Posted on 07/31/2008 12:41:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - With California's cash dwindling and legislators still debating a new budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated 22,000 part-time and temporary state positions Thursday and ordered that 200,000 state workers receive the federal minimum wage.
His signing of the executive order had been expected since last week but stood as a stark illustration of the cash problem facing the nation's most populous state. Schwarzenegger apologized to state workers but said he had no choice.
"Today I am exercising my executive authority to avoid a full-blown crisis and keep our state moving forward," Schwarzenegger said. "This is not an action I take lightly."
Lawmakers have yet to agree on a spending plan a month after the state's fiscal year began, leaving California without the ability to pay for contractors, the higher education system and legislative employees.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers remain divided over how to close a $15.2 billion deficit, with Democrats favoring $8.2 billion in new taxes on corporations and the state's wealthiest residents. Republicans want a spending cap and oppose tax increases.
Adding to the fiscal mess has been an unprecedented number of wildfires this year, costing the state far more for emergency response than it had budgeted.
As of June, more than 30 states faced deficits totaling a projected $40 billion, or more than triple the gap of the previous year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
California is the last state with a fiscal year that begins July 1 that still does not have a budget. It is facing a $15.2 billion deficit, dwarfing that of all other states. The next highest at the start of the fiscal year was New York's, at $5.2 billion.
--snip--
The governor's order is certain to be challenged. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Probably means "suspended WITH pay"
I heard the F word used on a radio news report this morning. Puts a little different spin on it.
I don't understand the problem, the Girly-man morphed into a liberal Democrat and the Democrat answer to every question is to raise taxes.
With an overwhelmingly Democrat California legislature it should be easy for Arnie to sign more and new taxes. Then it's raises, bonuses, benefits and vacations for everyone!
“Man at right is unidentified.”
He’s his cigar guy is my guess , doesn’t look like a Kennedy.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia's lawmakers are in Charleston to discuss a wide range of subjects, but one may stand out as the most pressing.
Legislators gathering Monday for three days of interim meetings will likely discuss ways the state should use its current budget surplus.
High demand for coal and natural gas has helped the state stay in the black while others around the country are facing budget cuts and red ink.
Fiscal conservatives in the Legislature want to use the surplus to pay down some of the state's debts.
West Virginia's reserve fund stands at roughly 15 percent of general revenue.
That surpasses the 10 percent recommended by Wall Street analysts who help determine interest rates for state bond issues.
Start at the top because there's usually always too many chiefs, and not enough indians.
Good for W. Va! They need a break. Big coal fan here, W. Va should be kicking butt on much higher coal prices, especially met coal!
Seems there will be plenty of hands now to do all those jobs that “Americans won’t do”......
oh yur evil, fo’ sure. ;-) Thanks.
Bless all the sane folks that live and vote there.. now get rid of byrd and rockefeller. ;-)
California has a long way to go to dig it’s sorry butt out of this one.
Stop all spending until the budget is passed and balance that budget with the money they have. No new taxes either.
If these workers belong to a union, and their salaries are controlled by contracts, then he's going to lose. The State won't be any further ahead, and will have to pay legal costs plus back pay. Several years ago, during a budget crisis in New York, Mario Cuomo came up with the idea to lag the pay of State workers. Only problem was that we had already been lagged two weeks pay when we started the job. This third week imposed would force us to work 7 days without pay, and we wouldn't get it back until we left State service or retired. The unions challenged it and Cuomo lost. I wonder if Arnold's putting his own staff on minimum wage.
I’m so sick of Schwarzenliberal!
This means my B-in-L (the CalTrans worker) will want a loan again this year.
Because it's cheaper to hire part-time and temps who aren't eligible for benefits.
I thought the Dems said letting gays marry would bring more money into California. I think Arnold was among them.
I thought it was cuz they didn't have SS #'s. ;-)
That's probably true too!
Hmmm... I watched this presser on the tele and the fellow on the right was introduced and spoke. So why couldn't the resourceful folks at reuters be bothered to do a little legwork?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
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