Posted on 11/17/2010 8:38:45 AM PST by SmithL
Some California lawmakers were packing their bags for Hawaii last week when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he was calling a special December legislative session to tackle a projected $25.4 billion deficit.
Others already were there.
Mixing business with pleasure, about two dozen legislators are hobnobbing with interest groups in a tropical paradise this month while discussing green energy, health care, government reform and other key issues.
The largest of two Hawaii conferences, held in Maui this week, is providing free travel and lodging to lawmakers underwritten by donations to a nonprofit group from some of the state's most powerful interests – energy providers, pharmaceutical companies and the prison officers' union.
Lawmakers are joined by lobbyists and corporate officials who will seek their votes when the Legislature convenes next month.
Maui's Fairmont Kea Lani resort, which bills itself as "a luxurious haven in one of the most scenic places on earth" is hosting the finale of back-to-back conferences . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Hmmm, they live in a state where many people go to vacation and yet they have to go to another state, that is more expensive, for meetings. No wonder California is going bankrupt.
Why not, it’s not like anybody there is ever going to vote them out anyway.
HAHAHahahaaaaa...!
Your tax money at work. This is the very attitude that needs to be defeated at election time. Unfortunately in CA those ‘special interests’ have a death grip on our legistlators - state civil service unions leading the way.
"Legislators' airfare and lodging for the Maui gathering are paid by the conference in return for their leadership and participation in discussions on key state issues, said Steve Peace, a leader of the event."
We aren't paying now, but we will be later...
"Lawmakers are joined by lobbyists and corporate officials who will seek their votes when the Legislature convenes next month."
There’s never a tsunami when you need one.
Disgusting. Someone should document everything they do there with their wasteful spending and living it up at the taxpayer’s expense and post it on Youtube.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Sad commentary on the state of the state.
Time and again, the voters of California have said that these are the legislators they want, the kind of legislators they want, and, therefore, that this is the sort of activity they want the legislators pursuing.
Next time the legislators fabricate some ballot proposition to either raise property taxes, gasoline taxes, some phony phantom tax, or lower the vote required to raise taxes or pass the budget and fund these kinds of fun times for the Sacramento gang, the voters will be only too happy to go along.
No story here.
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