Bass turns down per diem

One day after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized legislators for contjning to draw their daily $170 per diem, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said that she will no longer accept the payments when the state is without a budget.
Her statement:
"If stopping per diem payments is what it takes to focus the Governor his attention on getting the votes for the budget, I'm happy to do it," said Bass. "The notion that Assembly Democrats aren't working overtime to get the budget passed is ludicrous. We've had budget votes, negotiated in good faith, and have a responsible, balanced solution that protects education and the safety net."
`"What the Governor needs to focus on is his ability to use his political muscle to get votes from his own party to pass a budget," said Bass. "Democrats have worked with him and have compromised as far as we can. It's time for him to stop the finger pointing at the Legislature and roll up his sleeves and show some leadership."