Chiang takes fight with Schwarzenegger to cable news airwaves

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State Controller John Chiang and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have spent the week trading legal filings and pointed barbs in the media. At issue is Schwarzenegger’s order to reduce state worker salaries to $7.25 per hour until the state has a budget in place. It is a plan that Chiang says he cannot, and will not, implement.

Friday morning, Chiang appeared on Fox Business to talk about the wage rollbacks and his battle with Schwarzenegger.

‘This governor’s act is going to put the taxpayers of California on the hook for billions of dollars because we are going to violate federal labor laws,’ he said. ‘That’s not smart for the taxpayers of California, and that’s not smart for the taxpayers of America.’

Chiang had some harsh words for legislators as well, saying he has been imploring the governor and Legislature for nearly three years to get their house in order to stop the fiscal mismanagement and get a timely budget enacted.

‘I am the person trying to keep California afloat,’ he said. ‘I am the one trying to keep the taxpayers out of trouble.’

You can watch the Chiang interview here.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento