Finally, a study of lawmakers' perks
| Saturday, May 30 2009 08:26 PM
Last Updated Saturday, May 30 2009 08:26 PM
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Just when we thought there could be no bright spots coming from California state government's fiscal meltdown, along comes the California Citizens Compensation Commission.
Established by voters in 1990 to control the pay and benefits of their elected state officials, the commission has been a huge disappointment. Instead of controlling the pay of legislators, the governor and other elected officers, commissioners have repeatedly increased salaries, even during dire economic times. California now pays the nation's highest legislative salaries.
But these governor-appointed commissioners seem to have suddenly come to life. And not a day too soon: State employees have come face to face with layoffs, work furloughs and proposed across-the-board pay cuts, and an array of state and local government services seem likely to get the axe.
Earlier this month, commissioners instituted an 18 percent rollback in pay for the governor and elected officials, including the Legislature. By state law, the cuts cannot go into effect until legislative terms end.
Now the commission is targeting the benefits that state elected officials receive -- although commissioners pathetically admit they don't know the full range and cost of some of the more obscure perks.
Commissioners have no control over the big ticket items -- the per diem that legislators collect for travel to and accommodations in Sacramento so they can do their jobs. That bonus money can average $40,000 a year on top of legislators' $116,208 annual salaries. The way per diem is doled out, who qualifies, and how the term "job" is defined can be quite loosely interpreted, and some legislators take advantage of that fact.
But commissioners believe they do have control over certain benefits, such as health care insurance and car allowances. There may be others, but the state Personnel Department has been dragging its feet on a request made two years ago for a comprehensive report on how these perks stack up compared to other states.
So a member of the commission is compiling the numbers himself. The commission will discuss the findings June 19.
"We're not on a witch-hunt; we're just trying to do what's right," Commission Chairman Charles Murray told reporters.
Even if commissioners fail to reduce these perks, their efforts will give taxpayers a good look at what legislators have long tried to hide: The extent of their greed.
