Wiggins to Chesbro to Migden.

It doesn't roll off the tongue quite like Tinker to Evers to Chance. And don't look for this combination to be immortalized alongside Montana and Clark and Young and Rice.

But it's looking like a sure thing in the state solid waste trifecta.

Wiggins is Pat Wiggins. During a two-year break between her last term in the state Assembly and her current term in the state Senate, the Santa Rosa Democrat was appointed to the state Intergrated Waste Management Board.

When she left the board, Wesley Chesbro, a former state senator (and before that a waste board member), was appointed to one of two vacancies. In a couple weeks, Chesbro, D-Arcata, must give up his waste board seat (again) to take up residence in the state Assembly next month.

Which brings us to Migden. That would be state Sen. Carole Migden, who lost her re-election bid in the Democratic primary in June. Her term ends in two weeks and it's widely expected that she will be appointed to the waste board.

The board oversees California's recycling efforts and enforces a state mandate to reduce landfill dumping by 50 percent. Board members are appointed by the governor, the Assembly speaker and the Senate Rules Committee, making the board a popular landing spot for jobless politicos. The current board chairwoman is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's former scheduling secretary.

Members are paid $117,800 a year and apparently have ample time to run for office.

-- Jim Sweeney