A Self-Inflicted Wound For Mimi Walters

I like and respect Assemblywoman Mimi Walters very much -- but I'm puzzled by today's Buzz item reporting she decided to accept a $12,000 pay increase this on June 29 of this year, after turning it down last year.

Mimi is the front-runner in the 2008 GOP primary for the 33rd Senate District seat. Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu is also running, and OC Supervisor Chris Norby is another potential candidate. So why would Mimi give herself this self-inflicted political wound?

Mimi is personally wealthy -- she doesn't need the pay hike. She initially declined promised not to take the pay increase -- and then changed her mind.

The hit piece against her is already written: "wealthy politician breaks promise to accept pay increase she doesn't need."

Frankly, legislative pay increases don't bother me like they used to. I'm far more concerned with whether legislators' votes result in the reduction or expansion of government's size, scope and burden -- and Mimi has been a conservative leader and a strong, vocal proponent for liberty in Sacramento. But I am surprised at the poor political judgment involved in accepting a pay increase she (presumably) doesn't need.

Comments

[Taxpayerconcerns]

Jubal, thank you for this important post. Mimi Walters promised to curb government spending. Now, here she is accepting a $12,000 pay increase after turning it down last year. This is hypocrisy. I don't want a State Senator like that representing me in my district.

You mention Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu as also running for the 33rd Senate District. Councilman Sidhu has consistently looked out for the interests of the taxpayers from what I've seen. That's the type of Senator that we need in Sacramento. Someone who will protect our interests and stay true to the promise of curbing government spending.

Thanks, again, Jubal, for bringing this to everyone's attention.

[Seneca]

Mimi Walters has had a long and very distinguised record of standing up for limited government and watching out for taxpayers, I thing it is very foolish to take one example and label her a big spender.

[Irony]

Rather ironic info given all the heat some of the other lawmakers took on this issue last May. See:

http://www.ocblog.net/ocblog/2005/05/daucher_spitzer.html

OC Blog: Daucher, Spitzer Thumbs Up... DeVore Thumbs Down!

[Andy Favor]

I admit that I too like Mimi. However, she is not perfect. I do not see voting against Chuck DeVore's Industrial Hemp Bill, and voting against letting charities hold a casino night once per year, as exactly standing up for limited government.

In the interest of fairness I will give Mimi credit for one thing that is actually huge. I have not actually read the details, but the way Pat Bates described it, apparently Mimi has pushed through the equivalent of a Federal Schedule H-(Household Employees)for California. If it is what I think it is, this will help solve one of the biggest areas a taxpayer non compliance and one of the biggest things that caused political appointees not to be confirmed if you remember back to the days before schedule H was created.

[Consistency!]

at least Daucher isnt going to take the pay raise!

[Obviously]

It would be hard for her to accept it, considering she's no longer an Assemblywoman.

Jubal,

Mimi promised nothing. She never sent out a press release when she declined the raise. She never attempted to capitalize on the fact that she had declined the raise that all other Members of the Legislature received. She quietly declined the raise until the voters reelected her. She simply wanted to wait until the voters reaffirmed their selection of her as their State Assemblywoman and her performance in that role before she accepted the increase.

"The Buzz" this morning highlighting Todd Spitzer and Mimi Walters might more appropriately have been headlined, "Much Ado About Nothing". As Jubal then focused on Mimi Walters, I phoned her Sacramento office to find out what I might be missing in this seemingly manufactured issue. According to her Chief of Staff, Mimi never even sent out a press release heralding her protest action on the raise (which came right after her and Todd's first term election to the Assembly)and she certainly never "PROMISED" to anyone that she would never accept the raise nor did she use this action in any way to promote her own candidacy.

I can't help but comment to the individual promoting Henry Sidhu in a prior post, that we are not yet judging candidates on the basis of what they are willing to kick-back of their salaries to the taxpayers. If we do, we will most certainly end up getting "what we pay for."

Posted by "Barlite".

[Jubal]

My mistake. You are correct that Mimi never promised not to take the raise. Loking back through the archives, I believe she was one of the OC legislators who didn't respond to inquiries as to whether or not they'd take the pay hike.

But that doesn't address my larger point: why take the pay increase and lay herself open to a hit piece?

Jubal,

When was the last time you declined a pay raise? Do you not have a family to support? Do you not think that it is an increased burden to keep two residences -- one in the Capital and one in the district?

Isn't the pay increases that Legislators receive intended to compensate them for the increased cost of living and the cost of maintaining two residences? Are we suggesting that only people who have money to throw-away and who can decline every raise should run for elected office at the state level? Is this really what you want?

[Jubal]

Whoa! Maybe you should go back and re-read my post and my comment. I'm not the enemy here.

I don't care if Mimi accepts a pay increase -- my point is why, from a political standpoint, accept a pay increase she doesn't need financially?

Are you saying she needs the money?

Who is "Taxpayerconcerns" and why does he suggest that State Legislators who are required to live in two places decline raises in their salaries?

How many raises has he declined?

Have you talked to Mimi's family, or to any other family of a State Legislator who accepted the pay increase, to determine if they truly "need" the raise. Until then, it is not appropriate to judge.

[Stop digging]

I suspect the anonymous commenter is a pro-Mimi reader attempting to defend his/her friend/boss.

While I admire the intention behind it, you aren't doing Mimi any favors by continuing to re-hash the issue, making excuses for Assemblymember Walters and antagonizing Jubal.

Jubal's post was pretty sympathetic to Walters. If he was anti-Walters, he'd have slammed her like he did DeYoung. There's nothing wrong with some friendly criticism.

So here's friendly advice from a Walters fan: lay down your shovel and stop digging this hole any deeper.

As a friend of Jubal's, you comments are appreciated, but not completely necessary. Mimi has acted in a completely respectful manner. Jubal knows that Mimi has acted in a honorable and respectful manner. I suspect that he is just playing the "Devil's Advocate." But, there is no requirement that anyone allow that commentary to take place without comment.

[Elroy El]

I doubt this issue is the "self inflicted" wound you make it.

Any future opponent of Mimi's who would make compensation an issue would risk having voters eyes glaze over reading a mailer of that type.

If Norby is the one who makes that an issue, I would say he should be prepared to accept working as a state senator for a lower level than his peers. Should he be elected.

I sort of enjoy the prospect of Norby facing off with Walter's. He'll find out Mimi is a bit more formidable opponent than either Cynthia Coad or Rose Espinoza.

[Bladerunner]

Lots of spin here....had she been honest about it she would have said she would accept the raise after the voters "reaffirmed" her as the assemblymember and not before. Otherwise it appears she waited until after the election to take the raise so as to avoid any negative flak.

While I've opposed raises in the past when they havent gotten a budget passed in time and spent most of their time pissing in each others sandboxes this actually was a productive year and they probably do deserve a raise. But please, spare us the tears about how they need the money. They're well paid, get per diems, often work only 3 day weeks, get auto leases and health care, and no one is forcing them to take the job.

By tehy way, no one has adequately answered Jubal's question of why the hell she did it.

[Pete Fundy]

As one of OC's leading conservative commentators, I am taking a lot of heat defending Walters here in the OCLegend.Com offices this morning. The LIBERALS that I'm surrounded by keep sending me e-mails using an incorrect spelling of Mimi's name ("Me!Me!"), and quite frankly, I find it all as offensive as does the anonymous staffer who is posting from Sacramento.

I'm not even sure what office Mimi holds, but we need her conservative voice in California right now. We can live without Spitzer, but we need Mimi.

Warmly yours,
Pete Fundy
Senior Editorial Writer
OCLegend.Com