The Democrats no longer enjoy a super-majority in the California Legislature. Sen. Ron Calderon has announced he will take an indefinite leave of absence while he deals with a 24-count federal indictment accusing him of taking bribes.
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| Ron Calderon |
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, last week gave Calderon until Monday to either take a leave of absence, resign or face expulsion. Since Calderon will be able to keep drawing his $95,291 a year salary, the choice no doubt was pretty easy from Calderon's viewpoint (he will not get his $163 tax-free per diem during his leave). From the taxpayers' point of view, this arrangement is another indication of the perversion of the Golden Rule that pervades politics, as in, he who has the gold makes the rules.
Calderon is but the latest Sacramento pol to do a $95,291 number on taxpayers. Last week another Democratic senator, Rod Wright of Inglewood, took a paid leave to fight his conviction on eight felony counts stemming from lying about his residence.
One good thing about this: The loss the Democrats' super-majority threshold means they will have to deal with the Republicans and can no longer pass new taxes, advance ballot measures or enact immediately effective "urgency" bills without at least some cooperation across the aisle.
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