The word today: Focus

Judging from the "output" of Russell Pearce's mind, during the coming session of the lege, he and his caucus won't be putting forth any more real effort to address the state's fiscal crisis than they did during the last session.

From Pearce's SB1028, cosponsored by his fellow travelers Sen. Chuck Gray and Rep. Judy Burges:

Notwithstanding any other law, beginning on the effective date of this act, a city, town, county, school district or special taxing district in this state shall not spend public monies to increase the salary of any of its elected public officials during fiscal year 2009-2010 and fiscal year 2010-2011 until after this state has enacted a balanced budget for those fiscal years.

Umm...perhaps one of Sen. Pearce's friends should remind him that the is chair of the Appropriations Committee of the Arizona State Senate, and that under his leadership of that committee (and House Approps before he started his current gig), Arizona has turned into the fiscal laughingstock of the country.

As is the case with the legislature, the salaries of local and other elected officials are set by the voters. When they think that their elected officials deserve a raise, they can grant one; when they think that their elected officials don't deserve one, they can deny a raise.

It isn't Sen. Pearce's place to usurp local control of local organs of government.

His focus should be and needs to be on state-level issues. Local voters don't need his help, and in fact, his history of contempt for the constituents even in his own west Mesa district proves that no one should expect his help.

However, he should show enough courtesy to at least stay out of the way.