California budget cuts

Ks mommy nurse · Aug 3, 2008

seriously, no one is going to respond to this thread? Am I the only nurse who is concerned about the cuts?! Had a mandatory meeting with staff from my HHA to discuss what's going on. And from what I heard, it is serious. It's a 10% cut on our salaries. That's huge with this economy, now with everything going up in price. This is a home health agency and the clients are medi-cal and regional clients and nurses are being given salary cuts, no OT, for now til a new budget is passed. Now I have "my opinions about the governor" which I will leave out, but how can he make these cuts to the health care system. He's already screwed with the schools which he said he would not touch. Is anyone else that I don't work with at all concerned. I posted this in the CA forum since it is an issue in our state, instead of the home health forum.

Nurse Salt · Aug 3, 2008

He is a fat cat sitting in a cushy office who has never had to worry about such a thing as pay cuts, why should he care what happens to the little people... Maybe we should have kept Grey Davis around and avoided the whole Govinator fiasco.

Sorry I didn't contribute much to your thread (great topic by the way!) I just really don't know enough about the executive order to have anything insightful to add. I have been out of the country, although I did see a teaser about it on the news a few days ago but had to go to work and didn't get to see the story.

CseMgr1, ASN, RN · Aug 3, 2008

I don't live in CA, but the budget here in my State is being slashed as well, with 1,000's being laid off. My own job may be in jeopardy, for the program we service is also facing hefty budget cuts. What irks me is that while many in city government are losing their jobs....others are getting pay raises, some as much as $15,000 per year.

Go figure.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2008

Unfortunately the 1st things always to be cut are health care and education....The two mosts important things....but yet we have Federal Government supporting increase in prescription meds...

10% is ALOT of money to lose in pay. It's funny how a raise is somewhere between 2-4% but yet when it comes to cutting, it's more than twice that.

I can't wait to get the Governator out of office. He hasn't done anything except give California a headache. Much different can't be said about our president.....THANK GOD FOR TERM LIMITS!

Proud 2b Me · Aug 6, 2008

What's going on with the California budget cuts? Governor Shwarzenneger signed an executive order to reduce pay to more than 200,000 state workers to federal min wage. This is also affecting the medi-cal program that pays for services for patients who have it. So far the HHA I work for called a mandatory meeting for all staff to discuss the governors cuts of 10% to our salaries. I've looked high and low here at allnurses and on the internet and can't find any info on this. Anyone else concerned?

I also work in HHC but so far I haven't been told anything about a cut silly me I did not know about the executive order and recently went in the office and requested a raise since I just graduated with my RN. I am concerned because this will likely make it harder to find a job as a New Grad RN wow this is scary!!! I only work two days a week and there is no way I can take any pay cut. YES I AM CONCERNED I have been so busy looking for a job I was unaware of what is going on.

Quailfeathers · Aug 17, 2008

I am a new grad LVN and I have my first job ready to go. However, when I was looking I found it difficult to get call backs and interviews set up, even with the SNFs. Thank you for this post; I have been so focused on myself and getting my foot in the door as a LVN, I neglected to see the bigger picture. The cuts taking place certainly are effecting us all more than I realized.

JanetCCURN · Aug 19, 2008

I was talking to a recruiter yesterday and he mentioned this bill. Of course I was concerned because Im on my way over to starting a new job at MMC in santa maria and well that population is very dense with medical/care patients.

This recruiter mentioned that this particular case he was needing to fill was suffering for nursing help and he didn't know why. When he said budget cut, I asked what's the pay, he said 25/hr. To start? Or with experience? It didn't matter. That definitely was probably one of the reasons why he couldn't get coverage for his case. That doesn't fit the cost of living expense. However, he did comment and say that he didn't think it was going to pass. Hmmm?

I wonder how union negotiated wages are impacted?

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Aug 20, 2008

Yeah, it sucks bad. I got very luck in timing...I was an LVN at a State University which was affected salary-wise. I happened to decide to quit the job because the market had hit my husband's field (construction) and went to an accelerated 9 month program. I am so lucky to have done what I did...I'll be an RN in less than 5 months...as opposed to being broke/unemployed right now...still broke...but things are looking up.

I wish the best to everyone! I have a lot of old coworkers who aren't doing so good...and my heart goes out to them and everyone else affected by this.

st4wb3rr33sh0rtc4k3 · Aug 20, 2008

That seriously isn't a good thing. I have been looking for employment in California, because some of my close friends live there. With the cost of living out there, I don't know how the governor can think everyone can afford this. Boo to him.

Thank you for this update and I hope everyone gets through this.

JanetCCURN · Aug 20, 2008

Spoke to another recruiter and he said that this cut mostly affects LVN's, he said it was related to most of the home health type cases are medicare and RN's don't usually work those type of cases because their care usually falls under the scope of an LVN.