Despite your petitions, a personal delivery and Democratic leaders bending over backwards to compromise with "yacht party" Republicans, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made good on his threat to layoff 20,000 public employees and impose a federal minimum wage on approximately 200,000 state employees. Many of which are currently compensated through a legal collective bargaining agreement between the state and the workers' union bargaining agents.

While it appears the Governor used this threat and action to leverage a budget compromise on Republican and Democratic legislators, it is irresponsible for him to play poker with a public servant's mortgage or children's school tuition.

State Controller John Chiang, whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for has stepped up to the plate, appearing in a starring role to be the hero that stands up to the "Terminator."

The Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert published this statement from our new hero:

• State Controller John Chiang:
  
  "Forcing public servants to involuntarily loan the state cash by foregoing their hard-earned paychecks puts an untenable burden on our teachers, health care workers and those who provide critical public services. That is just wrong.
  
  "Requiring a cut in pay for public employees - especially as they, like many other Californians, struggle with their mortgages and higher gas and food prices - will not only cause significant harm to those families, but also irreparably impact our economy by further eroding consumer spending.
  
  "I have made it crystal clear that we have, and will continue to have, sufficient cash to make all payments, including state payroll, through September. Cutting workers' salaries will do nothing meaningful to improve our cash position or help us make our priority payments.
  
  "This is a cynical attempt by a governor who has spent the past few weeks going up and down the state criticizing others for political posturing. Such an executive order is unnecessary and nothing more than a poorly-devised strategy to put pressure on the Legislature to enact a budget.
  
  "As the Supreme Court has never addressed the legality of withholding full salaries versus paying minimum wage, the governor's proposed executive order would only invite more extensive and expensive litigation. Worse, should the courts find that withholding full pay is illegal, the state will be liable for treble damages.
  
  "I will urge the governor to rethink his proposal and work with us to ensure we manage our state finances in a responsible, realistic and honest manner."