THE BIG RIP-OFF: $1.6 MILLION COST PER CALIFORNIA LEGISLATOR
California state legislators are already overpaid at $99,000 per year. But with extra living expense money, a car allowance, staff salaries and office and travel expenses, it costs taxpayers more than $400,000 annually to keep each lawmaker in office. When you divide the legislature's $197 million budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30 by 120 lawmakers -- 80 Assembly members and 40 senators -- it comes out to more than $1.6 million per politician annually. What a rip-off.