HispanicVista Columnists
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By
Raoul Lowery Contreras
Mexican and Mexican American farm workers in the California Central and
Politicians not only earn more money than hardworking farm workers of any
ethnicity, they steal more.
Two examples come to mind, one Democratic former State Senator and Governor
Gray Davis’ Finance Director Steve Peace who earned over $125,000 as Finance
Director and his unqualified wife who served as a Waste Management Board
Davis appointee who also earned over $125,000 a year.
The other example is in office today and he is Republican California State
Senator George Runner (Republican-17th District) and his wife,
former elected Assembly woman Sharon Runner who double-dipped over $200,000
just between 2005 and 2008 according to The California Assembly Rules
Committee and the California State Senate Daily File. While wife
Senator Runner and his wife represented districts in the Greater Los Angeles
Area. The Legislature pays a "per diem" to cover member "
Senator Runner and Assembly member Sharon Runner presumably shared the same
residence in
Adding the Runners’ annual pay of $190,582 (it was higher -- $232,000 - when
Mrs. Runner served in the assembly) and their $283.72 daily “per diem” Mr.
and Mrs. Runner averaged over $300,000 a year between 2005 and 2008. During
that time, Mr. and Mrs. Central-San Joaquin Valley farm worker earned an
average of $31,313, if both worked on a farm – one tenth of double-dipping
elected public servants Mr. and Mrs. George Runner.
Senator Runner is currently a candidate for the California State Board of
Equalization Republican nomination for District 2 which covers most of
In another interesting twist, Senator Runner, who has been in office for the
past seven years, has been identified by State Senate official documents as
a "Full Time Legislator" for those seven years. Now, however, that he is
being term limited out of the Senate and is running for the California Board
of Equalization-- the elected body that oversees state tax policy and
collection -- Senator Runner, the former "full time legislator" has changed
his ballot designation to "tax payer advocate."
Objective political observers note that between his double dipping of "per
diem" with his wife, his change from "full time legislator" to "tax payer
advocate" he has two hurdles that the Senator may find hard to overcome.
Let me add another hurdle. Just as this writer was incensed that former
State Senator and Director of Finance Steve Peace and his wife engorged
themselves at the “Public Trough” for almost twenty years the very idea that
another engorged political couple can even think of extending their years at
the “Public Trough” it is my duty to scream about the giant rip-off that
Senator Runner and his wife promulgated on the people of California.
Their double-dipping at the Public Trough was and is disgraceful. His
politically inspired
chameleon-like change from “Full Time Legislator” to “tax payer advocate” in
an attempt to fool Republican voters of the 2nd District of the
California Board of Equalization in the upcoming June Primary is
disgraceful, dishonest and pure political chicanery.
Candidate Runner reminds one of the venerable Mexican “politico” running for
a fifth consecutive political office. Standing on a political rally stage
sponsored by the entrenched political party he belonged to, he approached
the microphone, pointed at the young upstart running against him and his
well-known corruption and bellowed into the microphone:
“Who would you rather steal your money, me or someone you don’t know?”
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Republican voters are called to arm themselves with their vote and run
to the sound of the guns in June and vote against champion double-dipper
Senator George Runner, termed-out legislator.
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