If you live in California, you’ve probably heard that we have a BIG (we’re talking $15 billion dollar) budget deficit. One way that Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger — a Republican — wants to reduce the deficit is to reduce the pay of state employees currently making the state minimum wage of $8.00/hour to the national minimum wage of $6.55/hour, or maybe give all state employees minimum wage until a budget is passed. California’s state controller, Chinese-American Democrat John Chiang, is having none of Schwarzenegger’s nonsense:
“State Controller John Chiang informed the governor’s office in writing today that he would not immediately comply with an administration order to decrease the pay of most state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour until a state budget is enacted. A deputy to Chiang, who controls the state payroll, wrote that carrying out the pay cut order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed late last month would be a complex process and the controller’s office needs until at least the end of the week to determine if it is possible. Administration officials said they would not wait. They said the governor intends to file a lawsuit by day’s end to force Chiang to make the cuts.”
I read somewhere that the California state payroll system is still running a on a computer system that uses COBOL. COBOL! COBOL is like Latin, except for computers. It’s nice to see that Chiang isn’t being a stereotypical quiet Asian American and putting up a visible fight against the Governator.
John Chiang is the highest elected Asian American state official in both California and in the nation. I believe he has ambitions to eventually run for governor, though maybe not in 2010 - it’s a crowded race for that one already. Hopefully this fight will give Chiang more visibility politically.
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rich mckone wrote:
Why not start on the deficit by cutting waste first?
Fixing the broken parole revocation process would save about $.5 to $.6 billion annually. Our very high rates are the direct result of the county jail bed shortage. Previously, technical parole violators were held in jail while the parole agent developed a local program, such as placement in drug treatment and changes in parole conditions. The jail bed shortage required immediate transfer of technical parole violators from jail to prison. Once in prison, there is almost no chance a technical violator will be released without serving a revocation term. Each technical parole violator adds about $12,000 to prison operating costs.
The State could release Requests for Proposals for correctional beds to hold technical parole violators. Only about 4% of the California prison population is held in contract facilities compared to 9% in Texas. In addition to saving a lot of money, the state could avoid spending any of the $6.5 billion in AB 900 funds for construction of more prison beds.
Posted on 13-Aug-08 at 1:09 pm | Permalink
Jeff C. wrote:
*sighs* Rich, Rich, Rich… that answer is too LOGICAL!
Remember, California has 80 Assembly Members, and each one needs to make sure that THEIR district gets the most money. And they’re doing that by taking a long-deserved vacation, even though the Californian budget is in shambles…
Seriously, Schwarzenegger is in the right here, as much as I’d like to support Chiang (when he spoke at this year’s ITASA, he mentioned that he supported Clinton for the sole reason that she agreed to bring in Asian-Americans on tour with her… something even Obama wouldn’t agree to).
However, I understand Chiang’s point that the budget system is outdated and complex, and such an executive order would not be easy. But the point is that Arnold’s order could be avoided if the Assembly Members just did their friggin job and passed a budget!!!
Posted on 14-Aug-08 at 10:26 am | Permalink
jolene wrote:
I say we cut Gov. Schwarzanegger’s salary for a start.
Posted on 14-Aug-08 at 3:06 pm | Permalink
Jeff C. wrote:
> I say we cut Gov. Schwarzanegger’s salary for a start.
Yes!! That’ll help add an extra $0 back into the Californian economy!
/sarcasm
Schwarzenegger already donates his salary back to the state of California. Something about him being a multi-millionaire from his previous job…
Just to add to the topic, if you want to blame anyone, blame his Democrat predecessor, Gray Davis, who took the very same issue on hand to court.
http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/states/Cal/S108099.PDF
This is the 2003 Californian Supreme Court ruling that Schwarzenegger is basing his argument on.
Posted on 14-Aug-08 at 4:55 pm | Permalink