Originally posted by Bhadhidar
Speaking as a State employee, on the other hand, the Governor's furlough program is meant as a sleazy attempt to not only coerce concessions from the state employees Union; it is meant to "break" the Union itself, leaving the state employees at the "mercy" of the Governor and his minions.


The state and the employee's Union have been in contract negotiations since at least June of 2008. The Union has offered an number of concessions, and even a list of possible budgetary savings options.

All have been rejected by the state negotiation team.


The Governor realizes that if he can break the employee's Union, he can break the employees.

If the state employees are broken, there is nothing to stop him from "outsourcing" more jobs to his political and financial supporters in the private sector; read India, Indonesia, South Korea, etc..

More pork for His barrel!


More political capital to grease his way into his next "role".

Exactly what concessions are the unions trying to make?

It has been decades since there were any significant layoffs among state employees.

State employees get fatter benefits and better paychecks than many of their private sector counterparts.

How exactly is a furlough going to break a union especially when it is only a couple days a month?

Exactly how is Arnold going to outsource state jobs? Is he going to get a bunch of Indians and Chinese to start teaching and guard prisons?? Is he going to get a boatload of Vietnamese to staff the DMV?? At least some of the DMV booklets are printed to their language.

Is he going to replace the entire state bureaucracy with illegal immigrants?? Hell both are bleeding the state of billions so might as well kick out the current bureaucracy and put the illegals to work, save money, and still retain the same quality.

The state unions are giving up NOTHING. They insist on zero cuts and are pressuring their democrat legislature buddies to raise taxes in order to make up for the shortfall caused by the bad economy.

Sorry but the economy sucks right now. The taxpayers of California are suffering and MORE taxes to FEED the unions and their FAT benefits along with the BLOATED spending programs is the last thing we need.

I feel very sad for those in California that are going to have a very hard time now, even harder than the rest of us. What does concern me is I fear this is a domino effect and all the states will come tumbling down one at a time now. Most of them are on the edge anyway and if the Feds aren't going to bail out California then they aren't going to bail out any of the other 49. I guess it's about time to grab the old ankels and start kissing our as*es good buy, economicaly I mean.

Originally posted by Bhadhidar
Speaking as a State employee, on the other hand, the Governor's furlough program is meant as a sleazy attempt to not only coerce concessions from the state employees Union; it is meant to "break" the Union itself, leaving the state employees at the "mercy" of the Governor and his minions.

The state and the employee's Union have been in contract negotiations since at least June of 2008. The Union has offered an number of concessions, and even a list of possible budgetary savings options.

What kind of concessions have been on the table? I know there have been some made, but what have they seriously offered up and how much would it close the deficit by exactly? You probably have your answer there.

All have been rejected by the state negotiation team.

The Governor realizes that if he can break the employee's Union, he can break the employees.

Actually, you're on the right track. It has been one of his intentions from the beginning to reduce union power, which in my mind, is a good thing. Your special interests are what truly cripple this state, blocking any chance at reforming anything that lessens dependence or increases the amount of energy you must expend defending your reputations in such an environment. Teachers, firefighters, nurses, are the biggest ones, and this retribution has been long overdue.

If the state employees are broken, there is nothing to stop him from "outsourcing" more jobs to his political and financial supporters in the private sector; read India, Indonesia, South Korea, etc...

Hah? What? Contracting maybe, but what is he planning on outsourcing? The union interests are weeds, folks. This guy's post proves it. His logic doesn't follow at all.

More political capital to grease his way into his next "role"

Why does this sound like a conspiratorial rant more than anything else? More capital for his next "role"? Wtf. So he's making connections with the people he's outsourcing or victims of who he's outsourced? Either one doesn't make much sense. Flat out diatribe.

Look, the point is pure simple: unions here wield too much power. Arnold, as a businessman, has realized it's been his responsibility to weed you guys out of influence 6 years now and has only started doing anything about it now.

OMG this is so unfair. The tax rebate the people are supposed to get, was never the governments to begin with.

Its like going to a cashier and buying a 7 dollar item with a 10 dollar bill. Only the cashier says "sorry, no change, have a nice day".

I feel bad for the people of California. Can you imagine getting layed off your job, then depend on the tax rebate just to pay the bills, and they steal that too? wow.

Originally posted by wutone

We, the people of California, have brought this on ourselves and we get what we deserve.

I spose when you make your bed you have to sleep in it eh?