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In his first executive order since taking office, Californian governor Jerry Brown today ordered the return of 48,000 mobile handsets – half of the 96,000 currently issued – from public servants by June in an effort to reign in government spending.
The governor, who believes the move will save the state $20 million a year said in a written statement “It is difficult for me to believe that 40% of all state employees must be equipped with taxpayer-funded cell phones,”
He continued, “some state employees, including department and agency executives who are required to be in touch 24 hours a day and seven days a week, may need cell phones, but the current number of phones out there is astounding.”
California has found itself in severe debt over the last few years, a state of affairs which many find crippling.
“In the face of a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, a cell phone may not seem like a big expense,” Brown said, “but spending $20 million, and perhaps far more than that, on cell phones can’t be justified.
“We’re facing a budget crisis in California and I want to achieve all possible, reasonable savings. We have one of the best state workforces in America, and I am confident that all state employees will understand the need for this move and will cooperate.”
The Governor, however, said that the state may have to take a little longer on the phone recalling deadline stating “because of contract obligations, it is possible that we may not be able eliminate all 48,000 cell phones by June 1, but it is also conceivable that we can do it earlier – and that is my hope.”
What does this mean for the general public? Not much, really, since public servants rarely answer their phones anyway.
