FRESNO DESK - California taxpayers are outraged that a state commission last month approved disproportionately large pay increases for state legislators and other elected officials.
Paul Gann has now submitted a proposed ballot initiative that will roll back the latest government pay raises, and cap state legislators'
per diem pay. For example, a Fresno Assemblyman receives a salary of about $120,000 plus the tax-free $109 a day for living expenses while the Legislature is in session.
If Gann gets the needed signatures to qualify the ballot initiative it would be on the ballot in the year 2000.
Grassroots opposition to waste in State government began in earnest with the 1978 Proposition 13 initiative.
This is participative democracy in action. Whenever there's discussion of a City Hall public works project, or construction of a City financed sports stadium, or a school tax, California taxpayers are out front with inquiries as to benefit/cost ratios and necessity of the public expense.
Today, the taxpayers most likely to have to foot the bill are young married couples and home-owning senior citizens. Their support or
opposition can sway an election.
The Gann Citizen's Committee, out of Sacramento,was behind the 1982
passage of the Victims' Bill of Rights initiative, and backed a 1990 reapportionment initiative.
Today, the taxpayers most likely to have to foot the bill are young married couples and home-owning senior citizens. Their support or
opposition can sway an election.
The Gann Citizen's Committee, out of Sacramento,was behind the 1982
passage of the Victims' Bill of Rights initiative, and backed a 1990 reapportionment initiative.
Government is always looking for a loophole. This country was born in a tax revolt. People here will always be concerned about taxes and the government will always be looking for more tax money to build a bigger and better bureaucracy. If you want proof, just take a look at the curve-ball hidden in the agenda of the Fresno City Council this week.
Only one of its members, Ken Steitz had the good sense on Tuesday to know when to say "no" and the courage to act on that belief.
On Monday, the Diamond Group sent a letter to the City Council.
Reliable sources at City Hall informed the Fresno Daily Republican that the deal now being presented in the Diamond Group letter is materially at odds with the elements of the Cook plan the Council voted on May 5th.
The Council Four have concealed this and not made it public, It now appears, from reliable sources, the Diamond Group has, in effect rejected the Cook plan, and compromised Fresno City Hall.
In fact, under the latest Diamond Group demands, lien rights will not be permitted to be part of a stadium deal as it now stands.
The power to slap a lien on the stadium property is an essential safeguard for taxpayers of the City in case the Diamond Group and its Grizzlies baseball team decide to pull up stakes and leave town for any reason at any time.
That should be very bad news for the City Council. But, apparently it is not bad enough for a wake up call to the Council Four. Keep in mind, the Diamond Group now refuses to come up with any cash money in the stadium deal it wants.
But the Council Four who are at the core of this give-away, Mike Briggs, Garry Bredefeld, Sal Quintero, and Dan Ronquillo have no comment on these appalling revelations.
Meanwhile, it is not surprising that Briggs revealed the depth of his egregious conflict of interest when word recently lreaked to the press that he hosted an exclusive fund raiser with downtown stadium activists who presently have a stadium proposal and various contractual agreements pending with the Fresno City Council.
Briggs accepted political donations at the event from Fresno Grizzlies franchise owner John Carbray, and from the Grizzlies basebal stadium plan author, Jerry Cook, and Grizzlies stadium supporters Doug Davidian, Stebbins Dean, Octavia Diener, Bob Duncan, Jack Emerian, Claude Laval, Anne Speake, Richard Spencer, and Emory Wishon.
Briggs has taken himself out of the ball game. Not only is Briggs ethically challenged by accepting political donations from identified people who have City business pending before the Council, he may also be legally incompetent to act independently on those matters appearing on City Council agenda.
If Briggs is conflicted under the provisions of the Fresno City Charter and State law, he must abstain from every Council action addressing the Cook plan and any related stadium financing items or any contracts with the City or its sub-contractors that are subject to Council action, past, present, or future.
Briggs timely resignation from the Fresno City Council, terminating his California State Assembly candidacy, and refunding the political contributions are all quite unlikely. However, given the recent numbers of Operation Rezone investigations and conviction of a former Fresno City Council member who, incidentally, once represented Briggs District, on charges of bribery. It is appropriate for Briggs to consider his duty to the taxpayers of Fresno, the public trust they placed in him, and take appropriate steps to eliminate any conflicts
he may have.
It is time for Fresno taxpayers to consider these facts and to take appropriate action when they go the polls on June 2nd in the traditional way. On the June 2nd Ballot Mike Briggs is seeking election to the State Assembly, while Garry Bredefeld and Dan Ronquillo are asking Fresno voters to return them to yet another term on the Fresno City Council.
Ken Steitz' continuing objections to the shaky stadium deal firmly establishes this Council member as a true representative of the taxpayers of Fresno. And Steitz is not seeking re-election nor is he running for a higher office.
Steitz is principled and a man of courage who will take a stand for Fresno taxpayers and draw a line in the sand. He's the leader Fresno needs but rarely finds in City Hall or Sacramento. He can go all the way.
