Governor Gibbon’s biennial budget will be open for inspection by this time tomorrow and it’s sure to be the topic of conversation around water coolers on Friday. Some previews have raised eyebrows, notably the proposed 6% salary reduction on teachers and state employees, along with zero step increases for employees with less than 10 years of service. The legislative session begins on February 2 and it will be a tough time for everyone involved until its conclusion, so here’s some of the things that might help us through the upcoming emotional roller coaster.

Breathe. Nothing gets the blood pumping faster than job anxiety, and many state employees chose public service because it is harder for us to be fired or laid off, but a negative emotional response will not help anyone, especially your family and co-workers. Whether you are or are not affected by the proposals, take some deep breathes before opening your mouth. You may stop yourself from saying something you’ll regret later.

Nothing has been finalized. It’s called a budget proposal and the Governor’s position is one part of the puzzle. Many Democrats in the Legislature have gone on record against the cuts because of the possible backlash against hiring new teachers and the possibility that senior state employees might retire early. The two sides will negotiate publicly and privately, and hopefully by July 1, they will work out a compromise. Until then, nothing is set in stone until the Governor signs the budget into law or the Legislature enacts an overriding veto.

The alternatives are worse. State administrators and supervisors were told to submit budgets with a 34% reduction in services and costs, so it’s safe to say that there will be massive layoffs if the salary cuts are not approved and the Democrats cannot find new funding sources (i.e.: taxes). If you want a preview of how bad things can get, look to the west. Our colleagues in California will be forced to take two unpaid days off a month which is nearly 10% of their paycheck (figuring there are 22 workdays in a month), most part-time and short-term employees were fired, and many full-timers are still going to be laid off, anyway.

Don’t believe the extremists. TV stations, print reporters, political pundits, and idiot bloggers like yours truly will be doing anything and everything we can do to grab your attention because we know that a crisis is our bread and butter. We will pounce on every tiny rumor and blow it out of proportion in hopes of keeping you glued to our particular forum. Do yourself a favor: turn off the TV and computer, go wrap some fish with the newspaper, and take a walk outside. You’ll feel better, honest.

Plan ahead. Leave the emergency credit cards in the desk, hold off on buying the big screen TV and don’t go to Disneyland this year. No matter the outcome, disposable income will be scarce and it’s probable that something will change in our paychecks beginning July 1. Be realistic and honest with yourself and, for the love of your family and your sanity, set some money aside in your savings account right now. At best, you’ll have a nice little nest egg and, at worse, you’ll be better prepared to meet your mortgage and bill payments.

Remember the bottom line: most of us will have a job on July 1, 2009. It may not be what we want or at the salary we’re used to, but we’re still in a better situation than millions of Americans. Hang in there and keep believing that things will get better. After all, the United States is still the greatest country in the history of history. We’ve gotten through some pretty bad times together and we’ll get though this, too.