ACP Pubs

Loren Faulkner

Governor Slashes State Employee’s Salaries, Fires Others Today
July 31, 2008

July 31, 2008…He said he would do it. But what has Governor Schwarzenegger gained by laying off 22,000 temporary state employees and cutting the pay of 200,000 other state workers to the federal minimum law amount of $6.55 per hour until the Legislature passes a budget?

This reminds me of grammar school where a teacher makes the whole class stay inside during recesses because two unnamed class clowns wouldn’t own up to bringing gum to class. “You will all be punished for this!”

State employees didn’t cause the budget impasse, the lawmakers did. Why doesn’t the Governor just drop every State lawmaker’s salary to $6.55 per hour until they iron this out? Leave the innocent California State workers alone…

It may not happen anyway, because John Chiang, the State Controller, said today he is refusing to carry out the order. “People come first,” he said. This whole thing will likely end up in court.

If the pay cuts are in effect, employees will be reimbursed for the lost pay, once the budget is passed. But in the meantime, folks would have to find a way to make mortgage, car, and insurance payments, etc.

It has been reported that 30 other states, including Nevada and New York have record deficits and may have to take drastic measures to deal with them. Let’s hope they don’t look to Arnold Schwarzenegger for answers…

Posted by Loren Faulkner on July 31, 2008 | Comments (1)