HAPPY MAY DAY, CALIFORNIA SOCIALISTS!
From Human Events (again-great stuff! Full story linked in title) :
In spite of the pleas by Mayor Villaraigosa and Cardinal Mahony, the Democrat leaders of the California State Assembly have decided to call their own boycott for May 1, canceling legislative session that day in deference to the protests. But, showing that their commitment only goes so far, they declared Monday a "check-in" day so as not to forfeit their $459 tax-free per diem for the weekend and Monday. A true legislative walkout would have led to lawmakers losing per diem pay for Saturday and Sunday, as well as Monday since spending more than three consecutive days away from the Capitol triggers a halt in the highly-prized extra pay.
The legislative protest by the Democrats caught Republican Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy’s attention. Mountjoy remarked at the close of Thursday’s session that he had spoken to former members of the legislature who where willing to come to work on Monday for half price. The only issue was that they were, "undocumented by the Secretary of State." Does that mean that "undocumented" lawmakers are willing to do the work that American lawmakers aren’t willing to do?
(PS FROM LEAV: WE CITIZENS ARE THE REAL "UNDOCUMENTED" LAWMAKERS. EXERCISE THAT POWER BY VOTING, AND WRITING TO YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.)
In spite of the pleas by Mayor Villaraigosa and Cardinal Mahony, the Democrat leaders of the California State Assembly have decided to call their own boycott for May 1, canceling legislative session that day in deference to the protests. But, showing that their commitment only goes so far, they declared Monday a "check-in" day so as not to forfeit their $459 tax-free per diem for the weekend and Monday. A true legislative walkout would have led to lawmakers losing per diem pay for Saturday and Sunday, as well as Monday since spending more than three consecutive days away from the Capitol triggers a halt in the highly-prized extra pay.
The legislative protest by the Democrats caught Republican Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy’s attention. Mountjoy remarked at the close of Thursday’s session that he had spoken to former members of the legislature who where willing to come to work on Monday for half price. The only issue was that they were, "undocumented by the Secretary of State." Does that mean that "undocumented" lawmakers are willing to do the work that American lawmakers aren’t willing to do?
(PS FROM LEAV: WE CITIZENS ARE THE REAL "UNDOCUMENTED" LAWMAKERS. EXERCISE THAT POWER BY VOTING, AND WRITING TO YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.)
Comments
The Democrats fumbled and lost any luster that working immigrants may have had for them, when they failed to forgo their "$459 tax-free per diem".
IMHO, the Democratic leaders simply failed to recognize an opportunity and lend a symbolic gesture to this whole "immigration crisis".
The gesture of forgoing their Per Diem would have been interpreted by working immigrants that Democratic leaders are in fact committed and understand the plight of working immigrant legal or otherwise.
As the saying goes, "Nothing ventured, Nothing gained".
-Tony Herrera