Schwarzenegger Furloughs May Be Illegal

Schwarzenegger Furloughs May Be Illegal

It has recently been in the news that the furloughs of state employees by Gov. Schwarzenegger to help balance the state budget may be illegal. The governor therefore has proposed that possibly layoffs are the necessary cure for the state bloated with employees. A suggestion has arisen that could help with the budget and help the state function better. There are 40 state Senate seats and 80 Assembly seats. The main difference between a senator and an assemblyman is that senators are elected for four years of mischief whereas an assemblyman is elected for two years. If you look at the district maps, they are pretty much identical for each office, with the greatest concentration in Los Angeles and the Bay area. It looks like some of the assemblymen could live across the street from one another in L.A. Another consideration is purely aesthetic. If you live in a metropolitan area do you want your legislative district to look like an amoeba? The proposal is to layoff 30 assemblymen down to a total of 50. Not only would it save big money not having to pay the 30 legislators and their per diem, but in addition they have highly paid staffs and all this expense would be saved. Perhaps 50 assemblymen would cause less damage than 80. Do you think you would see your assemblyman any less that you do now? Finally change we can believe in.

©2010 Eric Stamets

China Accuses Obama of Lying In Copenhagen

China Accuses Obama of Lying In Copenhagen

A recent newspaper article stated that the Chinese accused President Obama of lying at the recent climate change meeting in Copenhagen. Naturally his press secretary issued a vehement denial. When questioned personally, President Obama said that the accusation was totally frivolous and groundless since he prefers to confine his lying to when he is in Washington D.C. because it is so well accepted there and doesn’t raise any special scrutiny. Just to get a consensus we interviewed former president George W. Bush and prominent Democratic legislators (there are no prominent Republican legislators) Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barney Frank and they all agreed it is best to confine all their lying to the times they are in Washington D.C., once again because of its common acceptance. Out of curiosity we called on some California politicians, Governor Schwarzenegger, and prominent Democratic legislators (there are no prominent Republican legislators) Darrell Steinberg and Karen Bass. They explained that since they are not in Washington D.C. they are at a distinct disadvantage of not having its protective cover, but in Sacramento there is what is described as the “Washington Effect”. This is where much of the advantage of being in a capital city rubs off on state capitals and lying is almost just as commonly practiced and accepted in Sacramento as it is in Washington D.C. If any of these politicians would get out of the capitals and come to visit Julian, we might have a moment of truth to listen to.

©2009 Eric Stamets