Debateragesonhow
toclosebudgetgap
BySHERRYHALBROOK •Expandingtheuseofseveranceand alreadystruggling,”Bryniensaid.
“Quitefrankly,wearerunningoutof voluntaryreductionsinworkschedulesto Thecombinedcostforallstateagency
money,”Gov.DavidPatersontoldstate reducestateworkforcecosts; operationsaccountsforjust15percentof
legislatorsataspecialjointsessionofthe •Reducingthestate’sshareofMedicaid thetotalstatebudget.Thecostofstate
SenateandAssemblyhecalledinearly costsbynegotiatingvolumediscountsfor employees’salariesandtheirbenefitsis
November. prescriptiondrugs; about12.5percentoftotalstatespending.
Althoughfewlawmakersdisputedjust •Reformingthestate’seconomic Thestatealreadyissaving
howserioustheproblemis,theybalkedat developmentprogramstoeliminate approximately$160millionin2009-10
acceptingthefullcourseofcureshe inequitiesandwaste;and (expectedtogrowtomorethan$300
prescribed.Neither,however,couldthey •Reducingthestate’sovertimeand millionin2010-11)byreducingthestate
quicklyagreeonadifferentapproach. workerscompensationcostsbyimproving workforcethroughtheseveranceprogram
So,asthegovernorandlegislators staffinginkeyareas. andattrition,andleavingthevacant
continuetowrangleoverhowbesttoclose positionsunfilled.
NewYork’s$3.1billionmid-yearbudget Misguided and mistaken The$5billiondeficitreductionplan
deficit,PEFkeepsnudgingthemtoward The New York Times cameoutwithan PatersonhasproposedtotheLegislature
substantiallyreducingthedependenceon editorialNovember16,beratingboththe issupplementedby$500millionin
highlypricedconsultantsandother DemocraticandRepublicanleadersfor additionalcutstostateagencynon-
measuresaimedatclosingthebudget failingtomovequicklyandeffectively. personal-servicesbudgets.That’san11
gap. Thenewspaperalsosaid,“Itistimeto percentcutinagencynon-employee-
considerlayoffsandfurloughsofstate relatedspendingforsuchthingsas
Start with the real fat employees,asotherstateshavedone.” equipment,travel,suppliesandmaterials,
“Ourgoalistohelpthestateresolve Bryniensaidthecallforlayoffsand andcontractsincludingthosefor
thebudgetproblemwithoutresortingto furloughsofstateemployeesisas consultantservices.
severecutstocorestateprogramsand misguidedassomeoftheothercost- Sincethe2008-09statebudgetwas
services,”saidPEFPresidentKen cuttingproposalsthathavesurfaced. enacted,stateagencieshavehadtheir
Brynien. “Forcingourmemberstotakeunpaid fundingcutbymorethan$2billion.
PEFmemberssteppedforwardto furloughswouldviolateourcontract. “Noothersegmentofthestatebudget
testifyatlegislativehearingsonstate Layingthemoffwouldamounttothrowing hasabsorbedfundingcutsofthis
correctionalservicesandinformation thebabyoutwiththebathwater,”Brynien magnitude,relativetotheirshareofthe
technology,anareawherestateagencies said.“NewYorkersneedtheirstatework statebudget,”Brynientoldlegislatorsin
relyheavilyonprivateconsultants. (See force.Peoplewhotalkabout‘trimmingthe hisletter.
related articles, pages 5, 6.) fat’don’trecognizejusthowleanthestate Thegovernorhasalreadytoldstate
InlateOctober,Brynienwrotetostate workforcehasbecomeafteryearsofhiring agencyheadstheiroperationalbudgets
legislators,proposingreducedconsultant freezescoupledwithretirements.” cannotincreasenextyear.
useandsixadditionalmeasuresthey
shouldcarefullyconsidertakingbefore Get real Freeze state contracting
agreeingtoslashdeeperintostate “Evenifthegovernorlaidoffeverysingle “Wecontinuetoworkwiththe
programs. stateemployee,itwouldnotprovide governor’sstafftoimprovethecurrent
Theseothermeasuresinclude: enoughsavingstoclosethisgap,butit (Continued on next page)
•Usingthestate’s$1BTax wouldparalyzethestateandseverely
StabilizationReserveFund; deepenunemployment,especiallyinrural
•LobbyingCongressandthe andremotecommunitiesthatare
presidenttoprovide
additionalfederalstimulus
aidtostates;
Page4—TheCommunicatorDecember2009/January2010 PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
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