Staffers in the office of Controller John Chiang met today with staffers from the state personnel department in the ongoing saga over whether the payroll computer system can actually spit out minimum wage paychecks anytime soon.

Not surprisingly, they still don't know.

The memo sent to Chiang's team from the personnel folks of Governor Schwarzenegger lays out some general ideas, almost none of which make sense to a non-techie. From a new "pay differential" to enacting a "335 transaction," it doesn't sound like the memo resolved much of anything.

"Although we continue to have different interpretations" of the court case that prompted the governor's order, said Chiang spokespeson Hallye Jordan by email, "our staff nonetheless said they would analyze the concepts for feasibility, cost and for potential litigation purposes."

It might be time for Nick Burns.