Politicians and Judges Have GOT To Be Hurt!

The more that any state's politicians or judges remain unhurt and unscathed in budgetarily tough times, the more they remain Imperial and Imperious.  And the more the average citizen suffers because those two groups don't suffer the same consequences for their negligent actions.

For example, in Fornicalia, the state where I live, from the CapitolBasement.com:

The governor continues to dribble out new rounds of cuts. The Chron's Matthew Yi reports, "California state employees would lose 5 percent of their pay under the latest proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to help close a widening budget deficit, his spokesman said Thursday.

 

"The plan is expected to be unveiled today as part of $3 billion in new cuts that come on the heels of $5.5 billion in proposed cuts that were announced Tuesday.

Yes, there are cuts in the offing -- to possibly include essentially shutting down the entire State Parks system.  But just who gets cut and why?  Read on:

"The only state workers who would not face a pay cut are legislators and court workers, who have their own budgets."

"The pay cuts would affect 235,000 workers under the Republican governor's control. The state's judicial and legislative branches would be exempt because they are autonomous, but McLear said employees who work for constitutional officers would receive a pay cut."

And therein lies the massive problem and the disconnect.

Judges and state politicians are purposely exempt from these cuts "as they have a different budget unit."  Or some such rationalized and -- oddly enough -- convenient thing.

Two very important things need to occur:

1. Budget cuts needs to affect all State of Fornicalia workers, to include those elected and appointed.  If their check reads STATE OF CALIFORNIA at the top, those officers and their staffs need to feel the pain felt by each and every citizen during difficult budgetary times.

2. All politicians need to be fiscally penalized when a yearly budget isn't brought in on time.  This would occur on a state level on down to a county and city level as well.  For each day past the due date, politicians would be penalized that day's pay.  And the pay, once a budget was met, would not be due retroactively.  For each day past the budget due date, that pay is lost.  Period.

Only when and if there are actual consequences to poor or late decisions -- as in the real world -- will these persons begin to understand that logic and common sense must rule each and every day.

BZ