http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-21-california-legislature-budget-pay_n.htm Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gatto, from his luxurious offices in Burbank had this to say: A local radio station has taken up a food drive to help feed the congressman and his family, though their efforts to deliver the canned goods to his offices were blocked by security goons under the congressman's employ. Aside from laughing my ass off, I can't help but wonder what type of effect a bill like CA Prop 25 would have on our federal legislators.
It's the opposite, they're being held accountable. Hopefully, they won't waste a lot of time crying, and get busy creating a reasonable budget.
Fuck 'em. He didn't earn his money according the law we passed. Hopefully this fool is run out of town in the next election.
Sounds good to me. Real reform is needed though. Boot out all incumbents and abolish politician wages. Voluntarism would solve a lot of the corruption. That douche is right about one thing, he is being punished for playing politics. What a fool.. his job is to serve and represent, not to play games!
Him and a whole bunch just like him. Here is the list of California Assemblymen who have their cars paid for by the state. $34,000 bonus we don't really call part of his compensation package, but it most certainly is. Too bad they cant take his car away until they balance the budget. Here is Assemblyman Gatto banning press and people with cameras from PUBLIC TOWNHALLS at PUBLIC LIBRARIES. [video=youtube;lqx9RPrqNMM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqx9RPrqNMM&feature=player_embedded[/video] These are the useless tools we have running our government and we wonder why California is still headed downward while most of the rest of America has bottomed out.
Smug doesn't even begin to describe it. This guy operates in a politicaly "safe" district of Burbank, California home to pretty much every serious Entertainment company including Warner, Disney, and NBC, with Universal just down the road. He feels he's untouchable and his goons have actually said so. Ths sad thing is, his idiocy wouldn't have even gone noticed were it not for the smug remarks. Out of all the things the California State legislature could be focusing on right now, what would you guess is the most important? 1) Dealing with outrageously high unfunded state employee pension plans 2) Striking an agreement with teachers unions to keep our public schools from dipping any lower than they already are. 3) Negotiating with Republicans to achieve a sustainable budget 4) Passing legislation to make our air cleaner 5) Passing legislation to make it tougher for CA Residents to get ballot initiatives on the ballot or get those measures passed in their original form. If you guessed option 5, you would be of like mind with Assemblyman Gatto. In his one year in office, here are the bills he has championed: ACA 9: Initiatives put on the balloet by voters would require a two thirds popular vote, rather than a simple majority, if said initiative has any fiscal impact(changes taxes). ACA 10: The state legislature would have the right to tamper with and alter ballot initiatives put in place by voters after a period of four years ACA 11: Increase from 5% to 8% the percentage requirement for number of signatures required to get a ballot initiative on the ballot ACA 12: Let the Legislature propose amendments to(modify) initiatives that qualify for the ballot. Also puts new mmore stringent requirements and legislative approval for ballot measures to make it onto the ballot. I'm not sure why he doesn't just go for the gold and propose that CA state voters not be allowed to propose ballot initiatives at all. After all, the California voting public has so much confidence in their legislators, what need do we have to propose our own legislation? Hell, a few years back we voted in a ballot measure to end gerrymandering and our legislature refused to implement it. Last year, we had to pass a ballot measure taking the authority to implement the first ballot measure away from the legislature, putting it in the hands of an independent non-political committee who will actually do the job(assuming the legislature doesn't try and block the will of the people in some other way).