Cut state salaries-not services

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting state salaries by 5 percent to save $470 million to balance the budget. This is in addition to the two-day furlough state workers are taking already, but why only 5 percent? A 10 percent cut of $940 million could save $898 million needed for health and social services, home care for the disabled and Adult Health Care. The 213,603 state employees are the highest paid best pensioned state workers in the nation. An additional 10 percent cut in their pay pales with the 100 percent cut faced by 2 million unemployed Californians in the real world of the private sector. Government not tax payers has caused the budget crisis. Since 1996 tax revenues have increased 5.6 percent annually, yet state spending increased 5.9 percent. If spending simply equaled the 4.9 percent increase in population and inflation, the state would have a surplus. Instead Democrats and Republicans caved to unions, lobbyists and special interests. The number of state workers increased by thousands, and those with six-figure incomes doubled to 15,000, and salaries of the legislators increased from $99,000 to $116,000. The tax and spend politicians that betrayed their trust did not invade Sacramento and seize power; they were elected by we the people. If we elect more like them we will get more taxes, more spending, and ultimately more cuts in services to everyone. This can also be said for the Supervisors, Congress and White House.