Your tax dollars at work

California's legislators and governor are already the highest paid in the nation. So, naturally, they just got a raise, courtesy of the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a panel of gubernatorial appointees created when voters approved of Proposition 112 in 1990.

The gov's pay goes to $212,179 -- although Ahnold doesn't accept his salary. Legislators are up to $116,208 -- leaders in the state Senate and Assembly, including Clovis' Mike Villines, the Assembly minority leader, will get $133,639.

Attorney General Jerry Brown and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell got 5% raises; all the others got 2.75%, not quite keeping pace with inflation. But don't feel sorry for them: Legislators got a 12% boost last year, and constitutional officers got 18%.

But, hey, we're certainly getting our money's worth from Sacramento. Look at all the good work being done to solve health care problems, clean up our air, secure plentiful supplies of clean water, build a transportation system for the 21st century, revive the fading higher education system, improve public school performance ...