Don’t let the door hit you in the…

Katy Grimes: With the Sacramento politicians taking a break from their jobs at the Capitol, I too decided that a break was in order. A long weekend camping in beautiful Lake Tahoe with my husband and dogs sounded like just the ticket.

However, the more I thought about my break and the state lawmakers taking time off, I got irritated.

There is a big difference.

I actually do the job I was hired to do. If I don’t, I will be replaced. It‘s really is that simple.

I thought of this as we drove around the lake. The roads greatly improved once we crossed into Nevada from California – they widened, and smoothed out. Nevada roads appear to be maintained, while California’s roads are in deplorable shape. And it was painfully obvious.

Lawmakers are not doing their jobs. In fact, the most important aspect of their job remains undone – the budget is 65 days late.

Democrats blame Republicans. Republicans blame Democrats. But all of them were elected to keep the state running, budget and all. They are doing a lousy job, and still are well-compensated.

Instead of being replaced, they get paid. Instead of getting their pay withheld, they withhold the pay of their employees. They aren’t paying their vendors – small businesses that do business with the state.

You see how truly backwards this is?

Only a few politicians have come out publicly to protest the process. Instead, they continue to take their pay, and now are taking vacations as well…paid vacations. And they campaign for reelection or another office, instead of going home in shame.

Taxpayers should be outraged. Think about it. Do you have a boss that allows any part of your job to remain incomplete or not done for 65 days, and still take a vacation? Would your boss even allow you to perform below expectations, still pay you and give you a paid vacation?

Everyone really knows that politicians are the biggest entitlement jobs in the state. There is no downside to their jobs – no pay withheld or even reduced for poor performance, no demands from their boss that the work get done – or else! Only the taxpayers lose -we pay regardless of the quality of politicians’ performance. And we seem to pay even more, the worse they perform.

It’s a game in Sacramento, and a really distasteful one at that. Most other jobs have some form of accountability.

Politicians claim that accountability comes to them through elections. But the game is that the bigger the money is, from labor unions, really big business, and the uber-rich, the more deaf politicians are to constituents, and the better their hearing gets when those same special interests come calling.

Politicians are big shots on other people’s money. They acquire the big offices, “company” cars and drivers, expense accounts, and even have groupies – in the form of lobbyists, just dying to give them money. And the many vacations, every year, whether they’ve accomplished anything or not.

Voters really should be outraged. We find ourselves groveling to politicians, begging for services, decent roads, parks, and schools, when it should be the other way around.  The tail is wagging the dog right now.

Pay attention, so that this November we can replace the first wave of politicians with an emphatic, “Don’t let the door hit you in the rear on your way out.”