The first question you may want to ask has been answered here already, but it's worth repeating: State workers will not be paid in IOUs. You'll still get your paychecks, immediately cashable. For other answers, check out The Sacramento Bee's QandA this morning -- starting with "Why can't a state with the eighth-largest economy on Earth pay its bills?" (Unfortunately, many of the questions that appear in today's paper don't show up online. Here are a few very brief answers you can use: You don't have to cash the IOU right away; you can hold it to earn interest. Banks that have agreed to take them, some for a limited time, include Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Tri-Counties, Chase, Golden One Credit Union and several other credit unions.)