Just to clue you in on the insanity that some of the most powwerful in government demonstrate when they arrive at their jobs. The Assembly is supposed to be part of the same government that is on the brink of disaster, cutting services left and right and telling all comers that there's no more money. John Perez, the openly gay and Latino Assembly Speaker (and that's always mentioned in the stories, apparently he wants all to know that part, but it should not be the reason for what he does) has given steep raises after taking over the post on March 1st. One even makes more money than Perez now- and that was too high to begin with. Is sheer insanity a basis for a recall? Many of us saw that this fiscal imprudence (and that's just being too polite but read on) was something of a style with this guy's background.
"New speaker grants Assembly pay hikes," By Jim Sanders, jasnders@sacbee.com Sacramento Bee, Published: Monday, Mar. 15, 2010 - 1:15 pm Last Modified: Monday, Mar. 15, 2010 - 3:07 pm
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/15/2608797/new-speaker-grants-assembly-pay.html
The Mayor's cousin is as detached from the consituency and the times as his predecessor, Karen Bass, who also gave raises on her last day in that position.
The Sacramento Bee published an editorial last week to ask Perez to take back rasises that Karen Bass issued so that he could show "leadership." Well, the leadership he's showing is something that doesn't match anything close to showing intellegence. What he's showing is his arrogance, but that was expected, not to be confused with any notion of good leadership.
Here is what the Sacramento Bee had as an idea last Monday for the new Speaker: Editorial: "Bass leaves Pérez with a stink bomb" Published: Monday, Mar. 8, 2010 - 12:00 am
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/08/2589531/bass-leaves-perez-with-a-stink.html The whole idea that Karen Bass could give raises when people were being laid off and the state was broke was what Perez could use to show he's on his job. Well, the Sac Bee sure didn't see that wish happen as Perez went in the opposite direction and issued healthy raises. It looks like the raises were done as the first item of business on March 1st when he took the job. The Sac Bee's editorial was a week later, when the deeds were all done.
And all this gets me back to that all-time favorite movie for sorting out friends and foes, "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers." The threat is all around and you have to depend on some people who could help and then you see that they are transformed and are part of the threat, and they are now guiding you to your own destruction. The more you look around, the more you see you are part of the diminishing few survivors while those you look to for help are now the danger. And that's what I see too often in government. The people you expect to turn things around wind up just moving us faster into a financial kill zone.
Check the sizes of your checks and see if there's any big raises in store for you. Perez is just taking all of us for fools. That relationship to the Mayor seems to be a trait of sorts, taking the people from bad to worse. And all of this money is tax dollars. If anyone says "They work hard, so they deserve raises." Well, la dee dah, they are SUPPOSED to work hard, and ALL of the others who are in government and are NOT getting raises should be totally pissed. And what might people think who get furloughs or are getting laid off because shortages of funds. I am not surprised, sorry to say, but they need an overhaul in the state legislature for this and a lot of other reason.
Call them to share your impressions and indicate what HE SHOULD DO:
Sacramento office: 916-319-2046
Los Angeles office: 213-6204646
You can read the story and maybe somehow see that this makes sense.
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