California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order eliminating thousands of part-time and temporary positions and firing 200,000 state workers who received the federal minimum wage.

”Today I am exercising my executive authority to avoid a full-blown crisis and keep our state moving forward,” Schwarzenegger said.

“This is not an action I take lightly.”

The order exempts public safety agencies but covers 22,000 retired state employees who work under contract, temporary and part-time workers, seasonal employees and student assistants. Of that total, 10,300 would receive pink slips immediately.

The others are workers who might be exempted from the order because they are deemed crucial to public safety.