On Thursday,I wondered what John Chiang's response to the Governor would be. Would he stand up to him like he did last year? Or comply with the minimum wage order. The answer? A strong no:
In a strongly worded rebuke, state Controller John Chiang said Thursday that he would defy Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order to slash the pay of state workers until "the courts hand down a final resolution."
Chiang, a Democrat, said the pay cuts will "do nothing to solve the budget deficit" because state employees are entitled to their back pay once a budget is in place. "In the absence of the leadership needed to bring the Legislature to an agreement on his budget, the governor again resorts to political tricks," Chiang said in a statement. ...
"Again, absent a final court ruling, I will continue to protect the state's finances and pay full wages earned by state employees," Chiang declared. (LA Times)
Good for Chiang. This is a political stunt by the governor, and isn't necessary for purposes of the state budget. Honestly, there have been few batter allies for state workers than John Chiang. While maintaining a steady hand at the fiscal controls, he has managed to be a counterbalance to the Governor's brinskmanship. |
