California Elected Officials Will Get 18% Pay Cut

Next year, alas, as the law doesn't allow their current salaries to be cut.

Highest paid in the country -- and will still be the highest paid after the cut.

And worth every penny, my friends.

eporting from Burbank and Sacramento -- A state panel this morning slashed the salaries of the governor, legislators and other elected state officials by 18% -- a day after voters rejected a plan by the leaders to address the budget crisis.

The cut will apply to officials elected next year.

...

The commission had wanted to decrease current officials' pay, but the panel's attorney said California law does not allow that.

...

But state Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego), who will be termed out of the Legislature next year, called the decrease "excessive" and "punitive" and said it may discourage some people from running for state office.

That's the whole point, Denise.

One commissioner proposed cutting salaries (and a ridiculous $35,000 stipend for per diem expenses) by 25%. That sounds better to me.

Do I hear 30%? How about 35%?

This is really terrific, actually. Nothing encourages a legislator to take a good hard look at the state's finances like having his own finances jeopardized.

Thanks to gg.

posted by Ace at 06:34 PM

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