INGA BARKS: I don't buy all this minimum wage crying
| Friday, Jul 16 2010 04:00 PM
Last Updated Friday, Jul 16 2010 04:00 PM
When phones light up on my radio show it means one of two things: We're giving away a prize to the 10th caller or talking about state employees and another year of budget battles that leave us in the private sector at odds with our neighbors who serve the public. This week was no different as we waited for a judge's ruling on whether state employees should be paid federal minimum wage or their regular salary until a budget is passed. It's become an annual ritual, with one side demanding tax increases, and the other drastic cuts.
This year we "little people" play but a minor role in the drama unfolding in Sacramento. Following are the stars of the show:
The governor. In defense of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's a Republican with a liberal Legislature. Though well-intentioned, his failure to come through on his threats took the "fear" out of Democrats, and his failure to keep his promises sucked the "love" out of Republicans. His push to raise taxes in 2009 put him in the "whose side is he on?" category, and didn't result in the constitutionally required balanced budget he promised.
In January, with a legacy on the line, Schwarzenegger presented a balanced budget that should be signed, sealed and delivered by now but isn't. So, without the authority to spend money from a non-existent budget, the governor called for state workers to get federal minimum wage.
On Friday a Sacramento County judge denied the governor's request to force the state controller to immediately pay state employees the federal minimum wage. A hearing on the issues was set for July 26.
The state Legislature. Well?!! How can it possibly work on the budget when it has important things to do? Like debating the purchase of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch to create a state park. Or the battle over the official "state rock." (No, I'm not kidding). Besides, with a state constitution mandating a balanced budget and the coffers are already $19 billion or so in the red, wouldn't you rather debate quartz versus fruity pebbles than make budget cuts?
Each of those cuts affects a special interest that represents a voter block or a source of campaign cash. So the Legislature is stalling budget talks, which leaves us with no budget, which leaves state employees possibly getting just over $7 an hour.
The state controller. State Controller John Chiang was told by the governor and at least two courts to issue paychecks for minimum wage. No one wants to do this, but it's the law and it's the job of the state controller to do the dirty deed. Chiang, who is running for re-election, refuses to cut the checks, claiming his computers are so darned antiquated they can't change what's printed on the paychecks.
But as Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's press secretary pointed out to me: "The controller has never had a problem with figuring out how to cut governor's office and legislative staff to zero during a budget impasse, so it's unclear why it's so difficult to do the minimum wage change." (Legislative and executive aides get no pay when there isn't a budget).
And state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, who is running against Chiang in November, told me the Legislature allocated $130 million to the controller's office to update its computers.
"Gee, when the Legislature got an 18 percent pay cut, Chiang didn't seem to have a problem adjusting his computers then!"
Chiang spokesman Jacob Roper confirmed the $130 million allocation and said the project "is still in the process. We are on track to be updated by 2012 and the rollout will begin in 2011."
When I asked why the office can print out checks in the amount of zero dollars and give raises and decreases, he said "these employees are covered by the Fair Labor and Standards Act and there is no way to pay minimum wage without being in violation of federal law. Because there is no real time accounting system, there will be no way to track the hours the employee (who is regularly salaried) worked. If we don't pay them for every hour we are in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and are subject to fines that will add to the deficit."
Unfortunately, I fear Chiang's rebellion against the law isn't for noble causes. Rather, it's payback for the $150,000 he's collected from state employee unions, who according to Flashreport.org, are his biggest donors. If he dared serve the public and honor the law, there would be heck to pay.
Speaking of unions...(you knew I'd go there). For the record, I love the employees and aspire to be one. But I don't like their unions. Public employee unions are the most powerful stranglehold on the Democrat majority and state controller. Bred to do whatever it takes, one union spokesperson told The Californian that minimum wage checks would cause mass home foreclosures. Through his crocodile tears, he forgot to mention that many banks historically float state employees their full pay, because the state reimburses banks when the budget is passed.
Meanwhile in the private sector, the cut to your pay, benefits, vacation and retirement will NOT be reimbursed anytime soon. But hey! If you're caller No. 10 to my radio show, you might win a pair of tickets to the Neverland Ranch state park, or a giant bag full of official state rocks. Your choice!
-- Inga Barks, who hosts a talk show on KMJ AM 580, is one of four conservative community columnists whose work usually appears in The Californian one Saturday a month. These are the opinions of Barks, not necessarily The Californian. You can e-mail her at ibarks@bakersfield.com.
