As one talks about the “culture of corruption” in the State Legislature, there is still an unbelievable sense of entitlement and living “above the law” that permeates the building. It was once again on full display as Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg, flanked by his chosen successor Senator Kevin DeLeon, spoke in the Capitol, captured in this short video clip from the Sacramento Bee. All you need to do is go to the 30 second point on the video to find Steinberg saying, “While the Senate itself and its members are not responsible for the alleged abhorrent behavior of two members, we are going to take stock…”Steinberg says “two members” because there is still some sort of sense that legislators do NOT need to actually live in their districts. The two members to whom he refers are Senators Ron Calderon and Leland Yee. He chooses to not include the Senator actually found guilty of committing felonies in his total. There is still a sense that lying about where you live is alright. They still feel that Rod Wright was “done in” by a dastardly jury of people who they think were Wright’s peers (silly jurors). The reality is that Steinberg, De Leon and many feel that the only people that should decide the “affairs of the Gods” are — in fact — other legislators. This sort of arrogance — refusing to expel and refusing to even hold a vote to expel Wright, who was found guilty on eight felony charges, strikes straight to the core of what we are talking about. The idea that the law does not apply to legislators — merely because they do not approve of the law — tells you that there is something very, very wrong in the Capitol.
Statue of Zeus
Is there any doubt that when Rod Wright is sentenced in May (assuming that date doesn’t slide again) that Sacramento’s legislative elite will scorn the decision, and whilst sitting in their leather chairs or gathered in posh fundraising events deride the decision, and the moxie of the judge?
Looking back to ancient Greek mythology, it was written that the strength of the Gods came from the adoration of humans — and that when people stopped believing in them, the power of the Gods waned. Today we live in a democratic republic. Our Senators and Assemblymembers should be very worried that, like with the Gods of myth, the people will stop believing in them.
ROD WRIGHT – BY THE NUMBERS
65 – Number of days since Wright was found guilty by a jury of eight felony counts of perjury and voter fraud.
$17,000 – Approximate amount of taxpayer funded salary Wright has received since being found guilty.
8 – The number of years Wright could have to serve in state prison.
929 – Senate Bill number of legislation introduced by Wright to allow him to later have his felony convictions reduced.
12 – The number of jurors who found Wright guilty.
4 – The number of Senators publicly calling for Wright’s explosion (Anderson, Knight, Vidak, Wyland)
$45,000 – Amount of bail currently posted by Wright to avoid being in custody.