Unable Abel

New Light Gov. Abel Maldonado is proving to be as amusing as I hoped he would be. Having provided the key vote to the record $13 billion 2009 tax increase that has slammed California’s economy, unemploying tens of thousands, he naturally used his inaugural address to talk about jobs:

Immediately following my swearing-in this afternoon as California’s 47th Lieutenant Governor, I convened a meeting with regional economic development leaders statewide to let them know how important it is that their needs are met and to communicate that spurring jobs, and creating a prepared, skilled work force are my highest priorities.

Actually, raising taxes is his highest priority. By doing so — by selling out the people of California, to whom he pledged he wouldn’t raise taxes — he certainly helped one tax-paid person: himself. (Don’t people take solemn pledges seriously anymore? If he couldn’t in good conscience keep his pledge, he should have resigned.)

His tax-increase vote last year came with a new pledge: fealty to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a reward, he was promoted to a higher-paying position. And who knows? If Arnold leaves office early to join the Obama regime, Abel then would become governor.

Unable Abel again:

California families have worked hard over the past two years to put food on the table, provide for their children, pay their mortgages and live within their means to survive the current recession. I have been tremendously moved by the stories I have heard about the second and third jobs people are taking so that their households stay afloat.

Yeah — Californians have worked really hard to pay the massive taxes Unable Able imposed on us.

Unable Abel:

Now that our economy is showing signs of recovery, now is the time to act to stimulate the economy and help households who have been hard hit.

But it isn’t recovering. In March, California unemployment zoomed up to the highest level ever, 12.6 percent.

And government doesn’t “stimulate” the economy (except by shifting tax money to political hacks like Abel). The only way government can help the economy is by reducing itself and getting out of the way.

I wonder who writes this stuff for Abel. It just be Arnold’s staff. They must be chuckling that Abel would spout this kind of hypocritical stuff. At least when Arnold says the same thing, you can see that twinkle in his eye that says, I’m know I’m conning you. You know I’m conning you. But isn’ this fun?

— John Seiler