Schwarzenegger threatens to pay state employees minimum wage

[Jenna]

Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to slash the pay of more than 200,000 state government employees to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour, saving the state an estimated $1.2 billion a month--and putting a huge amount of pressure on recalcitrant lawmakers to finally come to an agreement on the budget.

Schwarzenegger acknowledges that the pay cut is a drastic measure, but he seems to believe push has finally come to shove. The legislature here was required to pass the more than $100 billion state budget by July 1, but legislators have been at loggerheads ever since, with Democrats demanding tax increases to close the shortfall and Republicans insisting on spending cuts. In the last week, negotiations between the two sides have largely broken down.

The state's budget deadline came and went 24 days ago with no sign of progress, and lawmakers have watched their approval ratings sag. According to a poll released this week, 3 in 5 Californians say they disapprove of the job the state legislature is doing. Nearly half disapprove of Schwarzenegger. More than two thirds say the state is now "seriously off track."

With this new move, Schwarzenegger has embraced a policy of mutually assured destruction--and turned the budget battle into a political cage match. While there is some question about whether or not he could actually push through his proposed pay cut--the state controller insists the state has enough cash to make payments through September--there's no doubt that Schwarzenegger is on firm legal ground. In 2003, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state may cut workers' salaries to the federal minimum in the absence of a state budget. Once the budget is passed, workers' salaries would return to their normal levels, and they would receive back pay, as well.

As lawmakers haul themselves back to their budget talks, experts say there is no guarantee they will be able to bridge their differences. This state, after all, has a long history of political gridlock: In 1992, Gov. Pete Wilson paid 93,000 state workers with IOUs during a then-record 64-day budget impasse. Today's state workers, meanwhile, are girding themselves for the worst. As one told the Bee: "I guess people will start working on Monday like they're making $6.55 an hour."

By Justin Ewers Thu Jul 24, 6:40 PM ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20080...ensminimumwage

[2 Blue 4 U]

I think the politicians should be paid minimum wage just to see how the other half lives. It would be a lesson hard learned for them to see how so many struggle every day just to put food on the table and to pay bills.

[Ducky]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Take the money out of politics, and the people who stay would be the ones who want to do the job.

[Cool Breeze]

So I guess his salary would be among those set to $6.55 an hour? Or did he not think of that when considering his great plan?

[Cool Breeze]

He could rely on his residuals from his movies.

True, but he'd still be a douche!

[Jenna]

So I guess his salary would be among those set to $6.55 an hour? Or did he not think of that when considering his great plan?

He could rely on his residuals from his movies.

[Xiphos]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Take the money out of politics, and the people who stay would be the ones who want to do the job.

Only the independently wealthy could afford to be politicians. That's already a problem with personal fortunes needed for campaigning. I say pay them, pay them well and demand that none of their personal money be allowed for campaigning. Term limiting them would force them to return to work and get rid of the "career" politician.

I wonder if the minimum wage threat extends to the legislature as well as the truck drivers? If you are a state employee living pay check to pay check, several weeks of that pay cut would be devastating. These idiot politicians are gambling with other people's mortgages.

[armsmaster270]

I beilieve Arnie declines a paycheck as he does not need it But someone brought up a federal law that said you can't do what he wants to do on the pay cut.

[JAYBIRD33081]

ah yes american government at its finest.

[lewisipso]

Oh how this country with all it's states would benefit with a group of politicians who believed in public service.

[mike01]

Let Hollywood figure it out.They believe they know every thing there is to know about politics anyway.

[Terminator]

Terminator versus Terminator? Make my day!

[Car 4]

Like the russians used to say, "You pretend to pay us....and we will pretend to work".

See how long the community likes 6 dollar an hour cops and firefighters.

Car 4

[CTR man]

Terminator versus Terminator? Make my day!

Move to CA and maybe he will. At least you might get to hang out with Clint Eastwood (another actor turned politician) who made that phrase famous.