As state agencies determine how to impelement the governor's furlough plan, State Worker columnist Jon Ortiz reports at sacbee.com that Cal/EPA is planning to close two Fridays a month. Other agencies may need to keep services available every day. Ortiz also reports that the Franchise Tax Board and Board of Equalization may be exempt from the furlough because they bring in revenue.

One of the casualties in the governor's 2009 budget proposal to close the $40 billion shortfall is the California Conservation Corps. The plan would eliminate the state CCC and reassign its responsibilities to local nonprofit groups. The CCC hires young adults to age 25 to help respond to disasters. Many of them live in state-owned residences. One director says the local CCC groups are not prepared to respond to emergencies.

The governor's plan also would eliminate or combine several state boards to "eliminate duplication."

For more information, read a Jan. 2 Sacramento Bee article and the governor's full budget proposal (in pdf format).

The governor's budget proposal would close the $40 billion deficit over the next 18 months partly on the backs of state workers. The proposal cuts $1.7 billion by furloughing state workers two days a month, eliminating Columbus Day and Lincoln's birthday as paid holidays, eliminating overtime pay for holidays, laying off some workers and shifting state employee health care from CalPERS to managed care.

Among the other proposed adjustments: Increasing sales tax by 1.5 cents for three years and alcohol tax by 5 cents a drink; reducing the tax credit for dependents; borrowing more than $10 billion; and cutting funding to K-12 education and CalWORKS. See a synopsis here.

State Controller John Chiang has once again stood up for state workers. In a short statement issued Dec. 19, Chiang criticized the governor's executive order, saying it was the painful result of the governor's and Legislature's failure to resolve the budget crisis. "It is clear that the governor's executive order would hurt public servants and in turn adversely impact our economy and slow its recovery," he wrote.

In a letter dated Dec. 23, Chiang proposed the federal government authorize a limited guaranty program for state or local infrastructure bonds to help jump-start the economy. He said the proposal could "prevent the cancellation of important state and local government projects. ... Local economies recover when people are put back to work and physical assets are created." I

n a Dec. 22 letter,  Chiang warned the governor and Legislature and the state is less than 70 days from running out of cash. He characterizing the state's financial crisis as "dire."

ACSS President Olin King on Dec. 23 wrote Gov. Schwarzenegger a letter criticizing his plan to furlough state workers two days a month. The governor's executive order, King said, "transfers the deficit to the backs of your 238,000 state employees." He asked the governor to rescind the order and to meet with him and the rest of the ACSS board members.

Democratic leaders negotiating with the governor say the negotiations have "significantly narrowed" and a deal is "very close," The Sacramento Bee reports. Talks are continuing over the weekend by phone with the governor, who is vacationing in Idaho, and Democrats are hopeful a deal will be approved by the end of next week.

Using hand-held phones while driving became illegal July 1. Beginning Jan. 1, Senate Bill 28 will also make it illegal to write, send or read text messages while driving. Violations could result in fines but do not add points to the offender's driving record. The bill alludes to more driving restrictions in the future: applying makeup, shaving and reading, for example.

Gazing into your crystal ball next Christmas, were the furloughs good for California? State Worker columnist, Jon Ortiz, gives a mostly imaginary glimpse.

According to The Sacramento Bee Web site this morning, cutting two state workers' holidays is one of the concessions the governor is still demanding from Democratic legislators as they scramble to fix the budget deficit. A major issue is whether the legislators will relax environmental review for state transportation projects. The legislators claim the reduction will give the administration too much control. Schwarzenegger's office estimates his proposal would create 18,000 jobs.