Assembly speaker uses money to control members
By Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee
Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez single-handedly doles out millions in public funds each year to his 80 members: No vote, no committee, no debate.
Like speakers before him, the Assembly Democrat gives and can take away, handing out or withholding leadership posts that can boost office budgets by six-figure sums. Assembly rules give him sole authority to control purse strings, with no appeal.
The power of his position differs from operations in the smaller state Senate and can be necessary in wrangling votes from an unruly house.
Yet the public’s inability to monitor the speaker’s financial decisions came into sharper focus this year after a dispute between Pérez and one of his own caucus members. When The Bee and Los Angeles Times asked that records of Pérez’s budgetary deals with individual lawmakers be made public, the Assembly said no.
Former and current members, some of whom will only speak privately, note that other speakers have used the powers of the office to impose party discipline. But Pérez, they say, mishandled the public records controversy and is an especially demanding leader.
Assemblyman Tony Mendoza concedes that he has felt the speaker’s wrath.
The Artesia Democrat’s office allocation was cut by about $80,000 last December when Pérez demoted him from Rules Committee member to alternate. Mendoza declined to discuss why, saying simply, “things happen for a reason, it’s only obvious.”
Mendoza, a five-year legislative veteran, said Pérez is aggressive with Democrats in imposing his will on key votes – sometimes demanding caucus unanimity when it isn’t necessary.
“I’ve worked with a few other speakers, and I don’t think they’ve taken it to this extreme,” Mendoza said.
Robin Swanson, Pérez’s spokeswoman, said he operates honorably within an Assembly system that has existed for decades. He was elected speaker by members from both parties and bases his decisions on public benefit, she said.
“The speaker makes decisions about who will serve in positions of leadership and chair committees in the Assembly based on what he thinks is best for the people of California,” Swanson said.
I think it is time to cut those purse strings. Just another example of why this state is in trouble and John Q Public just continues to pay the bill.
Sorry, the Lake Tahoe News can’t print what I really think about this.
Progressive Liberals have run this state into the ground and we need to find ways to protect the important stuff like Lake Tahoe and it’s environmental value.
The GREED and ARROGANCE of the political class is CRIMINAL.
Those darn Repubs using money to
control their colleagues. No
wonder we are going downhill.
What we need is some honest Demos
to run things.
It is amazing to see how the politicians have become so corrupted by their greed.
Since so much of the tax payers money is spent by these thieves it is damaging Tahoe too.
As California goes into the septic tank for the long haul Lake Tahoe needs to find new support from the private small business people. The big business is just focused on their interests.
Geo-tourism needs to get a better foothold and more of the digital industry needs to be attracted.
The California legislature (both the Assembly and Senate) has been in one party Democrat control since 1970… which curiously, was about the time California began it’s inexorable slide into the toilet. Now, 41 years later we clearly see the evidence of what their extended reign has wrought upon the once-upon-a-time “Golden State” California is officially listed as “The least hospitable state in which to do business”. It leads the nation in debt and deficits. 870,550 people moved out of state from 2005 to 2009. That’s like the whole city of San Francisco just up and left. Massive debt, massive taxes, massive regulations- all resluting in massive unemployment…California has become the laughing stock of the country.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Not that it matters, but to “Where is the turnip truck”, the last time I checked, Perez was democrat?
I believe Turnip was posting using the “sarcasm font.”
Unfortunately for California the problems created from liberal decline and institutionalized socialism in the public schools over the past 3-4 decades are so large that the state will not improve for many years.
Perhaps never.
Freedom loving need to leave.
Let the collapse happen, the remains turned into compost and then the Phoenix can rise from the ashes.
BUT REMEMBER WHO AND WHAT CAUSED THIS!
GBA
The He11 with California.
pub works tv bla bla bla