I got into a little political chat with fellow California Rainer Gene Riemenschneider about the idea of California having a part-time legislature like so many other states. Since 1966 our legislature has done nothing so much as act to convince us we're too big to be governed part-time. We need the chuckleheads around for a full year every year for our own good. Meanwhile the state's in worse shape that the Federal Gov't. Our deficits are bigger than most states entire budget. We lead the nation in taxes yet we lag the nation in education; we excel at unemployment and foreclosures but can't provide adequate water to 70% of our citizens; we are held hostage by powerful special interests like the environmental and public union lobbies while we pursue an aggressive 'green' agenda  guaranteed to cost jobs while producing dubious benefits; and one of the largest oil reserves in the country sits right off-shore within slant-drill reach of existing rigs, but we can't tap it. . 

But we can't stop at just the legislature. Sacramento needs a good and thorough high colonic. Remember when Arnold was elected and pledged to follow the Little Hoover  Commission recommendation to eliminate or combine as many as 1/3 of our state committees, commissions, forums, etc. etc.  reducing spending by billions. Some of these committees have existed for decades for no other reason than to self-perpetuate. 

Others, like the Coastal Commission, the Blueberry Commission and the Air Resources Board  are expensively staffed by former legislators and hacks with agendas.  And many of these are not only full-time jobs but lifetime jobs as well, and often making significantly more than the paltry $93,000 collected by our assembly. Just look at the musical chairs that goes on up there. These people are perpetually on the public dole - it's horrific. Not to mention inbred. The lieutenant governor becomes a Representative so the insurance commissioner becomes the lieutenant governor so the senator becomes the insurance commissioner so the assembly member becomes the senator so the county supervisor becomes the Assemblymember and vice-versa - woooo! 

They accomplish nothing yet there more today than there were when Arnie was elected. Honest. We can't help ourselves - we need an intervention.

Or a revolution.

Anyway, I just needed to rant about that for a minute. I think Obama's probably still got the TV held hostage but that's another whole subject. If there's any good news here it's that making our legislature part-time is a good first step - but only that. There's more dead wood throughout our state government than most people can comprehend.  We need to return the power, the decision making and the money back to the localities and quit feeding this bloated carcase of a bureaucracy that we've got.

Come to think of it, this isn't just a good idea for California. Maybe starting this fall we can start to reign in the bloat infecting our nation as well. Maybe try to stifle federal job growth while growing real jobs, bring some of that federal power and money back to the states and municipalities where it needs to be, and burn out some of that deadwood that's clogging both sides of the aisle. 

Of course that's just my opinion - I could be wrong. 

If you'd like to sign the petition to get California government back into the hands of a citizen legislature and out of the 'professional' pol's, click here:

The Citizen Legislature Act is a constitutional amendment initiative which outlines a legislative session, which will convene in regular session on the first Monday in January of each year for a period not to exceed 30 calendar days. The Legislature will then reconvene in regular session on the first Monday in May for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days and 5 days thereafter to consider bills vetoed by the Governor. The Act also reduces legislative pay by at least 50% and can only be increased through cost of living adjustments.