I Just Read This on Flashreport...

Capitol Alert just posted an article about Sen. Abel Maldonado naming the price of buying his vote for the largest tax increase in state history:

1. A blanket primary in which the top two vote-getters make the general election.
2. Denial of per diem to legislators if they don't pass a budget on time.
3. A ban on legislative per diem and pay increases in budget deficit years.
4. Removing unspecified pork from the budget package.

Gosh, can Maldonado's litany be any more transparently self-serving?

Abel wants to run statewide in 2010, and knows that voting for a $14 billion tax hike makes him a dead-candidate-on-a-stick in a closed GOP primary. Apparently, he believes he'd fare better as a tax-hiker in a blanket primary -- although I think he'd be just slightly-less dead meat even in that set-up.

Demands 2, 3 and 4 are intended to position Abel as a populist, non-nonsense "reformer" in said blanket primary, with the hope they'll take the edge of the tax-hike voters will be smarting from next June every time they make a purchase or fill up their car.

Capitol Alert also reported that Maldonado might discount his vote in the end for the bargain price of just one or two items on his list.

Gee, what a deal for the taxpayers.