Governor’s Chief of Staff, other aides get huge bonus for political work

From the Los Angeles Times:

Four senior aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger were paid nearly a quarter-million dollars in bonuses for political work they performed during the governor’s race – money that came from insurers, oil companies, real estate developers and other private interests that contributed to the governor’s campaign. Chief of staff Susan Kennedy received a $100,000 bonus as a reward for the time she devoted to Schwarzenegger’s reelection bid, the governor’s office said Friday. With that bonus, Kennedy has collected $323,500 in campaign and taxpayer money in her year as Schwarzenegger’s top aide.

Now that big Corporations are greasing the palms of people in our Government, small business and everyday citizens no longer stand much of a chance to influence the policies of this administration. Maybe the Governor should give them another bonus for doing their normal administrative duties- or better yet, dock their pay for all the things they ignored while they were playing politics. Like for example, responding to letters written to them by ordinary citizens.