(Nov. 7) ACSS President Olin King urges members to let the governor and legislators know you oppose the proposed budget cuts on state employees. "The budget problem affects all the 38 million people of the state of California and is not an excluded-employee problem," King said. "These employees should not be bearing a disproportionate burden to deal with this issue. We oppose the governor's proposed budget cuts to state workers vehemently, and we urge our members to contact their state representatives to voice their opinions."

To email your legislators and the governor, use our Legislative Action Center. Type your zip code in the assigned box and links to your representatives and the governor will open up. Each link contains an email option. You can copy one letter and use it for all three emails

We'd like to hear from you, too. Please either copy your emails to us, at lholderness@calcsea.org, or write a separate email telling us your views on the governor's proposal and including suggestions you may have for alternative solutions.

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi agrees with our stance not to cut state employees. ACSS Executive Director Mitch Semer attended a conference with Garamendi this morning at the Capitol. "No cuts," Garamendi said. "We're looking instead at the revenue side." (The Sacramento Bee reported on Garamendi's Capitol press conference on Nov. 8.)

He added: "When you cut the California budget, you're cutting California jobs, which increases the downward spiral.

Garamendi spoke at a press conference on the Capitol steps after the meeting reiterating his pledge to support "no cuts."