'Historic' budget cuts roughly equal to 2008 payroll growth

The San Diego Union-Tribune found that "San Diego's payroll ballooned by $41 million last year, fueled by unpublicized payouts, labor settlements and costly benefits."  Analysis of spending data  "helps put into perspective the $43 million in wage and benefit reductions that will take effect July 1 to address a budget gap. [Mayor Jerry] Sanders portrays the 6 percent reductions as historic and difficult, yet the savings are about the same as last year's growth in payroll." The story is the first in a three-part series that also includes an online payroll database.