Furlough talk is familiar -- and scary -- to state workers

Sacramento Bee ^ | 12/23/8 | Bobby Caina Calvan and Robert Lewis

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Really just depends on where you are, I guess. In Kentucky, the merit jobs (read: "non-political") still do not pay that great compared to the private sector. Benefits are good though.

The merit (read "political appointed") jobs pay better, but it's well-known that they are "at-will" and typically do not last longer than one administration.