Finally, Some Fiscal Responsibility in California!

The California Citizens Compensation Commission -- who would expect revolutionary work out of such a group, appointed as it is by the governor, and therefore hardly answerable to the people?

But the six commissioners took a look at officials whose salaries they have jurisdiction over through a vote of the people in the passage of Prop. 112 in 1989, and they didn't like what they saw. Here are those salaries (source):

Elected Officials	Monthly Salary	Annual Salary
Governor	$17,681.56	$212,179
Lieutenant Governor	$13,261.17	$159,134
Attorney General	$15,358.43	$184,301
Secretary of State	$13,261.17	$159,134
Controller	$14,145.25	$169,743
Treasurer	$14,145.25	$169,743
Superintendent of Public Instruction	$15,358.43	$184,301
Insurance Commissioner	$14,145.25	$169,743
Members, Board of Equalization	$13,261.17	$159,134
Speaker of the Assembly	$11,136.56	$133,639
President Pro Tem of the Senate	$11,136.56	$133,639
Minority Floor Leader	$11,136.56	$133,639
Majority Floor Leader	$10,410.29	$124,923
Second Ranking Minority Leader	$10,410.29	$124,923
All Other Legislators	$9,684.01	$116,208

Today, they said, "No more!" and voted against raising any of these salaries. Here's a bit of the SacBee report:

"We have a deficit of $7 billion" that news reports say will double by this summer, [Charles] Murray, of San Marino, said during the short meeting. "Everybody has to take a cut."

[Kathy] Sands, a retired banker and former mayor of Auburn, said a vote to reduce top government officials' salaries would send a message about their performance.

"We don't have a budget and they're not working any overtime to get it done," she said. "People have said that to me. They're not doing their job."

Not only that, but two members of the committee asked for an opinion on whether they have the authority to cut salaries. The decision, presumably to be rendered by the $184,301 a year Attorney General Moonbeam, will be coming along shortly.

There are two labor representatives on the six-person commission. So guess: How many votes there were against freezing the salaries? That's right. Two.