Posted on 05/11/2009 6:14:12 PM PDT by Starman417
I meant to post on this over the weekend as I read about this first on Friday... naturally (bury the big news in the weekend, eh?)
But once again - as Mike's A pointed out with the auto makers - Obama is flexing his muscles on behalf of the unions. And in this case, Arnie, the guvernator, is finding his diminutive stature eyeball to belly button with Obama over a renegotation with the SEIU service employees union. And right now, Arnie's not got the wind at his back because Obama's holding the stimulus funds hostage.
The short story? Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers approved cuts in the state's contribution to SEIU unionized home healthcare workers in February as part of the budget. The Obama admin says "no way...". Reinstate their wages, or no stimulus money.... Why? It violates provisions in Obama's simulus program, ARRA.
Schwarzenegger's office was advised this week by federal health officials that the wage reduction, which will save California $74 million, violates provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Failure to revoke the scheduled wage cut before it takes effect July 1 could cost California $6.8 billion in stimulus money, according to state officials.
~~~The wages at issue involve workers who care for some 440,000 low-income disabled and elderly Californians. The workers, who collectively contribute millions of dollars in dues each month to the influential Service Employees International Union and the United Domestic Workers, will see the state's contribution to their wages cut from a maximum of $12.10 per hour to a maximum of $10.10.
The SEIU said in a statement that it had asked the Obama administration for the ruling.
Naturally it was a bitterly partisan battle last winter - with compromises finally achieved - centered around cutting back the rapidly expanding and costly In Home Supportive Services program.
...the average IHSS recipient will go from having 37 hours of domestic and related services to 30.4 hours per month, and their total services will be reduced from 86.6 hours to 80 hours per month.
The link above gives the arguments pro and con as to whether the cuts actually achieve the desired savings. Then again, as we see with today's news that the WH is again wrong with their budget math, it's hardly surprising that proponents and opposition would want to debate their figures... eventually showing that probably none of them are correct. But California, in a severe cash crisis and said to be out of money by July, desperately needs to find workable cuts.
Obama, along with Pelosi and Reid, have taken California's ability to make cuts with this union off the table with their simulus legislation. In addition, it's forcing California Republicans, who championed the reductions, to cooperate with the Obama admin's demand the wages be reinstated. To do otherwise puts a GOP face on the loss of stimulus funds. In other words, political blackmail is still alive and well... regardless of the logic of state budget reductions.
(Excerpt) Read more at Flopping Aces ...
The song of “How Do You Like Me Now?” keeps going through my mind and wonder what Arnold is thinking about his good buddy ZERO giving him the facts — reinstate union wages or give back the stimulus.
If Arnold had any backbone, he would return the stimulus and tell ZERO to stuff it but we know that won’t happen.
It is all about the unions now for ZERO.
Poor Arnold>sarcasm> he didnt even attend the gop convention. Talk about a rino...he is one of the biggest
It should be no surprise to anyone that 0bama is engaging in extortion for the benefit of the SEIU. They, along with ACORN, hold a big marker from the anointed one for the millions they poured into his election campaign. This is payback time...
The 0bamanauts are running amok...
Both are thuggish organizations...BTY, it was SEIU thugs that paraded around the homes of the AIG executives.
I’m sure Schwarzenegger will hear the words “Cut” in the background and then this scene of him being a Governor will be ancient history.
Nothing more than a typical Chicago, street thug, union loving Mayor Daley.
Glenn Beck said tonight that SEIU contributed either $43 or $48 million to the Obama campaign.
We've got to do something folks...we are completely losing our country.
ahhh. Thanks for the information.
“We’ve got to do something folks...we are completely losing our country.”
Well, the first thing to do is make it clear that you will not under any circumstances buy products made with union labor unless and until this disgusting alliance between the government and labor unions is severed, for good.
At the rate things are going, California will NEVER get a balanced budget and they will just keep raising my taxes.
For those that don’t speak Obama... BANKRUPT YOUR STATE OR WE’LL BANKRUPT IT FOR YOU!
“We’ve got to do something folks...we are completely losing our country.”
I’m afraid what it will take to save our country may not be palatable to some people.
RATs eating each other!
California is essentially broke. No options.
He’s been holding the “stimulus” money as extortion for many to advance his socialist agenda...
No problem. Lay a bunch of ‘em off and put the blame where it belongs: squarely on Obama...
I’m reluctantly concluding the same thing about what it will take to save our country.
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