Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave former Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, a nice parting gift. He created a job for her that pays $128,124 a year. Parra has been named director of the Governor's Regional Development Initiatives, according to this story in The Sacramento Bee.
As you'll recall, Parra endorsed Republican Danny Gilmore for her Assembly seat. Gilmore defeated Shafter's Fran Florez, the Democratic nominee, in November. You can't blame Parra for turning on her party. The Democrats, led by Speaker Karen Bass, didn't exactly embrace Parra for showing an independent streak.
The very petty speaker removed Parra from her Capitol office when she would not vote for a budget unless there was also a water bond to help the Valley. Parra was representing her district. Bass was representing politics as usual.
Parra will coordinate economic development in the Valley's economically underserved regions, according to the Sacramento Bee.
I guess the budget crisis isn't THAT serious if the Governor is handing out seats at $100K plus.That money could be going toward a choo-choo or illegal alien services or how about giving it back to a few taxpayers instead of an IOU.
Hey Arnold it was the voters not Nicole Parra they gave the seat to the GOP. She supported him yes but she had no bearing on my vote because I make my own decisions. Nothing any other politician says has any influence on me cause I don't trust any of them.
There's your regional chauvanism again. Are you able to use the name "Karen Bass" in a sentence without adding "petty"? If anything is petty, it is the silly family fued between Parra and the Florez family. As for Bass' "pettiness," you seem to think passing the budget is the State's highest priority - unless there are Valley issues or interests in the way. That's the sort of thinking that is perpetuating this logjam.
It seems that California is not too bad in political patronage either.
Mr. Boren,
Your title "Giving a seat to the GOP" reflects your political bias as the voters placed Gilmore in Parra's vacated seat, not Parra herself as Jackie already said here.
Does your bias also extend to not mentioning DEMOCRATS appointed to bogus boards with high salaries? Take termed (or voted) out Legislators John Laird, Sheila Kuehl and Carole Migden (the latter voted out for another democrat). All went from a $116K annual salary in the legislature to a $132K annual salary to work ONE DAY A MONTH on the (ironically titled) Waste Management Board. Thank you Demacrats, Senate Pro Tem Steinberg and Speaker Bass!
Does you bias not recall Fran Florez being reappointed to the High Speed Rail authority? Her "plan" is nowhere near close to being finished, was late in publishing a business plan until AFTER the last election placed a flawed yet feel good & green" bond measure on the ballot. Plus:
1. The enviromental studies are not done.
2. There is no FINAL location for WHERE the tracks will be (re-read #1)
3. Fran's "plan" assumed "sharing" the railroad right of way/private property of the UP Railroad on significant parts of HSR proposed route segments. The UP said NO!. (re-read #2)
4. There arer ZERO private investors lined up. Only state and potentially federal TAXPAYERS.
5. No one will buy a California State bond in this economy and/or due to the poor state of the States budget process, etc.
Yet Fran, the mother of Democrat State Senator Dean Florez, is once again at the public trough being rewarded for her mediocrity due to nepotism.
It looks like Ms. Lawson is right on the money with the patronage remark. According to the article, Ms. Parra doesn't even know what sort of duties the job entails. My guess is that there won't be much, other than the occasional meeting to attend. At least we know that Big Ag will be well represented.
It is ludictis to make a new job for anyone before they pass a budget. It is not a need post if we have done without it all this time unless its someone to scream at the ifiots on budget issues.
If today's political climate can serve as criteria, we could be witness to the emergence of a Sacramento Tammany. Let's hope (if such is the case) that responsible leadership can nip it in the bud. It would be too cumbersome for me to convey in this post what Tammany represents in the realm of corrupt politics and its inherent stranglehold on any given government.