Denis Monsibais is an Examiner at the Bakersfield Department of Motor Vehicle office where she has worked for 19 years. Friday she and 8 other co-workers were sent home early after having worked half a day.

"I never thought it would come to this. We always got threats and this one really did come through," said the mother of two.

Numerous state workers throughout Kern County have either been laid off or had their work hours reduced as a result of an Executive Order by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Statewide more than 10,000 part-time and seasonal workers lost their jobs. An additional 200,000 could have their pay cut to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour with full salary reimbursed once a budget is signed.

Schwarzenegger said the move was necessary because legislators have failed to approve a state budget and the state needs to build up sufficient cash reserves to avoid a cash crisis in September.

But state workers question why they should be the ones to bear the brunt of the budget crisis. At the Bakersfield DMV office on F Street,
frustration was growing and patience thin as customers waited for more than an hour in some cases to get service.

"Very frustrating!" said Karen Hoggs of Bakersfield. She came in at
11a.m. and was still waiting to get a State ID nearly one hour later.

"The don't have enough workers at the counters. It's ridiculous!" she said.

DMV usually closes its doors at 5p.m. But on Friday, the doors closed at 3:15p.m. as overtime pay has also been ordered cut by the governor's order.

The DMV says the best way to ensure service is to make an appointment,