Governor Patterson threatening 8900 layoffs

[helicopper 1,050]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/03/24...ffs_of_890.html

ALBANY - Gov. Paterson ordered 8,900 state jobs slashed Tuesday to help close a budget deficit that has ballooned by another $2.2 billion.

While some jobs will be lost through attrition, the bulk will be through layoffs that would begin in July, Paterson budget spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said.

Looks like the worst is still yet to come!

[markmets415 524]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/03/24...ffs_of_890.html

Looks like the worst is still yet to come!

hopefully he starts with himself. It used to be a very good thing to be a NYS employee, can't be said anymore

[Guest]

only good in NY if your a walkway bridge

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Good being an employee also started to attribute to the problem amongst many many other things.

This is all a power play to see who will blink first...the gov. with public outrage at the layoffs...or the unions...who also won't concede anything.

I'm very pro union..but I have to say this..if I was about to get laid off, I would have to seriously think that some concessions to lower the number of layoffs or to almost eliminate them to attrition loss only would be the way to go.

The kicker is I think everyone is sitting around hoping for more money from the feds because I highly doubt they want to see 6 or 7,000 people on the unemployment stat sheet. That's not the way to go as the money will not always be there...and then the state will want it every year and more just like Yonkers with State money.

[ajsbear 11]

Not only the layoff but the changes to tax exemptions. While not many here if any are in the over $300K tax bracket, what if we all lost the STAR exemption on our homes?

[ajsbear 11]

The details of the new budget include:

--Essentially flat state school aid. Aid to public schools would increase about $1.1 billion, according to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and eliminate the $700 million cut Paterson had proposed in December. But that results in almost no increase for schools that have gotten bumps of billions of dollars from lawmakers pressured by school districts back home. School aid will total more than $21 billion, one of the highest per capita levels in the nation. But school advocates expected $1.5 billion more this year, even after Patterson's cut was restored, under a promise by the state following a court decision it lost for not providing a sound basic education for years.

Remember this, the last time school districts received far less state aid than expected local property taxes were subsequently increased by an average of 10 percent.

--About $3 billion of taxes and fees, from motor vehicle registration charges to public college tuition and other costs that would affect everyday life for most residents.

--No more tax rebate checks to residents, although the STAR exemption program and NYC STAR credit will continue to provide $3.3 billion in property tax relief for now.

--A bigger bottle bill. A nickel deposit would be required of bottled water, to go along with carbonated drinks. The state will get about $115 million of the unclaimed deposits, with bottlers keeping the rest under a last-minute deal worked out with lobbyists for the Coca-Cola Co.

--Taxing little cigars often called cigarillos at the same 46 percent rate applied to cigarettes, instead of the 37 percent rate now.

The Legislature also restored:

--$340 million of critical funding to New York City, as per Sheldon Silver.

--Funding for teacher training centers and adult literacy and bilingual education programs.

--$125 million more to the State University of New York, for a total of $2.5 billion in funding; and $86 million more to the City University of New York, for a new total of $1.4 billion.

--$49 million in cuts to community colleges.

--Almost $50 million to the Tuition Assistance Program, which provides financial aid to college students.

The Legislature also created a $50 billion program to provide low-interest loans to residents attending college and rejected a proposal for a gas tax.

[firefighter36 52]

Either the state pays the employees to work and the state benefits, or they lay them off, pay them unemployment (from state funds) and the state doesn't benefit! What is the better investment of our tax dollars?

[ajsbear 11]

Either the state pays the employees to work and the state benefits, or they lay them off, pay them unemployment (from state funds) and the state doesn't benefit! What is the better investment of our tax dollars?

Mark, you're talking about politicians, most don't or can't see that far in front of them.

[markmets415 524]

Mark I was thinking the same thing, layoffs solve nothing.

As a state employee without a contract for three years how much more do these people actually think we can give. I would love to be in a position to say here take a year without a raise, they are already have X3, I am supposed to be grateful I have a job. We got our last retro money in early 2008 for five years back pay, I won't go into the amount but I lost half in taxes, it raised my salary into another tax bracket and the kicker is my son is off to college in the fall and yep they use my 2008 salary for financial aid. I am one tired state employee that has to suffer every time the states needs $$$$.

[Monty 35]

Either the state pays the employees to work and the state benefits, or they lay them off, pay them unemployment (from state funds) and the state doesn't benefit! What is the better investment of our tax dollars?

Only a minor point, but unemployment only pays $405 / week (maybe with an extra $25 now thanks to the feds). So that's about 20,000 / year. Bet there aren't many state workers making that amount - or less.

From what I can see here, there are 199,400 employees. 8900 is about 4.5% of that number - a lot of people, but a relatively small amount of people compared to some places.

The same article says that there's expect to be 1,342 from the corrections department. I did hear that as part of the budget that several corrections institutions were going to be shut down.

[64FFMJK 21]

The same article says that there's expect to be 1,342 from the corrections department. I did hear that as part of the budget that several corrections institutions were going to be shut down.

Corrections is another one that is two years with out a contract and have gone to arbitration to resolve a contract.

Albany is pushing a law that changes Corrections law to alow for 90 days notice to close a Correctional facility instead of the curent 1 year mandate. This after the changes that were just aproved in the drug laws the state wants to dump, I mean "release" 1500 inmates asap and a total of 10,000 by the end of the summer.

Overtime is being hired for every shift at my facility curently so how layoff will save the state with having to pay for even more OT is beyond me.

