State's payroll soars under Schwarzenegger

SFGate.com ^ | 5/25/08 | Erin McCormick

[NormsRevenge]

The state of California's payroll is skyrocketing, even as its budget deficit has grown to billions of dollars in recent months.

In Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's first four years, the total bill for state workers' salaries jumped by 37 percent, compared with a 5 percent increase in the preceding four years under then-Gov. Gray Davis, a Chronicle analysis of state payroll records shows.

One month before Schwarzenegger took office in November 2003, just eight state employees earned more than $200,000 a year working in the core state government, which excludes universities and the Legislature. In April of this year, there were nearly a thousand, according to records.

And the number of state employees making six-figure salaries has more than doubled since 2003, to nearly 15,000. ...

Some of the pay increases in recent years have been out of Schwarzenegger's control, including previously negotiated pay raises for some employee unions and court-ordered pay hikes for medical workers ...

--snip--

Legislators, gubernatorial aides and top medical professionals have received pay hikes in the last 12 months. And as the state looks at drastic cuts in many programs, the governor is proposing about $260 million in salary increases for the state's prison guards, whose pay jumped about 34 percent in five years under their previous contract.

At the same time, pay for many lower-ranking civil service workers has not kept up with the 15 percent increase in the state's consumer price index in the past four years, ... Most civil service workers saw their pay rise by only 12 percent over that time.

The winners of the payroll race seem to be the unions with the strongest political ties or those who spend big bucks on political contributions and lobbying, said Christina Lokke of California Common Cause, a good-government watchdog group.

[Publius6961]

This clown was ballyhooed by the “But he can win and he has an (R) after his name” types here on FR.

It's a cheap shot to criticize history and invent a wonderful fiction about which alternative would have been much better.

The entertainment of kiddies.

I still can't think of whom, of the choices we had, might have done better.

[Publius6961]

As I understand it, the receiver has basically a blank check to the state treasury to do what he deems necessary to bring the state prison’s medical care for prisoners up to “constitutional” standards. Whatever that is.

As I understand it, the Governor and the legislature can ignore the judge and see where he goes with that decision.

Real men, in the past, have defied judges, even Supremem Court ones.

[goldstategop]

Just curious - you're not by any chance THAT Ron Jeremy? ;-)

[Publius6961]

As I understand it, the receiver has basically a blank check to the state treasury to do what he deems necessary to bring the state prison’s medical care for prisoners up to “constitutional” standards. Whatever that is.

As I understand it, the Governor and the legislature can ignore the judge and see where he goes with that decision.

Real men, in the past, have defied judges, even Supreme Court ones.

[APFel]

I have no idea what “entertainment of kiddies” means, but I suppose it’s an attempted insult and a bizarre attempt to be snarky. Good try, “E” for effort and all that.

And to freshen up your cobwebbed memory:

http://republican.sen.ca.gov/web/mcclintock/

So enjoy that Governator of yours. He’ll be back. Into your wallet. You voted him, you support him, reap the whirlwind. John “Connor” McCain will dig deeper into it on the federal level. FRiend.

GLHF.

APf

[calcowgirl]

the same “love the one you’re with” crowd

LOL. That's a great description!

[calcowgirl]

And McCain likes Buffett, too.

"I'd ask Warren Buffett to come back and run a commission to reform the institutions of government."
(quote from John McCain, October 14, 2007)

[calcowgirl]

But, but, but... Arnie promised! The pay increase that he pushed through the legislature would only apply to the prison chief!

CA: Bosses could get big raises - Governor says law's only beneficiary may be the prisons chief

[SierraWasp]

Paragraph #2 PROVES that SchwartzenKennedy has exceeded Gray "Dubious" Davis' ineptitude as CA's Governor by a country mile!!!

Tom McClintock would have been a great "hit" with CA's people by now!!!

[Czar]

Can anyone name just one action this Austrian clown has taken which significantly improves the budget situation?

[RightWhale]

Salaries of State employees are up. What fraction of the State budget does that represent. When bennies such as health insurance are added what fraction is it?

[Amerigomag]

The more the Austrian is outed, the bolder and more brazen his public liberalism becomes.

It would not surprise this observer if Schwarzenegger eventually comes out of the closet. Hopefully the sequestered, significant other is not Cruz Bustamante.

[calcowgirl]

Can anyone name just one action this Austrian clown has taken which significantly improves the budget situation?

I can name a few where he deferred expenses, thereby making it appear better. Other than that--no.

[SierraWasp]

Of course not!!! He’ll make our grandkids taxes way high because his grandkids will have no trouble paying high taxes from their trust funds, don’tcha know???

[Amerigomag]

What fraction of the State budget does that represent. When bennies such as health insurance are added what fraction is it?

Combined salaries and benefits equal about 130% of California's current annual budget. $50B alone is unfunded, retirement liabilities.

[hedgetrimmer]

uhhhhh... wait..... I’m thinking...