Linda Mascorro has worked at the Pomona court for 19 years, and when she read that a new computer system to link California's courthouses could cost $2 billion, she said, "I was shocked. How do they justify any of this? They're serving justice, how do they justify this to the public?"

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George says he's committed to open government. But officials who administer the state's court system apparently haven't gotten the message. They have effectively denied a routine request for public information: who works at the state's Administrative Office of the Courts and how much they get paid.

SEIU 721 members expressed shock after a newspaper finds cost overruns and lack of oversight in the Administrative Office of the Court's $1.75 billion statewide computer system.

You have seen the headlines, you have read the articles and you have felt it in your pocket. Times are tough and we have assembled a strong team of negotiators to meet the challenges and win a stronger contract.