January 14, 2011 California Cell Phones

Governor Jerry Brown’s first executive order is to eliminate half of the state-paid cell phones:  48,000.  And that’s only HALF!  And by eliminating 48,000 cell phones, the budget will be cut by $20 million per year.  I didn’t realize that my state taxes were being used to pay for state workers to call their wives or boyfriends or kids.  Or to play Solitaire and surf the web and search for the nearest coffee hutch with the Starbucks App.  Had I known this, I would have been pretty pissed off.  And if 48,000 cell phones are being recalled, that still means there are still another 48,000 still out there!

What a rip-off that California tax-payers are paying for state employee cell phones.  What else are we paying for?  Meals?  Laptops?  Why can’t state employees pay for their own cell phones and then highlight those calls on their bills that are work related?

And it’s not just the state that is abusing taxpayer money.  Cities, Counties, Water agencies and other utilities are using taxes and rate-payer money for employee perks.  There was a local scandal last year when it was discovered, at the same time that water rates were going up and new cars were on the budget to be purchased, that water agency employees were using their agency-owned cars for personal use.  A water agency car was seen at the boat arena towing a boat for a day of water skiing or fishing.  And I’ve frequently seen a water agency truck in the chiropractor parking lot.  This is clearly an abuse of rate-payer funds.

Regarding California’s budget, maybe the Governor could eliminate some of the boards and commissions?  Some are important and I believe they should be strengthened (e.g. the Fair Political Practices Commission).  Others, however, don’t seem to be providing a very big bang for the tax payer bucks we’re paying.  For instance, why do we need both a Children and Families Commission AND a Child Development Policy Advisory Commission?  It sounds like there’s some overlap there.  And who are they advising?  And why do we need a Board of Chiropractic Examiners?  Or a Horse-Racing Board?  Or a State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology?   I don’t want to pay for any of these.  It seems like some industries have been cherry-picked for government oversight.  Some industries are more “dirty” than others—but chiropractors?  Barbers?  Give me a break.  If any industry needs to have oversight, it should be government and utilities!