Governor Schwarzenegger has once again released a state budget that will prove difficult for California state workers.

In this economic turmoil, few politicians want to lead the charge attacking state workers' jobs and paychecks, while cutting programs for children, the poor and the elderly to close a massive budget gap. Governor Schwarzenegger, however, appears to be a shining example of the exception to this rule. Commenting on the potential cuts on Monday, the Governor said,

"The bottom line is that we have the authority to call for the furlough days and to live within our means and to make certain cuts.

[...] "So if you talk about in-home supportive services, if you talk about education reform, if you talk about pension reform, if you do furloughs, if you do, you know, making cuts, salary cuts, which we proposed in our budget -- then all of this will affect the workers that are part of labor."

If there is no state budget in place in California by the June 30, 2010 constitutional deadline, the Governor may try to withhold most state workers' pay to the federal minimum wage--to $7.25 an hour. We can't let this happen.

If you live in California, take action here to urge your legislators to vote for AB 1125--a bill for state employees which would make the state's $13 billion payroll a "continuous appropriation" instead of a budget item that requires a vote every year. Be sure to check back at www.seiu1000.org for updates as this budget fight continues to move forward.