Paterson says he will lay off thousands of state workers
From the Associated Press:
New York Gov. David Paterson says he’s putting together a plan that would lay off thousands of state workers at the beginning of next year to help balance the state budget.
Paterson says he’ll direct state agencies to begin picking positions that could be eliminated starting Jan. 1, 2011.
That date marks the expiration of the no-layoffs pledge Paterson gave public employee unions last year in exchange for an agreement to reduce pension costs. It would also be the day he leaves office. A final decision on layoffs would fall to his successor.
State leaders are facing a $9.2 billion deficit and still haven’t completed a budget for the fiscal year that began April 1.
Paterson has been calling for concessions from the unions. He lost a court battle last week over cost cutting that included furloughs.
Sure he will, just like he was going to close the parks. I wouldn’t even bother covering NYS budget news anymore.
I believe the fiscal year begins July 1st. The April 1st is the deadline to pass the budget. The situation is colossally screwed up, but we haven’t actually reached the start of the new fiscal year yet.
Thank you delinquent legislators who should be impeached for dereliction of duty.
I have to agree with Brian. It seems to me the fault lays with the Legislature that refuses to deal with reality. Maybe it’s time to recall them all and have some special elections- at their cost of course.
I agree with Paul, they have not been able to cut even the smallest thing yet why would he even say this sort of stuff; I do wonder if he is just messing with us, I wouldn’t be surprised. I mean Eil Wier has a some sort of constituency? If you can’t even close one slightly dumpy park up here in St. Lawrence county how in the world would he ever expect to lay off ONE public employee let alone thousands.
Also, if it was illegal to furlough the workers for one day it is probably illegal to lay them off. It would just end in court where everything else does. The budget crisis is great for the legal profession. Anything that happens with NYS government is good for the legal profession! Remember all those workers have a contract, Patterson can’t touch them so it is just more smoke and mirrors.
Also, the earliest he could lay them off is January 1, 2011. That is the day AFTER his last day in office. His hands are tied till he is done, so he can’t do anything but talk.
A litmus test to vote for any elected official should be for them to promise to BUST all state worker unions – teachers, police, all of them must go.
Let the overpaid union leaders get a job at Wal Mart.
I don’t see the need to “BUST any unions. Just lay workers off. Same as they do in the private sector. If there are too many police, firemen, teachers, correction officers, snowplow drivers lay them off. A bit of mandate relief in DOT and schools would do wonders too.
You cannot get elected in NYS and promise to “bust” unions. No state workers will be laid off. The most we can hope for is a reduction in pay raises and possibly a minor contribution to their health care costs, and a commitment to stop creating new government jobs; and even that will be savagely fought.
Pete, they just rename the Union a collective bargaining association. And in truth, it’s not Unions themselves that are bad, it’s the power they wield and the lack of foresight they display. People have a right to join together for better working conditions. But they also have a responsibility to stop asking for more when it harms the rest of us.
Merve;- most State workers I know of already pay for their heath insurance and have co-pays at each visit.
Bret is correct almost all public employees pay a part of their H.C. and /or a co-pay. As for layoffs, look at public schools, the layoffs are happening in a big way.
I think different groups have different benefit packages, the several I know do not contribute but do pay a co-pay. The bottom line is state workers in NYS have far better benefit packages as a group than private sector workers have. This is not the fault of the individual workers, but it does show the clout they yield as a group. No state workers (those working directly for NYS) will likely ever be laid off in my opinion, but I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Large unions in the state are far too powerful and corrupt, most politicians fear taking them on for very good reason.
The more likely result of this mess NYS is currently in will be finding a way to borrow more or to raise property, income and sales taxes. Which in turn will further hurt the private sector and the cycle will continue with a shrinking private sector and an even more powerful almost fuadal public sector extracting their pay from the working people who cannot choose to pay or not.
Now if they said we are going to take the taxes you pay and simply increase medicaid or increase HEAP payments and not increase the number of people ‘administering” those programs, I would not have a problem, but instead the money is currently going to people making very good wages and benefits. Did you know that we have inspectors from Albany who physically come out and inspect hair stylists?
IMO the State is top heavy. Get rid of 50% of upper management and you solve a lot of problems right there.
No doubt Bret.
I mean yeah we need teachers and law enforcement, but do we need thousands and thousands of people working for OMH or DOH or OCFS or name your state acronym and so forth most of them residing in the capital district?
Where do the cuts began? Part of the problem and certainly this holds true for me as much as anyone is that we don’t like government unless its OUR government, the people serving us or working in our communities it is always about cutting some other place. It is a catch 22 for sure once the size of government grows to a certain point.