Posted on 03/28/2005 8:47:37 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Sacramento -- Thinking about heading to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew your registration? Or going to a Franchise Tax Board office for help on a tax return?
Don't go on Thursday. The doors to state offices will be locked for the holiday honoring Cesar Chavez. It's one of 13 official holidays that 200,000 state employees enjoy, along with a floating paid personal day that can be taken at their pleasure.
But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating two state holidays, eventually saving the state $17.6 million annually.
"We're looking to achieve savings large and small," said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state Department of Finance. "It's both an effort to achieve savings and to align ourselves in terms of what we see with most businesses in California."
Which holidays would get the ax would be decided during the collective bargaining process, although Palmer said they won't take away Christmas. About half of state employees' contracts have already expired or are up this year, with the rest expiring in 2006.
The 14 paid holidays the state Department of Personnel Administration says state workers are entitled to surpass the average of 11 given by private employers. City and county government employees in California average 12 days off; federal employees have 10.
In addition to eliminating two holidays, the administration also wants to be able to furlough state workers for up to five days during the year. That is on top of the radical changes in public employee pensions proposed by Schwarzenegger. He is advocating moving from a defined benefit system to a 401(k)-style plan.
Employee unions believe they are being unfairly attacked with proposals that don't really solve the state's fiscal problems.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Dang, I didn't know California state employees had Ted Kennedy's birthday off...
Cesar Chavez Day is a "floater".
Bookmark
Two high religious holidays.
What strikes me about Cesar Chavez day is that it's always March 31, no matter what. Even Slain Civil Rights Leader Doctor Martin Luther King Junior / Civil Rights Day is rounded up to the nearest Monday.
So they celebrate Cesar Chavez's birthday on the actual date rather than moving it to a Monday? There are very few holidays that still rate that treatment--like Christmas (Jesus' birthday) and January 1st (Barry Goldwater's birthday). I guess Californians can tell themselves that the new holiday for a leftist is balanced by the old holiday for a rightwinger (even if Goldwater did become more liberal in his old age).
Oh Boo-Hoo!
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Go, Arnold!
Was it Veteran's Day that was nixed to make room for it as a major paid holiday?
OHHHHHHH!!!!!! THE HUMANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a conservative Californian I cheer the idea.
"The holiday (Cesar Chavez) will be celebrated on March 31, or the appropriate Monday or Friday following or preceding that date."
Bump
How magnanimous of them!
The state workers will still be paid for those two days; the main difference is that they will be at work. In that sense, this proposal won't directly solve fiscal problems.
With two extra work days/year, will productivity increase enough (say, 1%) to let go of a few state employees (or not hire new ones)? Now, that might save a little money.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.