EDITORIAL MUSICAL CHAIRS.IF you take a look at the candidates running for state office this year, it's clear that even though some titles might change in Sacramento, little else will. The same old career politicians are merely hoping to swap jobs with one another. Some of this is standard promotional stuff -- professional pols trying to claw their way up the ladder as they always have. The state's controller and treasurer, Steve Westly Steven Paul Westly (born August 27, 1957, in Arcadia, California) is an American businessman and politician. He was the State Controller of California from 2003 to 2007 and was one of the top two candidates in the Democratic primary for Governor of California in the 2006 election. and Phil Angelides Philip Nicholas "Phil" Angelides (IPA: æn.dʒε.'lid.ɪs) (born June 11, 1953 in Sacramento, California), is a California politician who was California State Treasurer and the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor of California in the 2006 elections. , are running for governor. And a slew of active and former legislators are seeking to upgrade to statewide posts. Then there are the pols who aren't so much trying to move up as to hang on. Jerry Brown For the whistleblower, see . Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. (born April 7, 1938), is the Attorney General for the state of California. Brown has had a lengthy political career spanning terms on the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees (1969-1971), as California , who was governor from 1975 to 1983 and is currently the mayor of Oakland, now wants to come back to Sacramento -- as attorney general. The current attorney general, Bill Lockyer William Westwood "Bill" Lockyer (born May 8, 1941) is the current State Treasurer of California. Prior to this, he served as California's Attorney General and head of the Department of Justice for the U.S. state of California. , is seeking a lateral move into the state treasurer's office. Cruz Bustamante, our incumbent lieutenant governor lieutenant governor n. Abbr. Lt. Gov. 1. An elected official ranking just below the governor of a state in the United States. 2. The nonelective chief of government of a Canadian province. , is pursuing a demotion de·mote tr.v. de·mot·ed, de·mot·ing, de·motes To reduce in grade, rank, or status. [de- + (pro)mote. -- from the state's No. 2 to its insurance commissioner. And the man Bustamante hopes to replace as insurance commissioner, John Garamendi, is running for Bustamante's soon-to-be former office. The job-swapping extends to the Legislature. Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Fernando, is battling Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla for the state Senate seat of Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys. As for Alarcon, he's running for Montanez's old seat in the Assembly. This is the ugly side of term limits -- political musical chairs. Having grown accustomed to the perks of elected office, incumbents will take whatever job they can to stay in the game and on the payroll. Still, it's an improvement over the old system, where the same pols held the same posts in perpetuity Of endless duration; not subject to termination. The phrase in perpetuity is often used in the grant of an Easement to a utility company. in perpetuity adj. forever, as in one's right to keep the profits from the land in perpetuity. . At least now they have to apply for a new title every few years, and eventually, when they're term-limited out of every attainable position, they have to return to the private sector and make room for some fresh blood. Their desperate need to hang on may be a little pathetic, but have pity on them. They're only politicians. |
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