BY Jack Lee
You’ve seen the ballot proposition ads, so you know that if it doesn’t get signed into law your house will burn down because there will be no fire fighters. You will have to do without cops too, so you better practice making siren sounds to scare aware burglars. There’s a good chance you will have to home school your kids or your neighbors kids because there won’t be enough teachers or schools and this will all happen… if those Propositions don’t pass!
That’s the bad news, but here’s the good news!
The Governor is not threatening to cut the boards, agencies and commissions sat on by close friends and family of your legislators. They will continue to operate as usual. We really need them too, like the board just for Asians from Pacific Islands or my favorite, the “California Board for the Status of Women”. How else would women ever be sure of their status? This is why we must cut police and fire first!
Let me name just a few the boards never mentioned for cost cutting…The State of California Acupuncture Board, the the Office of Binational Border Health, the Biodiversity Council, California Council for the Humanities, California Digital Library, the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, Colorado River Board of California, Career Resource Network, Medi-Cal Managed Care Health Care Options, Medi-Cal Provider, Medical Assistance Commission, Medical Board of California, Medi-cal Care Services, Mental Health, Office of Constitution Revision Commission, Dept. of Cyber Safety for Children, Delta Vision, Committee on Dental Auxiliaries, Dental Board of California, Department of Military and Aerospace Support, Department of Developmental Services, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Certification Program, Education Audit Appeals Panel, Office of the Secretary for Education, State Board of Education, Educational Facilities Authority, Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Emergency Medical Services Authority, Employment Training Panel, Energy Commission, Board for Professional Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Office of Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) Equalization, Board of eServices Office, Fair Employment and Housing Commission, Fair Employment and Housing, Film Commission, Finance, Department of Financial Institutions, Office of the State Firearms Division, Governor’s Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons Governor’s Mentoring Partnership, …. and the list goes on and on. I haven’t even covered a third of these departments, agencies, commissions and boards!
If the agency, board, commission, etc., has the same name as a federal agency, just remember you can never have too much oversight. Instead, take consolation in knowing that each one of these little fiefdoms is safe because they are indispensable. Without them how would you ever get through the day?
By the way, when you’re on your way to vote next Tuesday, remember your Leaders of the Assembly and Senate now make $133,639. And rank-and-file lawmakers make $116,208, plus they get housing, food and car allowances that add to tens of thousands of dollars more. California has the highest paid state lawmakers in the country. Maybe we could do some cost cutting with a part-time legislature working for minimum wage? Just a thought.