Ashburn doesn't get it
| Wednesday, Jul 01 2009 09:09 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Jul 01 2009 09:09 PM
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Roy Ashburn, you've got to be kidding us. The state of California is in a state of fiscal chaos, poised to issue IOU's to taxpayers, vendors and local agencies as early as today because of the Legislature's continuing inability to balance the budget. But you're not willing to share the pain.
Legislators have agreed to accept a 5 percent pay cut in a gesture of sacrifice and solidarity with state employees facing layoffs and furloughs. All lawmakers, that is, except two: Inglewood Democrat Roderick Wright and Ashburn, our Bakersfield Republican.
Why, in the midst of all this suffering, would Ashburn refuse a little sacrifice? Because, he says, he'd just be handing that sliver of his paycheck to the Democrats.
"The question I have asked is: Where does the money go?" Ashburn told The Californian recently (and essentially repeated to the Los Angeles Times this week). "I will not turn over more money for the majority party ... (when Democrats) refuse to cut spending to balance the state general fund."
Democrats haven't refused to cut spending. They've already cut plenty. The hangup is that they need to cut more still -- deep and excruciating cuts that will be enough to square the state's $24 billion-plus shortfall. But that's beside the point in this case.
Ashburn's reasoning is laughably flawed. Wouldn't any budgetary action by state government -- elimination of programs, layoffs, tax increases, whatever -- just be "turning over money" to the majority party? Yes, to spell out the painfully obvious, Democrats are still participating in this mess. Yes, as majority party they'll guide the process. But they won't get far alone.
The voluntary pay cuts will amount to a mere $235,000 on the Senate side -- a drop in the bucket that approaches inconsequence. The value is entirely symbolic: Your Legislature cares, your Legislature is trying.
Bakersfield's other state lawmakers --Democratic Sen. Dean Florez and Republican Assemblymembers Jean Fuller and Danny Gilmore -- grasp that. Does Ashburn need a diagram?
