California gets rid of 7,112 "non-essential" vehicles

California car culture? Bleh!

That's what a bunch of California state employees may be saying after a bunch of them just lost use of state-owned, state-fueled vehicles as part of the cash-strapped state's effort to cut costs.

Gov. Jerry Brown this week threw the hammer down, cutting the state's fleet by 7,112 vehicles, or about 14 percent of the state-owned total. Combined with the previous (yes, Arnold's) gubernatorial administration, the state's fleet will be about 20 percent smaller than it was in 2010.

Specifically, the state thinned out vehicle-count in state-run departments by 4,204 light-duty vehicles, which will result in a $12.6 million annual reduction in fueling, insurance and depreciation expenses.

And the other 3,000-odd vehicles? Those had "home-storage" permits, meaning that employees were allowed to commute in them. Taking those cars back and trashing them will save the Golden State about $3 million a year.