Speaking of Fat Cats- Welcome to Sacramento

"It's OK, I'm a state lawmaker on duty. This is my G-ride"



I have written often about the problems in Sacramento, where Governor Schwarzenegger, like the mythical Gulliver, is surrounded by far-left tax and spend Democrats. Together, they have put the state in a 20 billion dollar deficit. I have also written about people like Assembly Leader, Fabian Nunez, who lives like some potentate and travels the world first class at our expense. Meanwhile, Senate President Don Perata is under investigation by the FBI. Tax-payers and businesses are leaving the state in droves due to high taxes and regulations.

In recent weeks and months, it has been revealed that state lawmakers in Sacramento also receive other benefits. Not only do they get $170.00 a-day per diem simply for getting out of bed and dragging their butts over to the State Capitol, but they are all furnished with a government vehicle and government gasoline credit card. According to the Orange County Register, which recently wrote on the issue, no other state has such a liberal policy regarding vehicles and gas as does California.

I digress at this point to offer my own perspective on government cars and gas credit cards because in my 25-year-career with US Customs and DEA, we also enjoyed the same benefits-with restrictions.

Since we were law enforcement agents and subject to being called out at any time of day or night and weekends as well, we were furnished with government cars to drive to and from work. That was not a scam. We were often called out from home at weird hours to respond to a case in progress anywhere in our geographical area. We spent a lot of work time in our government cars.

In addition, we were provided with government gas credit cards to be used for purchasing gas for our government vehicles.

There were restrictions, however. First of all, the car was for official use only. No unauthorized persons, including family could drive or even ride in those cars. They were not to be used for personal use. Likewise, the credit card could only be used for government vehicles. The receipts were turned in to the office and subject to review.

Were there abuses? Of course, but there was a system in place to monitor and punish abuses.

As for per diem, we got that when we were traveling away from our home areas on official business and had to stay in hotels.

It appears in the case of Sacramento, that not only have there been abuses galore, but that there is no effective way to monitor the activities of the lawmakers in this regard. If, as it appears, lawmakers are using government vehicles and gas for personal use, that is a form of corruption. If California regulations are allowing this practice, then some new regulations have to be put in place.

After all, this is our tax money at work.