Schwarzenegger ends 'Furlough Fridays'

Sacramento Bee ^ | 3/6/9 | Jon Ortiz

[SmithL]

Goodbye, "Furlough Fridays."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said Thursday that after today, state offices will stay open every Friday.

The announcement ends the state's policy of furloughing 238,000 employees on the first and third Friday of each month. Instead, they'll individually pick their furlough days with management approval. And the state's massive government will return to its regular schedule.

The policy change comes after days of uncertainty about what the administration was going to do with furloughs.

Wesley Hussey, a government professor at California State University, Sacramento, said the darkened state buildings that pressured legislators during last month's contentious budget talks are likely more of a political liability to Schwarzenegger now that the budget deal is done.

"On Fridays the area around the Capitol would have turned into a ghost town. Reporters would have kept writing about it," Hussey said. "It's harder to talk about the impact of furloughs when they're not all focused on a single day."

State offices have been closing on the first and third Fridays since Feb. 6 to comply with Schwarzenegger's cost-cutting executive order that employees take off an unpaid 16 hours per month. The furloughs are scheduled to run through June 2010.

Continuing that policy became impractical last month after Service Employees International Union Local 1000 reached a tentative agreement that pares the monthly furloughs to eight hours. The union represents 95,000 state workers, about 40 percent of the furloughed work force.

[edcoil]

I never thought he would be a worse Gov. then Davis.

I was wrong.

[GeronL]

I think California might be a lost cause

[Lancey Howard]

I think California might be a lost cause

LOL, ya think?...

[al baby]

yup just a pile of BRD

[LuxAerterna]

Overwhelming Democratic control has turned California into a dysfunctional state.

[jocko12]

I wonder if RINO Gov. learned anything.

[GeronL]

The BRD capitol of the world!...

[Chuzzlewit]

yep...lost... after all this, and our State Senate Dems will still control it..

[al baby]

Not since Kindergarten Cop

[lakertaker]

As goes California, so goes the nation

[dragnet2]

IT’S ON! REVOLT, RECALL & REPEAL!

2009 Tax Revolt is on!

Make your voice heard!

Join John and Ken Saturday March 7, from 3-6 PM Doors open at 3, live broadcast 4-6

The Slidebar Café is located in the Fullerton, California Transportation Center. Take your car, take the train or take the bus. Whatever you do take the time to come out and be heard!

Plenty of free parking

For directions http://www.kfiam640.com/pages/johnandkenshow/

Go to site to print out fliers

*********Take it to the streets*********