California Treasurer Lockyer Scolds Fellow Democrats on Unsustainable Pensions and Their Inability to Fix the Problem

I missed the following video when it first became available in October 2009. In it, often-outspoken California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer is addressing members of the California state Legislature. From his comments, one might naturally assume that this is yet another broadside attack against Democrats by a partisan Republican. However, Bill Lockyer is a career Democrat politician since 1973 and has also served as California's Attorney General and as President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate.

Finally, some real honesty in government. God bless you, Bill Lockyer!

Here are a few noteable quotables.

I'm sorry, but two-thirds of the bills that I see come out of the Assembly, if they never saw the light of day, God bless it.
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Just stop it! I mean they're junk! And they're consuming all your staff time with junk!
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Nancy Reagan's right. Just say no.
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It's impossible for this Legislature to reform the pension system and if we don't, we bankrupt the state.
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And I don't think anybody can do it here because of who elected you. You're just captive of the current environment. I don't see any way out. [QUESTION: Who is the "who elected you"? Is it public-employee unions like the SEIU, teacher's union, and the prison guard union?]
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Democrats need to call out other Democrats on it. That's two-thirds of the problem (Democrats represent nearly two-thirds of the Legislature).
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In an era when we aren't going to have tax increases, give it up. Figure out how to be more efficient about spending the money we've got.
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And the Republicans can help you do that if they'll get off the philosophical "can't" about stuff and help you make things more efficient. They actually, culturally know more, and occupationally know more, about efficiencies than Democrats typically do.

Some other links.

Video: California treasurer tells legislature to get a clue
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/24/video-california-treasurer-tells-legislature-to-get-a-clue/

See also ...

Even Liberal Democrat Willie Brown Sees the Problem!
soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2010/03/even-liberal-democrat-willie-brown-sees.html