Mandated furloughs may save $678,000 per month

In Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, the state-mandated furloughs that began Friday could save the state a combined $678,000 per month, according to figures from the state controller’s office.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the furloughs to help alleviate a budget deficit that is projected to grow to $42 billion by June 2010. In all, the furloughs, scheduled to run from February to June 2010, will apply to as many as 238,000 state workers and will save the state $1.2 billion. With a few exceptions — including California Highway Patrol officers — state workers will be forced to take two unpaid days off per month.

Around $616,000 in monthly savings comes by way of furloughs in Tuolumne County, which has 1,317 state employees who stand to be affected by furloughs. The projected monthly savings for Calaveras County, meanwhile, amounts to $62,344, for its 178 furlough-eligible state employees.

 The difference in employment numbers between the counties is due mainly to Sierra Conservation Center’s presence in Tuolumne County. The prison, which has around 6,000 inmates, employs around 1,144 people.

So far, the prison has yet to implement any furloughs for its employees. The prison’s spokesman, Lt. Jim Hurtado, said furloughs are likely coming this week, but only for non-custodial personnel, like janitors and office support staff.

“Our custody positions are not going to be furloughed automatically,” he said Monday. “We’re not just going to let them go, because we have to run the prison.”

He noted that prison officials are still awaiting clarification on how the furloughs would apply to corrections officers. Hurtado added that the prison would likely look into cutting programs at the prison before reducing staffing levels.

The California Highway Patrol office in Jamestown implemented the furloughs on the first day, Friday, and the effort ran smoothly, according to CHP spokesman Tom Wills.

Just three people — a mechanic and two civilian office workers — in the 24-person office were furloughed, according to Wills. Highway Patrol officers, Wills noted, are immune to the furloughs due to a contract their union has with the state specifically prohibiting furloughs.

“We kept the doors open and had one officer and one sergeant who were able to handle things,” Wills said. “We want to keep our doors open five days a week.”

Some offices in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, though, were closed Friday, including Department of Motor Vehicles offices in Sonora and San Andreas, and the Calaveras Sector office of the State Parks and Recreation Department.

Offices for certain state agencies are being closed statewide twice a month as part of Schwarzenegger’s executive order on furloughs.

The furlough plan is not without critics.

Several employee unions unsuccessfully fought in court to keep it from being implemented, while some business experts, like Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce President George Segarini, say it could take money out of local economies, thereby reducing taxes generated by consumer spending.

"I understand where the state is coming from,” Segarini said. “But that takes more money out of the economy, and that’s what we need right now — an infusion of economic activity to pick things up.

“The state got us into this mess and they’ve got to fix it,” he added. “Unfortunately, they’re going to hurt business in their attempt to do that.”