Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Furlough announcement rattles many California state workers
sacbee.com ^ | Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009 | | Andrew McIntosh

Posted on 01/10/2009 1:15:33 PM PST by BenLurkin

Some were furious. Others were sad, even tearful. Many more accepted the news with graceful resignation, trying to hide their worries.

At the end of a week that brought nothing but more grim economic news, that's how dozens of state workers greeted the state personnel department's announcement that thousands of California public servants will be furloughed two Fridays a month and lose 10 percent in pay, starting Feb. 6.

None found the prospect of two three-day weekends a month appealing in the current economy.

"Sweet Jesus, help me God," sighed Jolene Deaton, a vital records staffer at the Department of Public Health who lives in West Sacramento.

Deaton fought back tears outside her downtown office building as she clutched a state memo announcing the furloughs in one hand and a sacbee.com news report about the plan in the other.

"I'm a single parent. I'm barely making it as it is," Deaton said. "It's just devastating to me. It's awful."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's furloughs aim to save the state more than $1 billion in an effort to cut a $40 billion budget deficit and avoid running out of cash. State employee unions argue that the Republican governor's plan is unconstitutional, and their lawyers have taken the governor and the state to court.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette agreed Friday to hear arguments in the case on Jan. 29.

Susan Mattson, 51, said she and her husband, Mike, who work for different offices of the Department of Employment Development's disability insurance branch, will suffer if furloughs proceed.

"We get hit twice," she complained during a walk around the state Capitol. "We didn't think it would happen."

Mattson was commiserating with two office colleagues, including Margo Hattin, 36, who was horrified by the news. Hattin just bought a home on her own.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: broke; dimocrats; money
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 last
To: BenLurkin
"The furlough is really a pay cut, and nobody likes a pay cut," Nguyen said. "But you gotta do what you gotta do to fix the budget."

Mr. Nguyen is correct, the state of California needs to do what it needs to do. I frankly find it hard to understand those people who are yelping about getting 90% of their pay instead of 0%.

81 posted on 01/10/2009 5:23:25 PM PST by snowsislander (NRA -- join today! 1-877-NRA-2000)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marajade
you know the law is the law whether you like it or not

Since when did the law matter in California? Please tell me... I MOVED OUT OF THERE THREE YEARS AGO and it was a lawless police state then.


whether you like it or not

Gavin Newsome?

82 posted on 01/10/2009 5:35:17 PM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: hunter112
She'll have two days a month she can cut her own damn grass!

But how will she afford the sombrero?

83 posted on 01/10/2009 5:36:53 PM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: gost2
Kalifornicate can drown in their own excrement for all I care. Effing commie pukes. Maybe the eastern half of that state should wake up and disassociate themselves from the coastal idiots.

Or at least wherever FREEPERS live, their should be clean islands left in the sea of crap.

84 posted on 01/10/2009 5:39:49 PM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Sir Francis Dashwood

i have people in my family who work for the state of ca. they have to by law contribute to union labors or indicate otherwise by gaining an exemption the state of ca is following the law


85 posted on 01/10/2009 5:49:22 PM PST by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: snowsislander

are you saying you wouldn’t be affected by a ten percent pay cut?


86 posted on 01/10/2009 5:50:22 PM PST by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: ROTB
As a single parent, she gets the tax benefits of filing Head of Household.

Where are the father(s) of her children> Are they paying child support?

87 posted on 01/10/2009 6:37:16 PM PST by informavoracious
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: rockabyebaby; All

My mother was a school teacher in New Jersey during the depression. She took a 10% pay cut, but because travel was so cheap she went to Europe 3 summers in a row to visit relatives there. Every Sept. she came back and lived on oatmeal until her paychecks started again.


88 posted on 01/10/2009 9:39:43 PM PST by gleeaikin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: marajade

You are quite mistaken. I really don’t care if this State implodes. I’ve paid and paid and paid for years and gotten nothing in return; and those leaches in Sacramento want still more. Enough! Let it die.


89 posted on 01/10/2009 10:14:44 PM PST by Redcloak ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: Comparative Advantage

They can’t cut benefits to illegals. Think about it, how many of those state jobs were created in the first place to provide services for the illegals? It’s a big scam. Many of the state workers are actually advocates for the rights of illegals. Maybe we should solve our problem by deporting those traitors too. If only. It would serve them right though. Those people don’t have a clue. They are surrounded by their own kind. That’s why they don’t understand.


90 posted on 01/11/2009 5:25:41 AM PST by rodeo-mamma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

The only solution is for them to quit their State jobs and apply for welfare in the State of California.


91 posted on 01/11/2009 5:30:34 AM PST by veritas2002
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marajade
And lets just forget about medicare or social security benefits.

That would be fantastic. Eliminating those benefits would be the most useful domestic policy change government has made in the last couple decades.

92 posted on 01/11/2009 5:48:19 AM PST by NittanyLion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: screaminsunshine

Much of the country is not nearly so bad off. The ulyness is not uniformly spread across the country.

The intractable moonbats need to die before there can be economic resurrection.


93 posted on 01/11/2009 5:55:10 AM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . The original point of America was not to be Europe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: bert

Give Obama a couple months. Unemployment will rise about 10% am month as businesses go under and cut back. Tax revenue will decline and there is no way out of it.


94 posted on 01/11/2009 6:13:51 AM PST by screaminsunshine (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: businessprofessor

This is the same thing that killed (or is well on its way to killing) Detroit.


95 posted on 01/11/2009 7:03:49 AM PST by SeattleBruce
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Sir Francis Dashwood

i escaped fifteen years ago. They’ve had plenty of time to flee the carnage. Remaining in the premier insanely blue state is just plain stupid.


96 posted on 01/11/2009 9:07:58 AM PST by gost2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: everyone
interesting discussions about the furlough at www.CAfurlough.com
97 posted on 01/23/2009 9:34:16 AM PST by ca-worker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson