Support for Senate Bill 799 lets you know who is and who isn’t credible

Politicians will say and do whatever it takes to advance their own careers. Accordingly, it is up to a well-informed public to keep the cynical plays of politicians in check.

Senate Bill 799, introduced by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, would illogically extend unemployment benefits to striking workers. That is, workers who aren’t unemployed, but who are choosing not to work.

It’s self-evidently not possible for anyone of sound mind to think SB 799 is a sensible use of the state’s unemployment support system, especially when the obvious consequence of it is the subsidization of even further strikes.

Indeed, you’d be forgiven for thinking supporters of SB 799 are driven by a desire to destroy California’s economy.

It also appears to be a plan to completely crash California’s notoriously flawed unemployment insurance system. As the Associated Press recently noted, California’s unemployment insurance fund is already insolvent and the state has had to borrow tens of billions of dollars from the federal government to sustain it.

A smart bill SB 799 it is not. Fundamentally, SB 799 is just an effort by politicians to ingratiate themselves to Big Labor ahead of an election year.

Portantino is running for Congress to succeed Rep. Adam Schiff, who in turn is seeking to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate.

It’s the same reason one his fellow candidates for Schiff’s seat, Assemblymember Laura Friedman, D-Burbank, is co-sponsoring the legislation.

It’s why California Treasurer Fiona Ma, who is running for lieutenant governor, has come out in support of SB 799. Once upon a time, this editorial board was among those who mistakenly thought Fiona Ma was a reasonable and thoughtful leader. We regret that error.

It’s why State Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is running for governor of California, has come out in support of SB 799. This editorial board isn’t surprised about this one. Thurmond is a union puppet who has helped make California’s public education system worse.

It’s why Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is reportedly considering a run for governor, has come out in support of SB 799. This editorial board supported Bonta last year because of his prudence on criminal justice and policing matters, as well as his (at least up until then) fair handling of ballot measures. Alas, for Bonta, all reason goes out the door when Big Labor comes knocking.

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s support of Senate Bill 799 is unsurprising. Lara has excelled in California politics despite not appearing to have an actual grasp of any policy issue. The implosion of California’s insurance market on his watch was the most predictable outcome possible.

It should surprise no one that one of the big string pullers behind SB 799 is none other than former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, the champion of the job-killing Assembly Bill 5. In a classic act of cronyism, Gonzalez left the Assembly to head the California Federation of Labor.

It’s a corrupt, cynical exercise that California voters must not tolerate.

Any lawmaker involved in SB 799 needs to be voted out of office and denied election in the future.

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