THAT’S DEBATABLE:

Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order forcing 238,000 employees to take off two unpaid days a month through June 30, 2010, with managers receiving either the same time off or a commensurate pay reduction. The governor’s office calculated that the furloughs would save the state more than $1.2 billion as the state struggles to pare down an expected $42-billion hole by mid-2010. What do you think of the governor’s order?

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The governor should use every legal tool to reduce state spending, which has more than doubled in 10 years — twice the rate of inflation plus population growth. Unfortunately, the governor has worsened the problem, growing government at a 40% clip in 2003-07 and adding tens of billions of debt.

Now the governor supports an unconstitutional effort to raise taxes $11 billion, including higher income, sales, gas and oil taxes. Before hiking taxes, he should complete his 2003 promises to “blow up the boxes” “tear up the credit card” and reform government.

Chuck DeVore

assemblyman

(R-Newport Beach)

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It is unfortunate that years of gross overspending and mismanagement of state funds have placed the governor in the position of having to issue this executive order. For years, my Republican colleagues and I have been calling for a complete overhaul of the state’s financial house, but our cries for action have gone unanswered. The latest ploy by the majority party to do away with the two-thirds vote requirement to increase taxes does nothing to solve this budget crisis. Rest assured, I will continue to do my part to ensure that taxpayers are not penalized for their government’s inaction.

Tom Harman

state senator

(R-Huntington Beach)

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Gov. Schwarzenegger’s plan is a continuation of the worthless schemes to paper over the state’s deficits without having any meaningful impact. While freeing up cash in the short term, it does not reduce state expenditures nor bring spending into line with projected revenues.

Instead of haphazardly cutting the pay of state workers, Schwarzenegger’s time would be better spent if he offered some significant structural reform. Another round of arbitrary, haphazard and in some cases illegal tax hikes by Sacramento politicians will likely shrink state revenues in this struggling economy — making budget cuts deeper and hindering any potential economic recovery.

Van Tran

assemblyman