Posted on 06/22/2011 9:21:47 AM PDT by SmithL
Controller John Chiang has blocked pay for lawmakers, putting state budget negotiations into uncharted territory and upping the pressure on legislative leaders to strike a deal.
Chiang rejected his own party's spending plan as insufficient to satisfy a voter-approved law requiring timely budgets.
In doing so, the Democratic controller exercised unprecedented authority Tuesday, establishing a new role for his office under propositions 25 and 58 to determine whether a legislative budget is balanced.
"I think it was pretty clear ... that (voters) wanted a balanced budget," Chiang said Tuesday in an interview.
With a $9.6 billion deficit still lingering, lawmakers greeted the decision with everything from anger to nonchalance.
Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, had one of the most fervent responses, saying in a statement that Chiang "just wants to sit there and beat up on the unpopular kids."
"I now have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won't be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at our expense," Gatto said. "California has officially degenerated into a Banana Republic, with one branch of government withholding the pay of another."
Under Chiang's decision, lawmakers are losing a combined $48,603.50 each day – which totaled $340,224 over the course of the last week.
For most lawmakers, it represents about $260 per day in salary and $142 in tax-free travel and living expenses.
Several Republicans took pleasure in noting that legislative Democrats spearheaded last year's fight for Proposition 25, which not only included the pay provision but reduced the budget-vote threshold from two-thirds to a majority.
And the four Senate Republicans targeted by Brown for a budget vote appear to have ample resources to survive a pay drought, according to statements of economic interest they filed for calendar year 2010:
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
I like it! And a Dem did this, no less.
Golly! An honest Democrat! Chiang must not have got the memo that he was supposed to say the emperor was wearing some swell new duds.
The law of unintended consequences strikes again. Did the rats realize the consequences of these amendments when they pushed them? The amendments have given unprecedented power to the state treasurer over interpretation of the budget. California is in a disgraceful situation with a once proud economy and government reduced to a beggar. Unfortunately, the future looks even bleaker with rats poised to grab absolute control over state government.
I'm sure it will be good for all of you.
Actually, the funniest part was that it was Democrat bill that gave Chiang the power and the legal obligation to do this.
Do they still get paid for this time period as soon as the budget gets passed? Or is this period going to be lost wages for good with no back pay?
Don’t worry they get the money back once they’ve passed the budget.
They get it back. It’s symbolic at best.
“Golly! An honest Democrat! Chiang “
Hardly. Mr Chiang is the political version of Gloria Allred. He never met a camera he didn’t like. He sees a great opportunity for free publicity and is going after it with vigor.
“I now have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won’t be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at our expense,” Gatto said. “California has officially degenerated into a Banana Republic, with one branch of government withholding the pay of another.”
No, it is because you are a LIAR, FRAUD and a CHEAT Mr Gatto.
It's all part of a plan. Four weak-kneed Republicans (two from my district) will fold late next week and vote to raise taxes (again). In return, they will get nothing but some watered down promise of pension reform that will never see the light of day. They will get larger offices though and some crappy committee appointments so that's OK.
Also, the new budget will be based on a rosy prediction for ever-increasing tax revenues. This won't hold up and within six months a huge hole will be blown in the budget, again.
It is absolutely essential that the ballot measure to extend tax increases goes down in flames in November.
Don’t worry they get the money back once they’ve passed the budget.Nope!
Prop 25 did two things. First, it allowed the budget to be passed with a simple majority vote instead of the two-thirds that used to be the rule. AND, it required legislators to permanently forfeit their pay for every day the budget was late. If they pass a budget today, they will still have lost one week's pay.
Jackass pussy. Millions of people are unemployed and can't pay their bills because of political grandstanding over things like the environment and agriculture. These are people who actually want to do hard physical labor while jackass pussies like Gatto suck off the taxpayers. Effing moron.
””I now have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won’t be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at our expense,” Gatto said. “California has officially degenerated into a Banana Republic, with one branch of government withholding the pay of another.””
Welcome to my world Gatto.
“I now have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won’t be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at our expense,”
Now you know how I feel!
Every entitlement rapes me a little bit more since I am a source, not a sink, of society.
Does anybody really expect me to believe that the Rat “legislators” are living paycheck to paycheck? Really?
I thought the funniest part was after Chiang announced this the California Democrats blamed the Republicans.
That's $36,920 a year, which is within spitting distance of my base salary.
“I now have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won’t be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at our expense,” Gatto said
Funny that. I have to say the same when I get my gross and net paychecks. Thanks to the cut that you take.
Boo-hoo, Mr. Gatto! Boo-hoo!
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