Reply #20: John Chiang

[guruoo]

"In July 2008, Schwarzenegger was reported to be planning to "slash the pay of more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum of $6.55 per hour," among other measures, due to a lack of an approved state budget.<7> In response, Chiang characterized Schwarzenegger's idea as "a poorly devised strategy to put pressure on the Legislature to enact a budget" and stated that he would continue to pay state workers their full salaries<7>. Chiang claimed that he had "both constitutional and statutory authority" to continue payments and that Schwarzenegger was trying to make Chiang "do something that's improper and illegal"<8>. He received support from the Democratic leadership in the state Senate and Assembly<9>. When Schwarzenegger issued a formal Executive Order, Chiang sent a formal letter to Schwarzenegger "reiterating his position"<10><11>. At a rally of state workers in Los Angeles, Chiang called them "innocent victims of a political struggle"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chiang_(California_politician)