Just as "Patriotism is the Last Refuge of a Scoundrel" According to Samuel Johnson, Vetoing Progressive Legislation and Calling Them "Job Killers"...

Statement

Just as "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" according to Samuel Johnson, vetoing progressive legislation and calling them "job killers" is "a big lie!"

Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed four bills in one fell swoop and labeled them "job killers." This is a convenient line, straight out of the Chamber of Commerce, which uses it whenever they don't like an idea.

This is The Contra Costa Times take on this phrase in June:

JOB KILLERS? Chamber of commerce blasts 32 pending pieces of legislation as "job killers."

The lowdown: Anything that might remotely cost a business money was included -- even if it might be good for the environment, good for consumers or good for workers.

This fits yesterday's bills he killed:

AB 675 by Asssemblymember Johan Klehs the Honest Corporate Tax Reporting Actl that would have protected taxpayers and investors alike. The bill would have required corporations to explain to the California Franchise Tax Board any differences between profits reported to state tax authorities and those reported to shareholders. This commonsense bill would have prevented corporations from underreporting profits to the state and from overstating profits to shareholders. Do corporations have to cheat the state for us to have jobs?

AB 1884 by Assemblymember Judy Chu This bill grants eligibility for Unemployment Insurance benefits to workers who are prevented by their employers from entering the worksite during a trade dispute. Do workers have to starve when their employer locks them out for them to have jobs? Does this foster good jobs? Does it make any sense?

AB 2209 by Assemblymember Fran Pavley 1)Prohibits an agreement between an employer and an employee that prevents the employee from filing a claim for unemployment compensation benefits, and 2) Requires an employer that has engaged in fraud or misconduct to pay compensation to affected employees equal to the amount of lost unemployment benefits. Vetoed according to the Governor because the bill fails to define "fraud, misrepresentation or misconduct," leaving the statute open to abuse. What part of fraud, misrepresentation, or misconduct do you not understand? Do workers have to sign agreements to forego unemployment benefits in order to have jobs?

AB 2555 by Assemblymember Jenny Oropeza on pay equity for women. In 2002 the United States Census Bureau reported that American women working full-time, year-round earned on average only $76.6 for every dollar earned by full-time working men. A General Accounting Office report on women's earnings show that there exists an inexplicable wage gap of approximately 20% even after taking into account work experience, education, occupation, industry of current employment, and other demographic and job characteristics. Veto message? "the provisions of this bill will do little more than increase frivolous litigation." Translation to women: Be thankful you have a job and get back to work. If you insist on too much, you'll kill the goose that laid the egg.

The same label of "job killer" was applied to prior attempts to raise the state's minimum wage—but this is now inoperative because of political imperatives of the Governor. But the label lives on and will probably be used again before the end of the September period to sign or veto legislation. It was undoubtedly used in Hiram Johnson's time, with different words, to try to stop the great progressive reforms made at the turn of the last century. Talk about taking us backwards—to the century before that in our race to the bottom as a state.

Source