Here is what is actually going to happen in CA.
Pension reform will take place. They will reduce the pensions for new hires. People will still apply but not the more intelligent ones. They can make more in the private sector.
So, in order to attract more qualified applicants, they will have to raise pay. When they raise pay for new applicants, they will also have to raise the pay a like amount for the workers under the previous system.
End result, no savings.
This isn't rocket science but state employees are a fair and fun target.
Twenty years ago when I started with the state, I did so knowing I would be paid less than my private worker counterparts. I did so willingly because I knew the end result was a more secure retirement and that I would have a better vacation plan. That was an acceptable trade off for me.
In those twenty years I have worked in miserable conditions with low bid (junk) equipment. I have worked most Christmas' and New Years'. Almost exclusively on the night shift. When it storms, we work 12 hours on and 12 hours off. Seven days a week. For however long the storm lasts. 33 days was the longest stretch for me. We are not allowed to take time off during the winter because they need everyone on to cover 24 hour operations.
In the spring and summer, they block out weeks to months at a time for no time off so they can fix the winter damage. Paving, shoulders, etc. So that vacation time starts adding up.
Then they furlough us but make us work the furlough days and bank them. Now we have vacation time building up along with the furlough time. We are also able to take 75 hours of comp time in lieu of overtime. (OT in snow country is 200 - 800 hours a year depending on where you work) We have to use furlough time before we use vacation. I haven't touched my vacation time in over a year.
I also pay taxes, just like all the outraged taxpayers.
Personally, I think arnie should have just cut the budget of every department 10% and let the department heads find where they wanted to make the cuts.
If that wasn't enough then he should have started lay offs.
Instead, he wanted to grandstand and dick around. Now that we knocked that dick into the dirt, his ego won't allow him to let go.