Support a Part-Time Legislature

By Travis Allen

Cut the Legislators' pay Make the Legislative Calendar shorter Shut off the Special Interests

For all that they get, all that the Legislature ever gives us are record levels of unemployment, higher taxes, and constant deficits. It is time to change all of that.

What We Need To Do:

Shorten the Legislative Calendar:

As it is now, Legislators are going up and back to from Sacramento periodically throughout the year, for just a few days at a time. Because of that, little gets done, and needed reforms are pushed to a future date. Let's cut the legislative Calendar, to bring Legislators up for just a short time each year but, in order to ensure they get things done, make them stay there during this time.

Cut Legislators' Salaries:

Right now, Legislators are paid over $100,000 per year. They're given a free car to use. And they and their families are given gold-plated insurance packages. We need to cut legislators' pay, giving them just a small amount of money. We should be paying them for their time, not giving them Full-Time pay for Part-Time work.

Shut Off the Special Interests:

We need to get rid of the perks that the Special Interests are allowed to give to the Legislators. Special interests provide legislators with free tickets to concerts and sporting events, fancy dinners and expensive gifts. It is outrageous that Lobbyists and Special Interests are allowed to give these things to Legislators.

According to the Orange County Register, "America's founders intended legislators to be farmers, workers or business leaders who took time off each year to travel to Congress or to state legislatures to perform the people's business. Legislators weren't supposed to be professional, full-time political operatives insulated from the folks back home. They were supposed to live among their constituents and represent their communities' interests."

The OC Register shares my vision for the California Legislature. The politicians created the mess we're in. And yet they're still up there, making the problem even worse. We need to make the Legislature Part-Time, to take the power away from the career politicians and the Special Interests.