Budget Passes - Time to Mobilize - Tea Bag your Legislator

The Senate and Assembly have passed the budget.

Legalized extortion?

It’s time to mobilize and kick them all out!  The first one to be Able Maldonado.

What Maldonado got in return for his vote (from SacBee):

• A constitutional amendment establishing an open primary system.
  The measure will place on the June 2010 ballot an open primary proposal affecting congressional and state races in 2012 and beyond.
  Under the plan, the top two candidates in a primary would face off in a general election. Candidates would not participate in partisan primaries, but they would be able to retain their party labels on the ballot
• A constitutional amendment banning legislative pay increases during deficit years. This measure is intended for a May 19 special election ballot, along with measures to make changes to the California lottery and establish a “rainy day” fund.
• Legislative leaders rejected Maldonado’s proposal to eliminate legislative pay altogether when the budget is late, arguing the idea was unconstitutional.
• Elimination of the 12-cent additional gas tax, which was estimated to bring in $2.1 billion through June 2010. The money will be replaced with a 0.25 percent increase in the state income tax, federal stimulus dollars and more than $600 million in line-item vetoes.
• Finally, he succeeded in his personal crusade to eliminate $1 million in funding for state Controller John Chiang to pay for new work stations.

Did he really gain much?  The open primary will be crushed in the general election by special interests doing what they can to keep their puppets in power.   The legislative pay increases amendment must be approved by the people.  But the elimination of the tax tax increase is a win and so is the reduction of Chaing’s cubical fund by 1 million.  But are those two worth it?  I don’t think so.