"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will wait until Thursday to sign an order slashing
state workers' pay to the federal minimum wage and laying off thousands
of other employees to save money during the impasse
over the state budget, a spokesman for the governor
said Monday," reports Matthew Yi in the Chron.
"The governor, frustrated by the nearly monthlong impasse,
had been expected to sign an executive order Monday
cutting pay for about 200,000 state workers to the federal minium wage level of
$6.55 an hour. Their wages would be restored with back pay
when a new budget is enacted.
"Also Monday, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, canceled his plans to force a budget vote
on the Senate floor today, saying negotiations have
been moving forward and he doesn't want to jeopardize the talks."
That, and there's a little issue with getting Democrats to vote for
$9.7 billion in taxes as part of a drill.
"The two moves could take the heat off the contentious
debate over the state's $17.2 billion deficit, which includes $2 billion in reserves, and could lead to a compromise
soon, political observers said.
"'It looks like there's enough momentum at the moment to cease fire, and
to see if they can reach an agreement' said Larry Gerston, a political science professor
at San Jose State University. 'It seems they may be close, but whether close gets
the deal done remains to be seen.'"
It may look that way from San Jose, but we don't see many signs of progress...
Dan Walters looks at the prospective standoff between Controller
John Chiang and Arnold Schwarzenegger over paying state employees.
"'I don't want to subject the state of California to legal
liability,' Chiang said. 'Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, if we do not pay
full wage, we may be subject to treble damages that
would only exacerbate an already difficult financial
situation.'
"'I believe that it is potentially illegal,' Chiang continued. 'The court did not decide as to the proper amount to
be paid. So why would we want to test it when there
is very little upside and significant downside at risk?'
"The legal picture grew even more muddled when state
Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, obtained an opinion from the legislative counsel's office that the governor cannot order Chiang to perform
his job in a certain way.
"It's a game of legal who-will-blink-first? chicken, but then the whole budget battle falls
into that category."
The Bee's Steve Weigand provides a list of the five longest budget standoffs.
1. FISCAL YEAR: 2002-2003
Governor: Gray Davis
Date Signed: Sept. 5, 2002
2. FISCAL YEAR: 1992-1993
Governor: Pete Wilson Date
Date Signed: Sept. 2, 1992
3. FISCAL YEAR: 2007-2008
Governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Date Signed: Aug. 24, 2007
4. FISCAL YEAR: 1998-1999
Governor: Pete Wilson
Date Signed: Aug. 21, 1998
5. FISCAL YEAR: 1997-1998
Governor: Pete Wilson
Date Signed: Aug. 18, 1997
"Supporters of Proposition 8, the proposed state constitutional amendment that
would ban gay marriage,
said they would file suit today to block a change made
by California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown to the language
of the measure's ballot title and summary," reports Jessica Garrison in the Times.
"Petitions circulated to qualify the initiative for
the ballot said the measure would amend the state Constitution
"to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman
is valid or recognized in California."
"In a move made public last week and applauded by same-sex marriage proponents, the attorney general's office changed the language to say that Proposition
8 seeks to "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry."
"
Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman for the Protect Marriage coalition, called
the new language "inherently argumentative" and said it could "prejudice voters against the initiative."
"Proponents of the measure said they want voters to
see ballot language similar to what was on the petitions
that began circulating last fall.
"'This is a complete about-face from the ballot title that was assigned' when the measure was being circulated for signatures,
Kerns said."
"The nation's largest trucking association filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday alleging that
portions of a landmark program to upgrade a fleet of
17,000 old trucks servicing the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
place an "unreasonable burden on interstate commerce" and could harm the U.S. economy," writes Louis Sahagun in the Times.
"Port authorities said they intended to proceed with
the air quality initiative.
"'Truck pollution is a serious threat to public health,
including the health of truck drivers,' said Richard D. Steinke, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. 'We need to move forward without delay.'
"The lawsuit was filed by the American Trucking Assn.,
which represents 37,000 licensed motor-carriers.
"It aims to block plans allowing freight hauling companies
to access port terminals only if they have permits
called 'concession contracts.'"
"Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain
preached offshore oil drilling, nuclear energy, victory
in Iraq and school vouchers to a well-heeled crowd of Bay Area donors at a fundraiser Monday
night," reports Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune.
Obviously honing his message for his California audience.
"He described himself as an underdog, said he loves
that status, and said he's doing better at this point than he thought he would
be doing. 'I will compete, and I will win in the state of California,' he vowed to a crowd of about 250 at the Fairmont Hotel, then quipped after applause,
'and following that I will take back to Arizona all
the water that you've stolen from us.'"
At least we think he was kidding...
Rick Orlov reports on rumors about Shiela Kuehl's next move. "There has been talk that Sen. Sheila Kuehl,
D-Los Angeles, was looking to sell her home to run for
the Los Angeles
City Council seat being vacated by Councilman Jack Weiss.
"Weiss has announced he is giving up the seat to run
for
city attorney and his post already has drawn a crowded
field of
candidates.
Kuehl said through an aide that she has no plans to
move
into the city and the only elected office she is interested
in is Board
of Supervisors - if Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky ever decides to leave
the board."
And from our Berlin bureau, AP reports, "Two officers who responded to
complaints about a raucous weekend party in western
Germany were
mistaken for male strippers by the female guests."
They should take that as a compliment, right?
"Simmern police spokesman Bernd Hoffmann says neighbours
called
police around 12.45 a.m. Sunday to complain about noise from a birthday
party in their building.
"A round of applause from the apartment resident — who had just
turned 30 — and her friends greeted two officers who went to
investigate.
"Hoffmann said today that “they thought the policemen were dressed like that because
they were strippers.
It took them a while to realize they were real police
officers.”
By then, of course, the cops were naked.
