As if she was reading from Ralph Nader's new book, Only the Super Rich Can Save Us , Meg Whitman has come down from her ivory tower to inform the plebes that she will not be accepting the governor's salary.
How generous of her. She's worth a billion, give or take a couple hundred million, and she's willing to pass on the $200 K or so. Incidentally, the Bee has it on good authority that Tom Campbell will accept the salary (he's not a billionaire, you know) and Poizner (who is) will also accept the salary.
Why do we need to know this? Perhaps so that we can feel just how small we really are. It's certainly not to solve any budget problems, as the amount of money won't by itself really break the budget one way or the other. No, this is a gesture that says to the people of California that she is making a big sacrifice to take this job, and that we should be thrilled to have her experience and ill-informed judgment to save us.
For the record, I'll be happy to pay a governor for the work he does. We got the last one on the cheap, as Arnold isn't accepting a salary either, and look what that got us. Sometimes you get what you pay for. And trust me, it'll be worth it to pay the cash for a governor who has a clue about the problems facing the state, can reasonably discuss the issues, and isn't there to shock doctrine the state.
Don't do us any favors, Meg Whitman. |
