GOP playing games with labor laws in California

[ColbertWatcher]

From the Los Angeles Times
LABOR
Overtime pay, rest breaks become bargaining chips in state budget crisis
GOP lawmakers and business groups say changes in workplace rules are needed to keep employers in California, generating tax revenue. But Democrats and labor groups refuse to go along.
By Marc Lifsher

December 15, 2008

For decades, California employers have griped about state laws governing overtime pay and lunch breaks, contending that they raise costs and darken the business climate.

Now, their concerns have become a Republican bargaining chip in tough negotiations between the governor and lawmakers over how to fix a $14.8-billion hole in the state budget for the current fiscal year that threatens to shut down government by spring.

Major business groups took their concerns to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and last month he included them in his plan for addressing the budget crisis.

"Workplace reforms," Schwarzenegger said, are "needed to help keep jobs in California." Giving California employers incentives to boost payrolls and not flee to lower-cost states would generate more tax revenue and help balance the state budget, he predicted.

--Los Angeles Times

With the GOP's Great Aryan Hope in California's governor's mansion, the GOP is really close to realizing Norquist's dream of a drowned government.

[firedupdem]

1. So they don't want to give overtime pay and screw lunch breaks?

What the hell?

[ColbertWatcher]

2. The GOP want to punish people who work, while protecting their privilege.

I fully expect the GOP to complain that state budgets can't be met because of labor laws.

[firedupdem]

3. This is why I don't understand their base. Poor dumbfucks

yelling for the gop when they don't give a shit about regular people. It's amazing.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. They cheer for the GOP at the expense of their own freakin' jobs! n/t

[Hellataz]

7. No it's their own base that understand themselves.

The problem with the republican base is not their leaders misunderstand their needs, it's the base being blinded by their own faith that they can never see that the GOP has never had the middle or lower class citizen best interests at heart. The true base of the GOP is the religious right wing RICH, that's who is taken care of. The Poor part of the base only looks to the GOP to help maintain their faith and values in the laws. If those dumbfucks clinged a little less to the bible and opened their eyes, they'd see the democratic party is trying to do what best for them, as well as everyone else. The GOP only looks out for the wealthy because that's who contributes to their campaigns.

[CitizenPatriot]

5. Breaking News

Joe the Plumber supports these cuts for workers, claims he has never taken lunch break or asked to be paid overtime in the business he is going to own one day (after he becomes a union member).

Calls lunch breaks "socialist" programs for elite, east-coast, latte drinking liberals.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. Joe, the mindless sheep. n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Scum-sucking bottom feeders, all of them!

It just infuriates me when they push these tactics!

:nuke: :nuke:

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Yup.

They've been setting this up since before Reagan.

[David__77]

10. Not gonna happen. Forget it.

They can "bargain" with whatever they want, but this will not happen.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. The GOP isn't going for the win now--they're going for doubt.

The GOP only want to make the idea that "labor" (read: unions) is (are) vulnerable. The GOP want to introduce the idea of questioning the necessity of labor laws in this time of crisis.

They basically are going to create another false choice, this time between union "restrictions" or America's economic survival.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. Kick. n/t

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. Not for long. Political extinction is beckoning to them very vigorously.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Which means they are in their death throes.

And desperate.

[Joe Chi Minh]

15. Precisely.