L.A. Superior Court To Lay Off 329 Workers 4/1/10

Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder

<a href="http://www.metnews.com/articles/2010/budg030810.htm" target="_blank">http://www.metnews.com/article...0810.htm</a>


A memo sent to all staff by Los Angeles Superior Court Executive Officer John A. Clake Friday and obtained by the MetNews announced the layoffs of 329 employees on April 1 and warned that hundreds more were anticipated to follow.

“We are experiencing a structural deficit from which there will be nothing that looks like a recovery,” he told the court staff. “We are, instead, charting a course toward ‘the new normal’ for the California trial courts. We will become a smaller court.”

They eventually expect to lose 1800 workers, or 35% of their workforce.

Los Angeles is a microcosm of the rest of the state and the country. Unless new revenue comes in, this means that a typical divorce will take 3-5 years, a typical tort case will take over 7 years. Let's hope an anti-tax person doesn't need either one.

 

Originally Posted By mawnck

>>Let's hope an anti-tax person doesn't need either one.<<

They'll just use it as evidence of how inefficient government is.

 

Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder

The overall pointhere isn't just about the court system. it's about government services overall. Speaking just about California here, we're getting to a point where not just the courts but other cities, counties and school districts are going to have to start laying off in large numbers as well.

Here in Long Beach they're getting ready to lose over 700 teachers. 700! I can distinctly remember Darkbeer ridiculing my point months ago that classroom sizes will soon hit 50 students per teacher. Oh no, he said, never, you liberals exaggerate. Well Bunky, 50 is going to seem small very soon. State colleges are beginning to map out plans that make four year degrees a thing of the past. It could now take five or even six due to restricted class availability. Same for community colleges. Good luck getting that two year degree in two years.

Services of all types, from libraries to police to fire to sewer to trash to the DMV to health care have already been cut to the core. Without funding, it's going to soon be time to decide which ones are less essential, because almost all non-essential has already been targeted. The city of L.A. is about to lose 4,000 workers. City trees will be be overgrown, libraries will close, some crimes won't get prosecuted, etc., because no one will be around to do them.

People in favor of raising taxes, or getting rid of ballot initiatives, or restructuring Prop 13, don't like to be taxed any more than the people who automatically oppose every tax increase or mention of a restructure. They just realize it's the right thing to do. I hope all the Howard Jarvis neandethals are happy, because they've brought this state to its knees.

 

Originally Posted By hopemax

Over on fivethirtyeight.com, there was a post about perceptions of the people and budgets. They quoted a poll that on average, Americans believe that 53 cents of every Federal dollar is wasted. They also mentioned that people believe that 20% of the Federal budget is going to Foreign Aid (the real number is less than 1%).

I imagine those type of beliefs filter down to state and local governments too. That taxes don't have to go up, and services don't have to be decreased because they just need to spend the money they have more wisely. I saw the comments in the LA Times article about this earlier, and the general consensus at that point was, "Good." It will just lead to weeding out all those surly government employees that didn't really work anyway.

 

Originally Posted By gadzuux

I'll see your 1800 pink slips, and raise you 13,200 ...

>>

15,000 S.F. workers given layoff notices
Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, March 6, 2010

<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/06/BAJ11CBKHJ.DTL" target="_blank">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...BKHJ.DTL</a>

Emotions ranged from disbelief to despair to downright anger Friday as 15,000 San Francisco city workers received pink slips. But Mayor Gavin Newsom reiterated that his controversial plan to rehire them under shortened workweeks would wind up saving thousands of jobs.

<<

 

Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder

"I saw the comments in the LA Times article about this earlier, and the general consensus at that point was, "Good." It will just lead to weeding out all those surly government employees that didn't really work anyway."

Which is just ignorance bordering on self-inflicting pain.

 

Originally Posted By fkurucz

>>“We are experiencing a structural deficit from which there will be nothing that looks like a recovery,<<

Welcome to the new 'normal'. High unemployment and fierce downward pressure on wages are here to stay.

 

Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub

Be kind to your loved ones future and consider zero population growth.
Can't believe i said that but it will be bleak.

 

Originally Posted By Sport Goofy

<< Welcome to the new 'normal'. High unemployment and fierce downward pressure on wages are here to stay. >>

In other words, a depression.

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

As a government worker myself I appreciate the short but accurate response by Pass in #6.

 

Originally Posted By pecos bill

People dont realize that letting the infrastructure of government erode is the same as letting society erode.
The ripple effect from this kind of thing is downright scary.
Basic government is the glue that holds society together.

What good are those extra tax dollars when anarchy rules the streets?

 

Originally Posted By fkurucz

***<< Welcome to the new 'normal'. High unemployment and fierce downward pressure on wages are here to stay. >>

In other words, a depression.***

I'm thinking more of a permanent structural change, especially for anyone who doesn't work for the Federal Gov't.

For everyone else, state, municipal and private sector employees: it's going to be a scary ride. A great many folks who thought they were "safe" (especially state and municipal employees) are in for a rude surprise. Even the health care sector is beginning to look wobbly as hospitals are now starting to have layoffs too.

 

Originally Posted By Labuda

Wow, I feel for those of you in California. This just sounds like a horrible situation.


Makes me damned glad to live in Austin - <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/02/cities-recession-jobs-lifestyle-real-estate-housing.html?boxes=Homepagechannels" target="_blank">http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/...channels</a>

"Government spending hasn't hurt Austin, Texas, either. It's the seat of state government and tied for No. 1 on our list of 10 cities best surviving the recession. Jobs have been lost nearly everywhere in the last three years, but between December 2007 and December 2009 the number of jobs in Austin rose by 0.98%; more than any of the other major cities we looked at. And by three years from now, jobs are expected to grow by 8.09%, the second-best job outlook on our list."

 

Originally Posted By fkurucz

^^Just remember, unlike the Feds, state gov'ts can't just borrow into infinity. If tax revenues fall, so will state and munipal payrolls.

 

Originally Posted By Labuda

Oh, I know. But, for now at least, Texas is booming, and I am quite glad about that.

 

Originally Posted By SuperDry

<<< >>Let's hope an anti-tax person doesn't need either one.<<

They'll just use it as evidence of how inefficient government is. >>>

That's *exactly* what they'll say.

 

Originally Posted By fkurucz

>>But, for now at least, Texas is booming, and I am quite glad about that. <<

I wouldn't go that far. The unemployment rate in the Lone Star state is still 8.2% and not improving. Hardly a "boom". Things are probably better in Austin, being the state capital and all.

 

Originally Posted By Labuda

Ok, I'll rephrase - the part of Texas I care most about is booming.

Better?

 

Originally Posted By fkurucz

^^Works for me

 

Originally Posted By Labuda

PHEW! I'm glad you were able to see that that was done in jest, sort of.