Is the Legislature Worth the Bother?
Do you maybe think the voters have decided the Legislature
is more trouble than it’s worth?
I mean, if we’re talking savings, canning the 120 folks in
the Assembly and state Senate would save $11.4 million a year right away, and
that’s not even counting benefits and that tax-free $142 per diem.
It’s pretty clear voters aren’t convinced that the
legislators are earning their pay. A new poll by the
Public Policy Institute of California the other day found that only 17 percent
of the state’s likely voters approve of the job the Legislature’s doing,
compared to 72 percent who aren’t happy at all.
And as for trust, 18 percent of those likely voters think we
can trust the state government to do what’s right at least most of the time.
Which means, of course, that a solid majority is convinced California would be
better served if the Legislature was replaced by one guy flipping a coin. Way
cheaper, too.
Power grabs
Two budget-related developments yesterday bring a
small amount of clarity to the political positioning on achieving a deal. But
their long-term effect is to re-allocate political power.
Controller John Chiang released
a legal opinion interpreting the section of Proposition 25 that would halt salary and expense
payments to the Legislature if it fails to transmit a budget to the Governor by
June 15. His lawyers concluded that even if the budget is timely passed and
sent to the Governor, if it is not a balanced budget, then legislators
would forfeit their pay until they pass one that is balanced. This twist arises
from an earlier measure, Proposition 58 in 2004, which requires that the
Legislature may not send to the Governor, nor may the Governor sign, a budget
that would spend more than the revenues estimated for the year. Until the
Controller’s memo, this constitutional provision had no teeth. Now that
provision has been given real force, and the arbiter of whether a budget is
balanced – and therefore whether the Legislature will be paid – will be
Controller John Chiang.
As Yogi Would Say: It’s Déjà vu All Over Again
Looking at the most recent Public Policy Institute poll on
the state budget situation, it is clear not much has changed in the public’s
view. The numbers have bumped a few points here and there but generally the
poll respondents have stayed on the same road they have been on: we want to
vote; we like Jerry Brown’s overall thinking, but when it comes to specific tax
increases-no thanks. Oh yeah, those spending limits and rainy day funds are a
good idea – and we should cut prisons.
Comparing these results to recent polls, Yogi Berra’s famous
saying comes to mind: it’s déjà vu all over again.
For those who would argue that the people’s vision is
blurry, if not downright dim-witted, I would submit the response to the first
question PPIC reports on: The state’s biggest problem is jobs and the economy.
52% of likely voters make that judgment. Budget and taxes is a distant second
at 16%. The people understand that if jobs increase and the economy improves,
the budget and tax situation will be taken care of.
Matt Fong – Taxpayer Advocate, Respected Public Servant, Friend
I was touched by Joel Fox’s tribute here at Fox and
Hounds. Largely the word that comes to my
mind when I think of Matt Fong is – respect.
Matt earned the respect of taxpayers and policy makers who
cared about responsible governing. He embodied
the ‘good’ in government serving with distinction whether he was elected or
appointed. Public service and generosity
defined Matt Fong. He knew that he served
"at will" – that his job was to protect taxpayer dollars and give his very best
advice to guard state finances. Respect
for taxpayers catapulted him to notable national posts requiring financial
expertise and savvy. One thing was for
sure: Taxpayers could trust Matt Fong.
I met Matt through several of my Asian American mentors and
friends including former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and former
Presidential appointees Joe Yew, Walter Liang, Clayton Fong, Elsa Cheung, and the
late John Tsu. These individuals I
respect called him "friend."