Jerry Brown Confiscates 48,000 Cell Phones

Hugh Pickens writes "The Sacramento Bee reports that California Governor Jerry Brown, in his first executive order since taking office, has ordered the collection and return of 48,000 state government-paid cell phones — half of those now in use — by June 1. 'It is difficult for me to believe that 40 percent of all state employees must be equipped with taxpayer-funded cell phones,' says Brown in a written statement. '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.' Brown's cell phone order directs state agency and department heads to retrieve the cell phones and the governor says he plans to continue reducing cell phone usage in months ahead. 'In the face of a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, a cell phone may not seem like a big expense,' adds Brown. 'But spending $20 million, and perhaps far more than that, on cell phones can't be justified.'"

Comments

Re:He is not taking privately held phones

[careysub]

... the Feds could eliminate every single program other than Social Security and defense spending and STILL be over budget...

Let's see: 2010 revenues $2,217 billion; Defense spending $663.7 billion; Social Security $677.95 billion.

$663.7 billion + $677.95 billion = $ 1341.6 billion < $2,217 billion

Is it to much to to ask to run one Google query and do one addition problem before bloviating about the federal budget so that it is not nonsense?

Re:YRO?

[jgagnon]

Here's the law from California that says they must (section 2802): http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=02001-03000&file=2800-2810

I'm sure MANY other states have similar laws, though I'm not exactly willing at this moment to spend the time to provide you with a full list. :p