Wesson’s Buddy System

California Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson is far from the first politician to put friends and allies on the public dole as “consultants,” but he may have the worst timing. The Culver City Democrat’s generosity with taxpayers’ money comes to light amid talk of slashing community college offerings, raising fees, laying off teachers and cutting services to meet a state budget shortfall that could reach $35 billion through the next fiscal year.

Spending $350,000 on consulting contracts for half a dozen political allies makes barely a ripple in the shortfall. But its effect on public confidence in the Legislature is immeasurable.

Astoundingly, the contracts, paid for from the Assembly’s $114-million budget, require no legislative approval or oversight. The Times used public records laws to obtain copies of them. But Wesson refused to provide many details, saying he “would not and should not share” what his consultants do, never mind that the public pays the bills.

Beneficiaries of Wesson’s largess weren’t much more forthcoming. Until his consultant contract expired in March, Martin Ludlow, a onetime Los Angeles City Council candidate and Wesson’s former deputy chief of staff, made $8,470 a month. In six invoices, Ludlow listed these identical, vague explanations: Legislative consulting. Constituent outreach. Infrastructure development and district office management support.

Former Assemblyman Mike Briggs, a Fresno Republican who sided with Democrats on a critical budget vote last year, merely wrote “consulting on horse racing” to justify his $8,250-a-month pay. Others on the Wesson dole: Tony Cardenas, a Los Angeles city councilman-elect and former assemblyman; former Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin; Alice Huffman, former California Teachers Assn. lobbyist; and Pasadena City Councilman Chris Holden, son of L.A. City Councilman Nate Holden, Wesson’s friend and former boss, who has hired his share of “consultants.”

Wesson’s predecessors have done the same, although not always so blatantly. Former Speaker Bob Hertzberg gave his predecessor, now City Councilman-elect Antonio Villaraigosa, a $99,000-a-year seat on the California Medical Assistance Commission. All-powerful speakers like Jesse “Big Daddy” Unruh and Willie “Ayatollah of the Assembly” Brown richly earned their nicknames.

The best that can be said of Wesson’s mistiming is that it may so outrage voters that they will call for change -- for legislative approval and oversight to accomplish what shame apparently can’t.