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Crisis 18% salary slash for California officials isn't 100% what it seems
Los Angeles Times ^ | May 21, 2009 | Andrew Malcomb

Posted on 05/21/2009 6:02:14 AM PDT by Zakeet

Boy oh boy, did California voters show bickering state officials a thing or two with their slam-dunk downing of five out of six financial propositions in Tuesday's voting. As The Ticket reported then, they didn't just say No; they said No way!

In rapid response, first thing Wednesday something called the California Citizens Compensation Commission announced on a 5-1 vote that it had slashed the salaries of the governor, attorney general, controller, all legislators and other top elected state officials by 18%.

That's nearly 20%! Whacked. Because in a democracy top elected officials should share the hard times and pay a price too.

[Snip]

Schwarzenegger and other top officials began immediate meetings on billions in cuts as others across the Golden state began publicly wringing their hands over what was coming.

But the concrete news of the day was the urgent 18% pay slashes by the compensation commission. Now, here's the really small print contained in that well-publicized crisis announcement:

The pay cuts for officials to share the hard times with voters don't take effect for seven months. Not until 2010.

Commission members said their lawyer said the reductions would be impossible to implement during this calendar year. That's how serious and urgent this state budget crunch really is.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: calbudget; california; callegislature; civilservice; economy; paycut

That's how serious and urgent this state budget crunch really is.

1 posted on 05/21/2009 6:02:14 AM PDT by Zakeet
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To: Zakeet

Commission members said their lawyer said the reductions would be impossible to implement during this calendar year. That’s how serious and urgent this state budget crunch really is.

Translation: They need time to figure out how to get past this bump in the road..perhaps “bonuses” for jobs well done?


2 posted on 05/21/2009 6:06:09 AM PDT by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider..www.patriotguard.org for info..)
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To: Zakeet
Commission members said their lawyer said the reductions would be impossible to implement during this calendar year.

If the voters had voted for an 18% increase on Tuesday, would the state representatives start the new pay next week or would they have the accountants work overtime to make sure it was started Wednesday morning.

3 posted on 05/21/2009 6:12:18 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (No free man bows to a foreign king.)
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To: Zakeet

Do you have a good link for the story?


4 posted on 05/21/2009 6:12:27 AM PDT by NautiNurse (Obama: A day without TOTUS is like a day without sunshine)
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

They can afford to keep paying legislators at 100% but they have to issue IOU’s for tax refunds?


5 posted on 05/21/2009 6:14:11 AM PDT by silverleaf ("Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal ( Martin Luther King))
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To: NautiNurse
Do you have a good link for the story?

Click HERE.

I obviously had a senior moment.

Sorry.

6 posted on 05/21/2009 6:18:30 AM PDT by Zakeet (Thou Shalt Not Steal -- Unless thou art the government)
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To: Zakeet

thanks!


7 posted on 05/21/2009 6:27:05 AM PDT by GOP Poet
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To: Zakeet

This puts me on the record as one of those rare birds who actually reads the full article. Thanks.


8 posted on 05/21/2009 6:30:38 AM PDT by NautiNurse (Obama: A day without TOTUS is like a day without sunshine)
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To: Zakeet

AND... when crunch time comes (if it does, because I’m pretty sure the baraqq-0-matic money machine will crank out close to $50 billion for California), the 20% “cuts” will merely be a cut of 20% of the INCREASE the bureaucrats were expecting — i.e., they will get 80% of the raise they were hankerin for. You know how government spending goes.


9 posted on 05/21/2009 6:35:01 AM PDT by Migraine (Diversity is great... ...until it happens to YOU.)
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To: Zakeet
"it had slashed the salaries of the governor, attorney general, controller, all legislators and other top elected state officials by 18%. That's nearly 20%!

Wow! This reporter is brilliant, isn't he? He should be a rocket scientist with such an amazing knowledge of math.

10 posted on 05/21/2009 7:05:21 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (Global Warming Theory is extremely robust with respect to data. All observations confirm it)
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

Let’s see - if they don’t have it already, add a per diem for expenses, free car, free gas - I’m sure these guys won’t take much of a hit.

Personally, I would have like to see Proposition 1F go even farther than “no pay raise in deficit years” for lawmakers. I would have liked a “no salary after budget deadline and until a budget is passed” and no, Assemblyman Sparky, you don’t get the withheld money back after you pass the budget.


11 posted on 05/21/2009 7:06:41 AM PDT by Right Cal Gal (Abraham Lincoln would have let Berkeley leave the Union without a fight)
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To: norwaypinesavage

“That’s nearly 20%!”

He’s writing for The Millennials, who like their information served up on a silver platter. They spent too much time “multi-tasking” to develop critical thinking skills. Admittedly, the reporter could have been even more helpful if he’d observed “That’s nearly one-fifth!”


12 posted on 05/21/2009 7:16:15 AM PDT by DrC
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To: Zakeet
Gov Schwarzenegger warned that if taxing initiatives were voted down,
(1) govt services would be slashed, (2) criminals released, and,
(3) public employees furloughed.

" Tee hee. We're not worried, Nancy will save us."

13 posted on 05/21/2009 7:25:49 AM PDT by Liz (Everything Obama says comes with an expiration date.)
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To: silverleaf

Don’t voters get the picture, it’s all about the money and power.

Nothing will ever get done as long as the voters keep re-electing the same arrogant lying thieves.


14 posted on 05/21/2009 9:14:45 AM PDT by chiefqc
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To: chiefqc
Don’t voters get the picture, it’s all about the money and power. Nothing will ever get done as long as the voters keep re-electing the same arrogant lying thieves.

BUMP!

15 posted on 05/21/2009 10:39:08 AM PDT by calcowgirl (RECALL Abel Maldonado!)
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To: calcowgirl
Don’t voters get the picture, ?

You mean the 60% plus voters of morons, leftards, unionists and Hollyweirds of the Kool-Aid state of Kaleeforneea?

16 posted on 05/21/2009 11:03:07 AM PDT by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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