I stoped thinking about my contract or a chance for a raise almost a year ago and now I am simply praying I still have a job when the summer rolls around.

[markmets415 524]

Corrections is another one that is two years with out a contract and have gone to arbitration to resolve a contract.

Albany is pushing a law that changes Corrections law to alow for 90 days notice to close a Correctional facility instead of the curent 1 year mandate. This after the changes that were just aproved in the drug laws the state wants to dump, I mean "release" 1500 inmates asap and a total of 10,000 by the end of the summer.

Overtime is being hired for every shift at my facility curently so how layoff will save the state with having to pay for even more OT is beyond me.

I stoped thinking about my contract or a chance for a raise almost a year ago and now I am simply praying I still have a job when the summer rolls around.

A fellow NYSCOPBA member here, but without arbie, yes the forgotten law enforcement ones

[pd125 0]

Only a minor point, but unemployment only pays $405 / week (maybe with an extra $25 now thanks to the feds). So that's about 20,000 / year. Bet there aren't many state workers making that amount - or less.

From what I can see here, there are 199,400 employees. 8900 is about 4.5% of that number - a lot of people, but a relatively small amount of people compared to some places.

The same article says that there's expect to be 1,342 from the corrections department. I did hear that as part of the budget that several corrections institutions were going to be shut down.

One of the things they will play with is the CO training the "talk" is for Limited amount of Classes for this year. This will put a strain on staffing as the year goes on. Also the Layoffs usually create more OT as they slash through the department.

[helicopper 1,050]

One of the things they will play with is the CO training the "talk" is for Limited amount of Classes for this year. This will put a strain on staffing as the year goes on. Also the Layoffs usually create more OT as they slash through the department.

If they make good on their "promise" to reduce the prison population by more than 10,000 inmates this year after the repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws and close various institutions or units within them, they may be able to reduce the numbers of CO's needed. Even if they have to pay some OT, it may be cheaper than the cost of full-time employees. At least that's the rhetoric I've always heard about using OT to keep costs down. It works until your numbers are so far down that you can't cover anything without OT.

It's interesting that there are so many state employees - about 200,000. That means for every 85 people in the state there is a state employee. So how come it takes two hours to get one to pick up the phone and you have to stand in line for two hours at the DMV? It should be far more efficient than that! [/sarcasm]

Does anyone know what other agencies (besides Corrections) will be facing the ax?

[firefighter36 52]

Gentlemen,

All valid points. Taking off my public employee hat, and putting on my business hat, it is also important to remember that sometimes, paying OT is cheaper than paying salary, benefits, etc. for more full time employees. This is something that a lot of city managers miss in their micro-managing of funds. The big thing a lot of places miss is at what point is such an arrangement no longer fiscally responsible, or reasonable for employees.

As a public employee, however, it is a hard pill to swallow when you hear that politicians are spending money like it is going out of style, or you see a headline like today's Poughkeepsie Journal: (paraphrased) "Taxes to go up, what will you pay more for?" and the subtitle is "Welfare Recipients, College Students to benefit." However, thanks to our politician's liberal spending habits and "economic stimulus," <sarcasm>I get an extra $7.00 each week in my pay. Change we can all believe in, right? </sarcasm>

[64FFMJK 21]

One of the things they will play with is the CO training the "talk" is for Limited amount of Classes for this year. This will put a strain on staffing as the year goes on. Also the Layoffs usually create more OT as they slash through the department.

When I entered the academy for DOCS they were running 2 locations in the state and running 3 classes at a time. last year they shut both academys down for most of the year then only reopened the one in Albany and are running 1 class at a time "as needs arise".

I don't know the actual number now but when I went to the academy they told use that in the next couple years almost 50% of the CO's in the state would be eligable for retierment.

And to the 10,00 that will get released how long do you relly think it will be before they end up returning to the state corrections system. The majority of the inmates we are seeing curently are ether parol violators or previous inmates in on a new bid. So by releasing 10,000 they are actuly creating a need for more Police and parole officers to handle the increaced work load.

[50-65 205]

Gentlemen,

All valid points. Taking off my public employee hat, and putting on my business hat, it is also important to remember that sometimes, paying OT is cheaper than paying salary, benefits, etc. for more full time employees. This is something that a lot of city managers miss in their micro-managing of funds. The big thing a lot of places miss is at what point is such an arrangement no longer fiscally responsible, or reasonable for employees.

As a public employee, however, it is a hard pill to swallow when you hear that politicians are spending money like it is going out of style, or you see a headline like today's Poughkeepsie Journal: (paraphrased) "Taxes to go up, what will you pay more for?" and the subtitle is "Welfare Recipients, College Students to benefit." However, thanks to our politician's liberal spending habits and "economic stimulus," <sarcasm>I get an extra $7.00 each week in my pay. Change we can all believe in, right? </sarcasm>

Mark, that was the point I was going to make. OT at 1.5 is generally cheaper than paying salary, benefits, etc. for an additional employee. The point at which it becomes irresponsible is when you no longer have the staff to safely operate or when the few people left to do the jobs of many get burned out.

As far as the "stimulus" goes, it appears to me that it is proportional. If you have a job making millions of dollars, you get more. If you are barely scraping by working two or three jobs, or unemployed, or on welfare, well you don't need as much. But don't worry, if I can save enough of my "stimulus" I might be able to buy a T-shirt.

[markmets415 524]

But don't worry, if I can save enough of my "stimulus" I might be able to buy a T-shirt.

More like a tank top, can't afford sleeves.