It's been a long time since I've blogged. You see, I took a vow to try not to complain. It has been a worthwhile discipline. However, I actually have some good news to share with you so I'll continue here.
Background: State of California Civil Service Employees were asked to shoulder the burden of the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's allergy to taxes and were forced to take 3 days off a month without pay as furloughs a 14% pay cut. There was also the little matter of getting more and more behind schedule on project delivery.
What's changed: Judge Frank Roesch handed down a decision this afternoon calling the furlough orders illegal and systematically destroying his rational for doing so.
More below the fold:
The main story can be found in the sometimes annoying purveyor of State News the: Sacaramento Bee News Story
In the San Francisco Gate the story is repeated with a nice bit of editing that emphasizes the Judge's astonishment at the lameness of GAS' argument.
The governor is arguing, in effect, that furloughs should be spread throughout state government "so that all state employees suffer equally, without regard to savings to the general fund and without lessening the pay cuts suffered by the general fund employees," Roesch said.
"This is not rationally related to any government purpose."
This does capture the sense I've been getting from the goof ball, wingnut crowd that confuses 'Civil Servant' with 'Indentured Servant' The other impression is that State Republicans believe one of several things in that Civil Servants are:
- In penal servitude or are part of a penal colony.
- That we are in reform school (regardless of age) and have signed our rights away until some higher power returns them (unlikely)
- That we have unwittingly joined some renunciate, religious order that emphasizes poverty and obedience.
- That with our legendary cushy compensation (like a $2200/month average pension on retirement) we should be PUNISHED.
However, these are not really complaints and I want to wish everyone a Safe and Happy New Year.