When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ripped legislators Wednesday for taking time off despite the budget crisis, or earning per diem while making no progress on a deal, there's one thing he forgot to mention: The governor squeezed in three fundraising events last week – two in Sacramento, one in the Bay Area – despite the state's failure to pass a spending plan.
WORTH REPEATING
"At a certain point things become ridiculous. And I think we are at that point."
GAVIN NEWSOM, San Francisco mayor and Democrat, opining on the the state budget stalemate
BUDGET STANDOFF Day 68
The state Senate on Friday converted a planned budget session to a "check-in" session, which means most senators will get $170 in per diem without really meeting. They'll get it all weekend, too, even though no session is scheduled until Monday. A week ago, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said the upper house would meet every day until a budget is approved.
