THE PEOPLE WIN IN CALIF! State lawmakers' pay stops if they don't pass a budget by June 16!

!!!! I wished I could have ^+ 'ed this post about 10 times!!

Tnx PA...what brought that issue up was the disparity between 20 yr. mil vets only getting 1/2 pay for retirement, whereas senators and reps get full pay retirement after serving one (1) term....not to mention their health benefits.

Cheers,

I agree, it seems unlikely, but the lawyers in the Senate went to all the trouble to come up with a "loophole" --even when they knew the California voters, who voted for it, would be FURIOUS. Which we are. And nobody but the legislators are buying the "loophole" claim, anyway.

Understand, these budget overdue deals go MONTHS.

I wish they'd take away their perks. Now THAT would get their attention.

Too true freehit, btw love the beard.

Thank you, Warren. I think they should be paid for their work, but if they cannot get a balanced budget passed on time, and state contractors, etc. have to go unpaid, then the legislators should go unpaid, too.

I know it slipped past you PA, but Mr._Merrill was getting his shot in support of the Kochs and ALEC destroying the country.

Thanks for the FYI.

Huh?

HS, I'm so sorry to hear that Scott is doing such damage to Florida. I really understand your willingness to relocate when the future of Florida looks so bleak. Come to California! That would be cool!

I don't think the California State legislators would risk making the voters angry when the voters just took away their paychecks with they don't do their job.

We can just as easily take away their perks, too, and let's see how much they enjoy having to provide their own state-related transportation, pay for their own state-releated phone and utilities, etc.

I KNEW the new drug-testing law had to be connected to a political crony. sonofabitch.

What happens if your state legislators don't pass the budget by the deadline?

typical asshattery, ignoring henceforth

Typical liberal. Nothing to offer but insults.

Do you realize how many military and police institutions there are in America. I think there must be one on every block.

Sometimes I think the government is TRYING to get us to physically revolt because it would give them a reason to lock us up and declare martial law.

thats very true but imagine if everyone got sick of it and banded together all the gangs the motorcycle gangs and so many americans have guns itd get really bloody but wed be able to do something..

I think the message communicated by the voters to the State legislators is having more impact on the them than losing the pay would. But I don't know any legislators anymore, so I don't know how important the pay from the State is to them.

I thought the same thing. They can pass anything now just to save their own wallets.

If we don't pass good laws that advance the people's best interests, because of the fear that politicians will misuse them against us, we would pass no good laws.

I understand your point, but I don't think we can afford to allow the politician filth who abuse the system to hold hostage our willingness to work for the laws that help the people.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

I don't think they will do that. I really don't. The California legislators were SHOCKED when the initiative made it to the ballot, and SHOCKED when it passed. There was a lot of funding fighting the passage of that initiative, and I don't think they expected it to be successful.

IMO, politicians are now getting cocky because they think they have so "down-trodden" us that we won't rise up and fight them at their own gain.

For YEARS, California's legislators wouldn't pass a balanced budget for months, and the people suffered. Home-care for children with MS, CP, brain injuries stopped--everything stopped. Except for the politicians' paychecks.

I am surprised that there is a negative look at this at all. I guess if you haven't experienced it, the anguish from the people who suffered damage from it, you can't understand it.

THIS IS A FIRST STEP TO BRINGING THE POWER BACK TO THE PEOPLE! We keep bitching about "no power to the people," and then when a positive step is taken that brings some power back to the people of California, it's not a good idea?

NO step we take to bring power back to us is going to be 100% perfect for everyone. It shouldn't matter to us that it isn't. That "me first" attitude is a conservative value, not a liberal/progressive value.

l didn't say it wasn't a good idea. I stated it can lead to less than what the people deserve when their welfare is on the line. That isn't negativity, that is the damn reality, and it IS based on experience of seeing it happen over and over again. Hopefully, it won't this time. And how do you know what "damage" I have or have not experienced? A one sentence comment gives you the impression I don't give a damn otherwise or don't understand what it is like to suffer as well? Wasn't it you in another thread who used the term, "worthless politicians?" This is why I usually abstain from responding in political threads. Tired of my words being twisted and the jumping to conclusion kneejerk reactions. And what is the point of the line: "That "me first" attitude is a conservative value, not a liberal/progressive value." How do you get that out of just one typed sentence agreeing with the person above me? Caring about the people not being duped is NOT a me first attitude.

The problem is that this makes no guarantee that the pols will rush through crappy laws that will still punish the people and kill programs in the long run to balance that budget just to save their own paychecks. Personally, I like the way WI people showed the pols they wouldn't just roll over and take what was being rammed down our throats. I am all for the people seizing control of their destiny against the pols, I just don't see this initiative doing much to accomplish that. It still keeps the power in the hands of the pols to pass whatever legislation they want. That doesn't change, they just have to pass it faster.

Thanks for seeing my point, Jan.

Well then maybe the people of Wisconsin would learn not to elect douche-bag governors and representatives anymore...if it's ever going to change, there is going to have to be some risk taking.

My apologies if you think I misunderstood you. For the record, regarding the "damage," what part of "if" is unclear for you?

I'll skip your posts in the future. We just don't understand each other in a posting environment.

If you truly believe, after the state voters spanked the state legislators by taking way their paycheck when they dick around and don't get their work done on time, that the legislators are going to risk doing anything to evoke another initiative, then we certainly have a different outlook on how to deal with politicians who forget they are accountable to the people.

There are a million things that the legislators COULD do, but they could have done it before they had to deal with the results of the passage of the initiative.

We have to take risks if we want change. Change isn't going to come to us without taking risks. Not at this point.

That's got nothing to do with this story. For starters, we had a Democratic governor for 8 years. And this asshole is going to get booted in one. Your point?

For starters, we are in the process of booting our losers BEFORE the next scheduled election through RECALL. The people of WI learned of the mistake made in 2 MONTHS. The 14 Democratic Senators who left the state in protest did it as the only recourse to turn the tide on draconian legislation and to bring national attention to what the GOP was about to do nationwide. Without them doing that drastic measure, who knows where this country would be headed right now as well as this state. The voters are in full resistant mode to this corporate takeover. And we are getting our state in order in a way no other state has done in recent memory. That is what is called Power to the People. Picking up a paycheck to screw the state's voters is not in my opinion constructive. This is a truly grassroots movement to block a Koch takeover that NOBODY envisioned. Now that the majority does, we are taking action to correct the mistake the voters who put these idiots in office made. That's democracy in action. If that is what will come back to haunt anyone, there is something wrong with this country. The Democratic state convention was just held over the weekend and in two separate straw polls, Russ Feingold won for both the Governor and Senate nomination. We will get him back in one capacity or the other and when the remaining recalls take place, sanity will return to WI.

We will agree to disagree on this one. Where would I like to see Feingold? I would like him to be back in the senate, but if Tom Barrett doesn't run again for governor, then I would of course want to see Feingold go for the governor's mansion because we have to have a strong candidate to get Walker out of there.

You have a good day as well, David.

I just love your clip art photo, I got to have it, I know it will come in handy one day.

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage."

- John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 25

Thanks! Enjoy.

OMG. Thank you. My parents were avid union supporters. GOW is one of my favorite Steinbeck stories.