Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger to California State Workers – Screw You

July 24, 2008 /

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, shakes hands with Orange Cove Mayor Victor Lopez, during a water rally held at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, July 23, 2008. More than 500 farm workers and their families rallied to call for the Legislature to approve a measure to place of a $9.3 billion water bond measure on the November ballot to build reservoirs, encourage conservation and restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger intends to slash the salaries of California State employees – all 200,000 of them – to the federal minimum wage while the California budget negotiations in the legislature drag on.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to sign an executive order next week that will temporarily reduce pay for more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour to preserve cash in the midst of a month-long budget standoff, according to a draft copy of the order obtained by The Bee.

But a spokeswoman for Democratic state Controller John Chiang, who pays the state’s bills, said he would ignore the governor’s order, likely forcing a court battle.

“He will pay state workers the salaries that they have earned, and that’s full salary,” said Deputy Controller Hallye Jordan.

Administration officials said the governor expects to take the action Monday.

“The administration is looking into many different options to preserve cash to ensure we have enough to cover our costs,” Schwarzenegger communications director Matt David said.

The Republican governor, in the executive order, argues that the late state budget means there is “a real and substantial risk” that the state will not have enough cash to pay its bills.

He says that his action complies with a 2003 ruling by the California Supreme Court that made clear that without a state budget in place, federal labor laws require the state to pay most workers “either federal minimum wage or, for those employees that work overtime, their full salaries.” The order would require state agencies to stop authorizing overtime for most employees.

In what is probably the most ludicrous action, Flap can remember of any California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger decides he will punish California State employees because of his failure of leadership. And, as a result, the Republican Governor further DAMAGES the already moribund California GOP.

Nice job, Arnold.

A tax, spend, borrow, pandering post-partisan RINO POL who does not wish to alienate anyone, Arnold will go down in history as a governor like his movie compadre, Jesse Ventura.

Why did the California GOP EVER recall Democrat Governor Gray Davis?

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