Posted on 01/08/2010 12:47:29 PM PST by SmithL
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will propose ending furloughs for state workers at the end of June but seek permanent pay cuts and higher employee retirement contributions in their place, administration officials said Thursday.
Those two measures, which require legislative approval, would equal a 10 percent cut in gross pay, compared with a 14 percent reduction that state workers now face with three monthly furlough days. State employees would resume a full workweek in July.
Schwarzenegger will ask the Legislature to approve those changes as part of his budget proposal today, which is a "Furlough Friday" for state workers. His plan seeks to close a $19.9 billion deficit over the next 18 months. The Republican governor plans to propose an $82.9 billion general fund spending plan for 2010-11, according to a Department of Finance chart.
Schwarzenegger's office has decided to move away from furloughs when the fiscal year ends June 30 because it believes the state cannot justify their use as an emergency measure beyond that point.
Labor unions believe the furloughs already are illegal and have filed two dozen lawsuits since they began last February. Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents 95,000 state workers, and two other unions won a decision in Alameda Superior Court last week.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
“Labor unions believe the furloughs already are illegal”
Unions are a big part of the problem but not the only one. There has been to much spending going on in the past. Arnold needs to cut everywhere including “entitlements”.
Yo! Ah-Nuld!
Close out the positions, and fire their asses. Worked for Reagan and PATCO, and you REALLY need to send a message to the unions and the Dims...
Could someone please explain to the Governor that as the head of the Executive Branch, it is his job to spend (or not spend) the money that the Legislature appropriates. If Arnold thinks that spending needs to be cut, then stop spending it. That is the Executive’s job. Start acting like one.
Here’s a thought - how about working on expanding business in CA? Change the laws which make it difficult for business to profit here - tell the environmental whackos to STFU and eliminate these draconian laws that are strangling business. Fix the worker’s comp system and engage in Tort Reform. If the state of CA wants to improve it’s budget situation, cutting is only part of the equation. People need jobs.
If the private sector has 20% unemployment why doesn’t the public?
Pray for America’s Freedom
Makes sense to ask for a pay cut. Makes even more sense to require greater pension contributions.
that is because state services have slowed considerably.....8 weeks to renew your plates if you dont do it online.
Agreed but it's not so much the spending as what the spending is on. If a government worker costs $80k/year in salary, benefits, and pension, as a rule of thumb the fair market value of their work output is lucky to be $40k. The other $40k of taxpayer wealth just went poof, never to be seen from again. Most government workers are fat lazy money pits that aren't missed when they are on personal holidays 1 out of 5 workdays. Long time government nine-to-fivers couldn't get a job in the private sector.
He can start by cutting the paycheck of those elected officials who caused the problems with the spending from what they thought was a bottomless tax payers pocket.
The voter, which include a vast number of Joe Six Packs, have no say in the spending of their money on rainbow plans to make the leadership seem good and fair.
When push comes to shove who gets screwed, loses their jobs, has services cut and must then bear the burden of more taxes, JOE SIX PACK.
Oh wait, he can’t do that they are not accountable for anything. Never mind, sorry Joe Six Pack just bend over.
" Ai gotda vunny veeling dah Reepublucan Potty tinks RINOS are
pure crapola. Chonny, undt Wooty undt ai ghonna ghet jops ass
Val-Mart greetahs, Home Depot paint mixahs, McD's ketchop pumpahs,
undt vaitahs at Ved Lopstah, ven ai loosses mai jop as govnah."
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