Rankled by raises

Re “State pay hikes are withdrawn,” April 23

It is becoming more clear each day in California that politicians care only about themselves. It’s also nice to know that after the news leaked about the pay raises, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Minority Leader Michael Villines thought they were a “mistake.”

What kind of people are we electing? Are Bass and Villines aware that the unemployment rate has skyrocketed and most people feel lucky to even have a job? Everyone I know is worried about the future. Many companies have slashed pay, benefits and expenses.

Don’t worry, Speaker Bass, we will suffer while you and your staff work to save this great state from ruin.

Mary Cifuentes

Glendale

After months of partisan political wrangling, the Democratic and Republican leadership in the Assembly finally reached an agreement on a budget issue: pay raises for their staffs amid a recession and a monster state deficit.

Most disturbing is that the politicians who crafted this boondoggle did not have the intellect or the political awareness to identify the raises as improper long before they became public. Only after they’ve been slammed by massive public outcry do we see these leaders become enlightened enough to acknowledge their “mistake.”

The fate of the state is still in the hands of these so-called leaders, and I find no cause for hope given this fact.

Mike Post

Winnetka