Missedoutonseverance?Hereitcomesagain
BySHERRYHALBROOK createdthisadditionalopportunity,”said participatinginthe
Thestateisofferingasecondphaseof PEFPresidentKenBrynien. program.Asyouare
theVoluntarySeverancePlan(VSP). “Gov.DavidPatersonaskedPEFtohelp aware,thestatecontinuestoface
Employeesleavingstateserviceunder findwaystoclosethebudgetdeficit,and seriousfiscalchallenges.Toaddress
Phase2mustbeoffthepayrollnolater weturnedtoyou,ourmembers,forideas thissituation,thegovernorhas
thanJanuary20,2010.Thedeadlinefor andinformation,”Bryniensaid.“Manyof instructedagenciestoaggressively
filingforretirementundertheextensionis yousaidyouwouldtakethevoluntary offerseverancestoreducethestate
December22,2009. severanceifitwereavailabletoyou.We workforceandmaximizesavings
Allbuttwooftheprovisionsofthe passedyourinformationontothe whichwillassistinclosingthe2010-2011
earlierVSPprogramalsoapplytoPhase2. governor’sofficeandnowitisresponding budgetgap.Anyadditionalpersonal
Theseverancepaymentcontinuestobe withanewopportunity.Thatshowsa servicesavingsrealizedthroughthisfinal
$20,000.However,participatingemployees good-faitheffortonallsides,andIthank extensionwillbecreditedtoagencies’
nolongerwillhavetheoptionofsplitting boththegovernorandallofourmembers 2010-2011gapreductiontargets.”
thepayment;theentire$20,000willbe whohavebeencomingforwardtohelp.” PEFhaspostedonitsWebsiteat
paidatonetime. Bryniensaidtherealtestwillbeatthe www.pef.orgbothBrynien’sannouncement
Ontheplusside,ifyouareofferedthe agencylevel,becausesomeagencieschose andMegna’sletterandhisPhase2policy
severanceandacceptit,butthenchange nottooffertheseverancetoanyemployees guidelinesfortheagencies.
yourmindbeforethedateyour oronlyafew,earlierthisyear. PEFcontinuestocollectthenamesof
“irrevocableletterofresignation”takes “IhopeagencieswillmaketheVSP memberswhoareinterestedintheVSP.If
effect,youwillbeabletowithdrawyour morewidelyavailablenow,thantheydid youareinterested,buthavenotpreviously
letterofresignation,anoptionthatwas inthefirstoffering,”Bryniensaid. expressedthatinterestontheWebsite,do
previouslyunavailable. Apparently,that’salsothehopeof soimmediately.
Employeesstillmustwaitfortheir PatersonandstateBudgetDirectorRobert Remember,however,allofficial
agencytoofferthemtheseverance,and Megna.InhisNovember18lettertoagency communicationaboutthisprogramwill
thosewhoacceptitwillbebannedfrom commissioners,Megnawrote,“Ithascome comefromagencymanagement,andonly
returningtostateserviceforfiveyears. toourattentionthatthousandsof youragencycanofferyoutheseverance
“Weareverypleasedthatthestatehas employeesexpressedaninterestin opportunity.
Economy needs accurate census count
ByDEBORAHA.MILES ProgrammeetinginNovember,thebureau
ornotyouareacitizen.Completinga
SeveralhundredthousandNewYorkers doesnotwantarepeatofthe2000Census.
censusformdoesnotincreaseyour
werenotcountedinthe2000Census,so “Itfailedtocounthundredsof
chancesofbeingpickedforjuryduty.
NewYorklostnearly$400milliondollars thousandsofpeoplelivinginNewYork,”De
The2010Censusquestionnairehas
annuallyinfederalaidandapproximately Lavalladesaid.“Thiscensusiscrucially
only10questions.Theformasksforbasic
$4billiondollarsoverthelast10years. importanttooureffortsforamore
information,suchasgender,age,birth
Thecensusistakenevery10years,and responsiveandefficientgovernment.”
date,race,numberofpeoplelivingatthe
thenextnationwideheadcountwillstartin
address,andwhetheryourentorownyour
March.Itincludescitizensandnon-
Starting in spring
home.
citizens,peopleofallages,racesandethnic
InMarch,acensus
Ifafamilymemberisliving
groups.
questionnairewillbemailedto
inacollegedormitory,military
“ThefactNewYorkisinafiscalcrisis
everyhousehold.Ifyoufillit
barracks,nursinghome,
onlymakesthiscensusevenmore
outandmailit(nopostage
homelessshelterorprison,he
important,”saidPEFPresidentKen
required),youwillhavedone
willbecountedseparatelyby
Brynien.“Thefederalgovernmentspends
yourpart.Ifyoudonot
censusemployees.
nearly$2,000annuallyperNewYork
completeandmailitback,
residentinfederalprogramfunding.Ifyou
youwillreceiveasecondform Count everyone in
don’tgetcounted,itmeansyour
inApril.Ifyouneglectthat “Partofourfutureasa
communitywillbepassedoverforpublic
one,acensustakerwillcome public-employeeunion
servicesthataffectschools,hospitals,
knockingonyourdoor. dependsontheoutcomeof
housing,transportationandlaw
Somepeopleassumethey thiscensus,”Bryniensaid.
enforcement.
arecountedinthecensusjust “Ourmembersareresponsible
“Italsomeanslosingcongressional
byhavingadriver’slicense,being andwillundoubtedlyfillouttheforms.We
representatives,”Bryniensaid.
registeredtovote,oriftheyreceiveaSocial areaskingthemtogoastepfurtherand
Tomakesureeachindividualis
Securitycheck.That’snotthecase. helptheirneighborsorotherpeopleinthe
counted,thestateSenateislaunching
Thecensusonlycountspeoplebasedon community.Somepeoplemaynothavean
“CountMeIn,”anefforttomakesureall
thecensusforms. understandingofthecensusandthe
NewYorkersfromMontauktoBuffalowill
Thecensusisrequiredbylawtoprotect dynamiceffectithasontheeconomyand
becounted,andreceivetheresourcesthey
yourpersonalinformation.Itdoesnot communityservices.Theymayneedhelpto
needanddeserve.
sharethisinformationwithany completeandmailtheirforms.”
AnnetteDeLavallade,apartnership
governmentagency,non-profitgroup,or Ifyouneedmoreinformationonthe
specialistattheU.S.CensusBureau,told
privatecompany.Noonewillknowyour 2010Census,gotowww.nysenate.gov.
w
PE
w
F
w.
m
pe
e
f
m
.o
b
rg
ersataRegion8Women’s
name,whoisstayingwithyou,o
T
r
h
w
e
h
C
e
o
t
m
he
m
r
unicatorDecember2009/January2010—Page9
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32