Picture courtesy of Sacbee

As Americans discuss the corruption in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti and other governments, I stand witness to the bully mentality of our local government here in California where state workers are being threatened with minimum wage salaries as a means to force them into contract agreements that are not completely in their best interest.

Never mind the fact that having just come back from mandatory furloughs where they lost 15% of their salaries for a period of 18 months and the burdens this caused for some families, now the Governor’s attitude is do what I say or suffer harsher penalties of further reduced wages down to minimum wage level.

This threat to reduce wages has little to do with the deficit but more to do with control and manipulation. Furthermore, in the long run it is not a very rational decision in an economy that has suffered the harsh blows of high unemployment.

Thousands of state workers could be affected by this irrational act along with businesses that cater to state workers for lunchtime revenues, basic shopping, mortgages, car loans and the like, which negatively impact an already failing economy.

With all the lawsuits the state of California is embroiled in based on the mandatory furloughs coupled with the lawsuits that are being filed in an attempt to stop the threat of minimum wages, how much money do you think is being wasted by the Governor and the State of California to pursue these issues – this on top of a budget that can not be reconciled due to lack of funds.

To say that the decisions of Governor Schwarzenegger are, to coin a phrase from my daddy, stupid, would be an understatement. Desperate times call for desperate measures but let’s at least think the situation through clearly – the aim is to save more money, not spend more based on a bully mentality creating issues that will eventually have to be settled through long and expensive court battles.

Even though the minimum wage status would only be temporary, what happens in the end is that this debt to pay state workers back this money, in lump sums, only increases the debt California already has so how does this make rational sense?

Not only that but there are certain banks willing to help state workers by offering short term loans with low interest fees which in turn feeds money to them – everybody wins but the working poor and yet we find the words to criticize governments in other countries.

Again, I find myself shaking my head to clear the insanity that passes for rational thought patterns by those in the position of leaders.

And that’s the way I see it!!!