Legislators, just do your jobs already

Contrary to what the CN&R opined, perhaps the real reason four out of five voters told the legislators in Sacramento to take a hike was because we wanted neither service cuts nor tax increases. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I want the services to continue as before. However, I want them to run efficiently and without graft.

Is asking for an honest return on my taxes asking for too much?

In California we have both a State Board of Education and a Department of Education—dueling bureaucracies that suck from the public teat, while school programs get cut.

And you want me to pay more? I don’t think so.

Fact is the Catholics do education far better and for far less money per student. Close to 40 percent of the money spent on education is wasted.

Back in January, a job was “created” for termed-out legislator Nicole Parra. The job pays $128,000 per year plus all the state benefits. Political junkies will recall that she upset the Democratic leadership last summer so they “banished” her to a little, tiny office in the Capitol. When she endorsed a Republican as her replacement, Gov. Schwarzenegger “rewarded” her with a job—typical Sacramento B.S.

The job was created when we knew about the state’s problems. I note her job was not cut in the latest round of budget cuts.

And you want me to pay more? I don’t think so.

Forty years ago, freeways cost about a million dollars a mile to build. Sure, everything costs more now—about six times more. How come freeways cost 25 times more? Certainly the guys building them aren’t making 25 times as much.

One might think that for all that money these would be quality roads, but no, we spend 25 times more fixing them as we used to, also.

And you want me to pay more? I don’t think so.

When Rick Keene was our state assemblyman, I asked him how much the state pays to health-insurance companies for premiums on all of California’s employees. He didn’t know. He voted on it and all that, but he didn’t know. When Keene is anointed to replace Sam Aanestad in the state Senate, do you think he will know then?

I voted no on the propositions because it is the Legislature’s job, not mine.

California is at an impasse. The fault lies with the Legislature. These legislators have demonstrated their complete inability to do their jobs.

New taxes? No.

A new legislature? Hmm … I think so.