Why is California's state government in lots of debt? A city of 36,664 with a 16% unemployment and a per capita income of $24,800 paid its council men twice of

Why is California's state government in lots of debt? A city of 36,664 with a 16% unemployment and a per capita income of $24,800 paid its council men twice of what is the salary of the POTUS[1]. I am personally opposed to capital punishment but I would not mind the strictest possible sentence to these people other than a death sentence. Perhaps suspend their drivers' license and passport and make them pay some enormous amount of money (in addition to the money they took from the government) which they cannot wipe away with a bankruptcy. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Bell_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Bell_scandal