As the State of California continues to deal with a $40 billion budget deficit, the Democrat leadership declined to agree with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to decrease their own legislative budgets by 10%.

As noted in the Sacramento Bee, "Schwarzenegger called on lawmakers to cut their expenses as a show of leadership while state programs are being cut and tax hikes proposed. 'I think to ask the people to sacrifice and for them [state legislators] not to sacrifice at all...is not really right,' said the governor."  

While the governor's office has cut its budget by $700 million, the Republican legislative leadership agreed.  "If you are going to ask an employee of the state of California to take a pay cut, then it should apply to everybody who gets a paycheck from the state,"  said Senate Republican leader Dave Cogdill.

The Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines "noted that the Republican budget proposal introduced last month calls for legislators to receive a 5 percent pay cut. ...  Villines said he would agree to cut the legislative budget by 10 percent, including reducing staff members' salaries."  

As Republicans continue to show leadership in this budget negotiations, the Democrat leadership continues to propose more tax increases, by refusing to even cut their own expenses.    

Entire article: California Legislative Leaders Prepared to Cut Own Budgets