Where’s Waldo.
Of course, the members of the California State Senate are all in Sacramento or nearby subject to a call into session.
In a release issued by the California Term Limits Defense fund, Kevin Spillane says:
Previously, in a dramatic act of hypocritical hyperbole, Nunez had publicly announced that legislators should cancel their vacation plans and stay within an hour’s travel time to Sacramento until a state budget had been approved. Last time we checked, it took a little bit longer than an hour to make it from Paris to Sacramento.
**There is more – click the link**
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Sounds like Jon and Kevin need a few weeks off to sip some Old Fashions in a lounge chair somewhere (I hear France is becoming more conservative these days, so you can use that Eiffel tower graphic again).
The Speaker is on vacation with his family because his chamber did their job — pass a budget, one supported by Assembly Republicans, Senate Democrats, and our Republican Governor.
I’m not sure why an ex-legislative staffer like Kevin thinks it’s so “outrageous” for one chamber to adjourn while the other is considering the budget. It’s almost routine.
Perhaps if the anti-term limits reformers spent a little more time debating the issue at hand — whether it’s a better idea to reduce term limits to foster more experience in one chamber — rather than personal character assasination, their organization might have a little creditability with the mainstream press.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Give me a break, Steve. Your boss, the Speaker, should not be 10,000 miles from Sacramento on vacation right now. There is a budget IMPASSE. Clearly Senator Perata doesn’t like the deal that your boss supported to vote out some tax relief, and has pronounced that DOA. Also, Senate Republicans aren’t pleased with the deficit spending. So it is likely we need a NEW BUDGET. That means everyone working together. It’s time for Nunez to put down his croissant and come home.
As for the Career Politican Term Limits Lengthening Measure, everyone knows that it is about politicans not liking the idea of having to return to the private sector, and giving others a chance to serve. Heck, if Nunez, in his third term, is AAWOL, he is the poster child for rejecting his self-serving, term-lengthening measure.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Steve, your arguments are Orwelllian. You label the pro-term limits advocates as “anti-term limits reform.” The voters will see through your misleading attempt to fool them into weakening term limits. The arrogance of your boss – leaving the country on vacation before a budget is passed is amazing – but very helpful to those of us committed to protecting term limits and the will of the people.
As for credibility with the press -with the help of Don Perata and Fabian Nunez – we seem to be doing just fine when it comes to media coverage.
I don’t what your boss’s definition of leadership is, but I don’t believe vacationing in Europe would be in most.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Gentlemen –
Isn’t it clear that only Dan Walters will support the 9 Senators in their position?
When the GOP’s Governor and the GOP Members of the State Assembly join with Democrats to pass a budget it is clearly a bipartisan, post partican budget.
There is no need to amend, alter or change it in any way. We simply need to wait until the Republicans in the Senate believe they have wrung the last drops of publicity from their position.
I would speed the process by adding fuel to the fire of martyrdom – by making the next few days as personally miserable as possible for the two holdouts.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
There’s a budget impasse only because one Republican state senator refuses to vote for a budget that has been approved by Assembly Republicans, Assembly Democrats, the Republican Governor, and Democratic Senators. Like Bill says, now that Republican Senators have had their 15 minutes, hopefully they’ll get serious about doing the job they were elected to do.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Mr. Maviglio reaches a new Orwellian high, claiming that Senator Perata supports the Assembly-passed budget.
But that’s not my favorite line. This is: “reduce term limits to foster more experience in one chamber.” That desperate spin is sure to leave readers dizzy!
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Senator Perata voted for the Assembly-passed budget.
And, my friend, the best spin is the truth. The initiative reduces the number of years a member can serve from 14 to 12 years and allows them to do in one chamber. That’s the way Field, PPIC, and San Jose State asked the question independent of any “spin,” and the way the Title and Summary reads. I may remind you that a challenge to that Title and Summary by the Beltway-based US Term Limits was laughed out of several court rooms.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Mr. Maviglio
Since when do you know anything about the truth?
Here’s the truth: You choose to use the label “right-wing.” What’s the matter–are you afraid of us “Right-wingers.” You don’t here me calling a you a left-wing liberal. But one truth is that you’re a left-wing puppet and your puppetmaster split to Europe for a vacation.
Another truth is that you do not seem to support a responsible balanced-budget. The only budget you support is when your friends on the left in both the Assembly and State Senate want to spend more of the taxpayer’s money than it takes in.
Finally, Mr. Maviglio–you must actually know the truth before you speak it. Also, please stop insulting the intelligence of the voters of California–its getting quite old.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Relax.
Let him stay on vacation.
CA taxpayers are much safer when those goof-balls are gone.