For those who were concerned about what would happen to Carole Migden now that she has been ousted from her 3rd District state Senate seat by former Assemblyman Mark Leno, worry no more. Even in the face of a $11.5 billion budget deficit, Sacramento has a way of taking care of its own.
Migden has just landed a seat on the Integrated Waste Management board, a state government job that pays $132,178 a year.
Reportedly at the urging of new Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger officially named Migden, a San Francisco Democrat, to the high-paying seat today.
Like it or not, the Integrated Waste Management Board has often served as a holding place to former state legislators, former staff members and even family members of politicans who are waiting to run for office or waiting for something better to come along.
During the June primary, Migden was turned out by district voters, including southern Sonoma County, who had clearly had it with her behavior including her erractic driving and reckless oversight of campaign spending. Migden, if you remember, was fined a record $350,000 earlier this year for campaign finance violations.
So why exactly do Steinberg and Schwarzenegger believe the public is going to support their decision to put Migden in this position? It's not clear. Given that Migden is not exactly an expert on waste management, one's left to wonder what other kind of deal was made here.
So let's see. Sacramento needs to cut between $5 billion and $8 billion from its budget . . . Any suggestions?
- Paul Gullixson
The North Coast owns a seat on Integrated Waste Management board. Every one of our termed out legislators has got to sit there till the next office opened up. It was very generous of them to give it up to the unelectable Midgen, who will probably stay till death. Tough luck Evans and Huffman, you'll have to find real jobs when you get termed out.
Please now Midgen, remember while of the board, task number one is keeping California Wine bottles out of the State Bottle Redemption Program. Good for the bottle and good for the can...we're talking about water bottles and beer cans, be a darn local nuisance tacking a dime deposit onto a $20 bottle of wine!
What do you expect from one loser,Gov. Arnold to another loser Carole.
Wait till the Gov gets termed out wonder what committee he will serve on.?