Gov. Jerry Brown Upset With Calif. Employees Getting iPads

The California Department of Insurance has purchased Apple iPads for 31 senior staff members and Gov. Jerry Brown is not happy about.

The tablets cost the department about $1,000 each and were paid for using fees generated by the department.

But the governor's office is still not pleased with the decision. California lawmakers are in the midst of trying to close a $15.7 billion budget gap. And the Senate finance committee is facing a June 15 deadline to do something about it.

"I have (an iPad) on my desk that I purchased with my own money at Target for $600," Brown's Spokesman Gil Duran told Matier and Ross, who first reported the story. "They are useful toys, but spending state money on them in these economic times is a bad message to send."

The iPads cost more than a typical Apple tablet because they were business models that come with enhanced security.

The governor has also made part of his platform to cut costs where he can, including taking cell phones away from state employees and limiting  the use of state-owned vehicles.

The department purchased the second generation iPads as part of a pilot program to "increase efficiency" and as part of the program's commitment to go green.

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