How It Works (Or Doesn't)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats in the Legislature just concluded one of the most productive sessions in years. But they didn't come to grips with a critical problem facing California: prison overcrowding. On that subject, however, one somewhat-related piece of business was accomplished. Here is a step-by-step guide:
1. Time passes. Years go by. The prison system devolves into chaos.
2. Schwarzenegger, slammed for not doing enough to fix the problem, springs into action.
3. Lawmakers and Schwarzenegger finish the legislative session. Little changes, except...
4. In the dead of night before lawmakers shut down, Schwarzenegger amends a bill allowing big raises for the governor's top staff. Few people notice.
5. The governor appoints a new head of the state prison system. He gets $225,000 a year — one of the highest salaries in state government.
Meanwhile, if the Legislature wants to tackle the problem, there is always next year....
(Photo: Dan Ocampo / Bakersfield Californian / AP)
The legislature didnt deal with it because Arnold's legislation was a joke -- poorly drafted and incomplete. The legislature was right in sending him back to the drawing board.
Posted by: Sacramento Guy | Sep 14, 2006 at 03:26 PM
Now, Bob, didn't you leave out a TEENSY WEENSY part. The part where the Schwarz played prison reformer and got his butt handed to him.
That's the part that got 3 mil spent against him last year, as you should know.
Posted by: Bill Bradley | Sep 14, 2006 at 07:33 PM
Oh, BTW, this nonsense about you being a racist and all because a lot of people don't get irony ...
Welcome to the hyperpartisan Internet!
Posted by: Bill Bradley | Sep 14, 2006 at 07:34 PM
Well, I can see this is a corporate operation.
Correctly reading and reproducing a sequence of letters and numbers is intended to eliminate software programs, not actual people.
Unless this is some sort of sobriety test.
Posted by: Bill Bradley | Sep 14, 2006 at 07:35 PM