Here we go again. California passed Proposition 25 for a budget or no pay.

Last year they did not pass a budget on time and lost their pay. This year, the Democrats filed a successful lawsuit to prevent the state controller from docking their pay if a budget is not passed on time. The suit was paid for with taxpayer dollars.

This year's budget hinges on the passage of a tax increase. This is not a budget.

The CHP Union has agreed to take a 5% cut this year, which equals about 12 days of pay, which will show on their payroll this year. However, they will be allowed to "bank" that time to take later, which means they actually get the hours back and if they get it down the road, they will be paid at a higher rate.

Both houses of legislation moved their regular Thursday session to Friday this past Memorial Day. Per diem payments continue as long as the legislature does not take a break of more than three days. This is a long-standing tradition, which cost the taxpayers over the four days of Memorial Day weekend $65,000. The per diems add about $30,000 a year to lawmaker's salaries, and all but six of the legislature's 120 lawmakers take the per diems, which are tax-free and are meant to cover the daily expenses of lawmakers who must travel to Sacramento from their district.

We are broke and our lawmakers should not be taking advantage of the per diem system when we can't even pass a budget.

The Correctional Officer's Union's annual meeting in Las Vegas this year cost taxpayers approximately $350,000. The union would like us to believe they saved money because they were given a discount on rooms and that going to Las Vegas was cheaper than holding their meeting in the state.

This is not America any more. This is the land of broken promises and broken laws.