CA: Davis extends hiring freeze, remains upbeat about budget

Mercury News ^ | 7/1/03 | Tom Chorneau - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO - With little apparent substance to support his optimism, Gov. Gray Davis said Tuesday that he believes progress has been made on the state's budget crisis and expressed hope an agreement could be reached by the end of next week.

[NormsRevenge]

In yet another complication of the budget scene, one of the state's largest taxpayer group filed suit Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court challenging a hike in the car tax triggered earlier this month by the Davis administration.

Ping

[Pubbie]

"remains upbeat about budget"

[Mark]

"Delusional Davis" sniffs too many shoes.

[vbmoneyspender]

Davis' comments came during a ceremony in which he extended a hiring freeze first imposed in October 2001.

My memory is a little foggy, but isn't this the same hiring freeze Davis imposed after which he then went out and hired another 30,000 state workers?

[sruleoflaw]

THIS AP REPORTING IS GARBAGE, ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. Since Gray Davis "imposed" a hiring freeze in October, 2001, the state has hired 23,000 new employees!!!! Where is that fact in this story??? Also, California's share of the $20 billion handed out by the feds to the fiscally ailing states (who raised their spending by large amounts) is $2.4 billion. California is not applying that money to its $38 billion deficit -- it spending the money on additional programs. The Democrats in California are spending addicts, worse than crack addicts -- and the media are their enablers.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Davis' comments came during a ceremony in which he extended a hiring freeze first imposed in October 2001."

Perhaps he's afraid the people might be looking at hiring a new governor?

[Redwood71]

"With little apparent substance to support his optimism, Gov. Gray Davis said Tuesday that he believes progress has been made on the state's budget crisis and expressed hope an agreement could be reached by the end of next week."

_____________________________________________________

This is one of those times I have to agree that ignorance is bliss.

[NormsRevenge]

FRom the SacBee

Davis issues orders to trim state's workforce

Bee Capitol Bureau and Business Staff
Published 4:18 p.m. PDT Tuesday, July 1, 2003

As California's fiscal year began without a state budget Tuesday, Gov. Gray Davis issued dual orders to try to trim costs from the state's workforce.

One would chop $250 million by eliminating thousands of government jobs that came vacant in the past year through retirements, resignations and other attrition.

The second would extend for at least two years a loosely followed hiring freeze first imposed by Davis in October 2001, which was only sporadically followed as the Legislature and some state agencies have continued to hire to fill vacant posts.

The orders came as the state's legislative chambers stood empty and as Davis predicted Senate leaders were on the verge of striking a budget deal.

California's budget crisis is starting to squeeze Sacramento's economy, a scenario that's likely to worsen if the legislative deadlock extends deep into summer.

As the new fiscal year got under way Tuesday with no budget in sight, the state cut off rental payments on millions of square feet of office space in Sacramento. It stopped payment to hundreds of vendors and ceased issuing new contracts to others.

The 70,000-plus state workers in Sacramento are still getting paid, but the threat of layoffs for several thousand -- and huge pay cuts for the rest -- is causing many to curtail their spending now. Restaurateurs and retailers around the Capitol say business is down. There's even talk that Sacramento's robust real estate market could suffer as employee anxiety rises.

The real crunch could come in late August. That's when the state plans to cut workers' pay to the California minimum wage of $6.75 an hour, a move that would take $12.1 million in salary out of the Sacramento economy every workday, according to an estimate by the California State Employees Association.

For more details, see Wednesday's Bee.

[NormsRevenge]

Livin' on Borrowed Time.. GraYouT Davi$' new movie w/ Ahnuld SchwollenEgo and Pete Wilson,Madonna,the living Kennedys,the Dead Kennedys,JFK,LBJ,Nixon,Checkers,3 men and a fish tale, all in cameo roles .. No taxpayers were imprisoned as part of making this film. Directed by Clint "Lefty" Eastwood, Music track by Runty Newman.. Admission FRee ... BWAHAHAHAHA!!! We'll let you know when it's over .. :-\

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

God Awful mess!!!!!

I heard Davis on the Radio say he wasn't going to sign any budget deal that didn't protect schools, colleges, old folks, etc!


In other words no cuts, the Demoncrats have their priorities and we will just have to fork over the money we have been hoggging.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[Lancey Howard]

California is one of the few states that require the budget be approved by a two-thirds majority of lawmakers. While Democrats hold big majorities in both the Senate and the Assembly, Republicans have more than enough seats to block passage of the budget as long as they want.

Would somebody more familiar with California's process please clear this up for me? It was my understanding that the Democrats could pass a budget all by themselves as long as the budget did not include any tax increases. I thought that the "two-thirds majority" provision only came into play if tax hikes were included in the budget.
Thanks.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Now THAT'S an excellent visual.

[goldstategop]

The media lies. The two-thirds rule applies only to fee and tax increases. so there is the false impression the budget can't be passed by a simple majority vote. Liberals love taxes like children love candy which is why they hate the two-thirds rule. Liberal special interest groups are pushing an initiative for the ballot next March that would reduce the level of votes in both houses of the State Legislature to raise taxes from two-thirds to 55%. To eliminate gridlock. If the voters want to hand over their wallets to be emptied by the Democrats, they should go right ahead and do just that next year.

[ReagansShinyHair]

What about the 12,000 they've already hired this year?

[dogbyte12]

I have a theoretical question here. Say Davis gets booted in November. Say a Republican takes over.

Democrats will not accept $38 billion in spending cuts. Republicans will not accept any tax increases. This goes to the courts right, because of our constitution.

What exactly do the courts have the authority to do? Can they order spending cuts, tax increases? I really see no possible compromise here. The budget gap is too huge for there to be any compromise. A liberal democrat would drop dead before cutting $38 billion in spending. The republicans will not accept tax cuts period. Irregardless of what one thinks the solution should be, how can there be one? I don't see any way possible for this thing to end unless one side completely, fully, utterly caves.

[Publius6961]

Davis' comments came during a ceremony in which he extended a hiring freeze first imposed in October 2001. He also called for eliminating 2,000 unfilled positions in state government.

Hmmmm.
Why do I keep getting reports from insiders that 4000 have been added in the last year alone?

Smoke and mirrors?
The same thing as calling a lower increase a "cut"??