CA: Crisis? What crisis? (Empty legislative chambers, Empty seats)

SFGate.com ^ | 11/20/08 | Editorial

[NormsRevenge]

There is something missing from California Legislature's "special session" to deal with a budget crisis: legislators. Most of them are not in Sacramento. Some are not even in the country.

As staff writer Matthew Yi reported Wednesday, at least a dozen legislators saw no reason to cancel their vacations or fact-finding junkets merely because the governor summoned them for a special session to deal with a shortfall that may reach $28 billion over the next 18 months. Each passing day means that the state is spending millions of dollars more than its revenues - with the state on course to run out of cash in February.

The upshot of the legislators' rationalizations is this: We're not really needed until the governor and legislative leaders come up with a deal to cut expenses and possibly raise new taxes. Nearly all of the junketeering legislators plan to return by Sunday - when the Senate and Assembly are expected to meet right against what is believed to be the drop-dead deadline for this lame-duck group to do anything about the budget crisis.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders have yet to reach an agreement, but even if they did ... they would have a hard time rustling up the votes to pass anything, with so many legislators out of town.

[NormsRevenge]

Hope is Bust in KaliForNEEyaaa legislature where Junkets'R'Us.

Economy slides further into the abyss

Film at 11

click

[NormsRevenge]

Hollywood gave us..

A Bridge Too Far

Updated version ..

A Gubamint Gone Too Far

A Holy Smoke, Batman Production

It will leave you writhing and screaming in the aisles

[truthingod]

I say we fire all the legislators! Can we hire all the mothers who planned household budgets on one income from the mid-40’s through the late 1970’s? People like my mom would take one good look at the crazy budgets these legislators try to pass(or ignore)and they would start chopping and cutting back. We need common sense back in government and now is a good time to yell loud enough to be heard! Mom’s for congress!

[rellimpank]

-—again, I repeat, both flavors of Commiefornia politicos expect that Uncle Sugar can’t let them fail—they’re too big-—

[Convert from ECUSA]

Amen and right on!

[Melchior]

Arnold: The male Stabenow.

[Dragonspirit]

It’s disgraceful and total madness.

I live in this state that is in the midst of financial death, and our idiot legislators can’t not be bothered to try to solve it and our idiot voters pass new high spending propositions that cost billions in tax payer liabilities.

[Godzilla]

Empty legislative chambers, Empty seats

And empty heads with empty idealism.

[LuxMaker]

To mom’s for congress, except realistically special interests would be on top of them like white on rice to buy their votes. I wonder how long it would take for them to capitulate. I would give them about 2 years, when their families start getting threatened for them to play ball.

[GVnana]

This is what TERM LIMITS has brought us.

A constant churning of inexperienced people who can't get anything done.

[scory]

But at election time each and every one of these people will campaign on the basis that they provide “Leadership you can count on!” or some variation thereof. And better than 90% will be reelected.

Oh, well. It is probably just as well that they are out of town in the middle of a crisis. They are far more likely to make matters worse with their presence and active participation.

[Vaduz]

We’re not really needed until the governor and legislative leaders come up with a deal
Deals is what got california in this mess.