Pay or play

Interesting turn of events in state politics—one I fervently wish would transfer up the chain to our Congressmorons:

Evidently the California legislature has had a hard time passing a budget for a lotta years. So last year the good people of the Golden State passed an initiative that docks the pay of Assemblymen and Representatives for every day the budget is late.

I’m sure this is what the Lege (as Molly Ivins used to refer to the morons in Austin) had in mind when, at the very last minute possible on the due date, they passed a budget that Governor Jerry Brown had no problem in vetoing. I mean to say, he had his pen ready when the budget was still in transit.

The state morons obviously thought they’d fulfilled the letter of the law and would keep on getting paid. They practically broke their self-congratulating hands patting themselves on the back.

But they thought wrong. State Controller John Chiang has ruled that the Lege did not in fact pass a real budget, so they don’t get their pay.

Naturally the Assembly- and Rep-morons are posturing about the End of Civilization inherent in Chiang’s action. But I have to think that millions of Californians are feeling a little bit better because the irresponsible idiots who pass laws pandering to the highest bidders are at least unable to collect the pay from their day jobs until they actually, you know, do their day job.

Now—if we could just get this sort of thing to apply to Congress: they don’t get their salaries or expense money until they pass a budget on time, every damned year.

Well, a girl can dream.