PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

PEF’s state budget battle far from finished

By KENNETH BRYNIEN

All around us states are facing a

financial day of reckoning. According to some published reports across the country the total deficits faced by the states are pegged at $180 billion and rising. New York is no different; the state’s

deficit increased through the 2009-10 fiscal year and deficit projections for fiscal year 2010-11 continue to grow. Two and a half months ago, the governor presented his Executive Budget to close an almost $9 billion deficit. As a result of your efforts, we have

made the state’s leaders aware of the effect this budget will have on our members, especially in the Office of Children and Family Services and Departments of Correctional Services and Agriculture and Markets, as well as the quarter-of-a-billion dollars in wage and benefit concessions included in the proposed budget. Although our message has been

delivered to the Legislature, our work isn’t done yet, and in some respects it hasn’t begun. We’ve started the first phase of a statewide media campaign, prepared fact sheets and talking points on our issues, organized a lobby day, local rallies and town meetings with legislators as well as multiple fax campaigns. All of this is to lay the ground work for further action on the budget if necessary. We’ve heard from legislative leaders

budget restorations are unlikely and further cuts may be needed to the state budget as revenue options proposed by

resources slowly disappear. Like OCFS, the OPD also operates a

hotline for New Yorkers to call and report professional misconduct by a professional (other than physicians and their assistants) licensed by the state. In just the last six months, the state

Board of Regents has disciplined 239 professionals, mostly in health-related professions, including 37 whose licenses were revoked, suspended or surrendered. PEF members at OPD say it’s just the

tip of the iceberg, because staffing for investigations has dropped too low to keep up.

Investigators are spread over nine

regional offices, with three of those serving New York City and a fourth on Long Island. The remaining five are in Port Chester, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. “Our Buffalo office has just one

www.pef.org

WE’REWITHYOU— PEF President Ken Brynien tellsmembers fromMoriah Shock Incarceration and Ogdensburg Correctional Facility how PEF is working to save their jobs and services.

—Photo by Lisa Pulver

the governor are likely to be rejected by the Legislature. We must continue to educate the

state’s leaders that cutting services and abolishing jobs in an economic downturn will only prolong the downturn. There are two sides to every budget equation: revenue and cost. Since 2008, state agency budgets have been cut by $2.5 billion, including $1.2 billion in proposed cuts in SFY 2010-11, the work force is 4,500 employees smaller than two years ago and 30,000 employees smaller than in 1990. Despite calls for shared sacrifice that ring hollow, we have sacrificed for years.

investigator, one supervisor and no clerical staff to service nine counties,” said Sachs, who works out of the Brooklyn office. The Albany office has seven

investigators, but no supervisor. “Statewide, we have 42 investigators.

That’s less than half the 90 we used to have,” Sachs said. “We’re still authorized for about 70 investigators, but approximately 38 of those positions are vacant. We’re hoping it will improve, because we’re told the Division of Budget has approved filling nearly a quarter of the vacancies.” What does it mean for the public? “We can investigate only the most

serious cases,” Sachs said. “Investigating allegations of unprofessional conduct is very time-consuming.” If you call to report the possible abuse of your mother in a nursing home, the

We continue to provide options for

savings of as much as a quarter billion dollars this year, with recurring savings of more than a billion dollars after three years. Working smarter, while maintaining services and jobs, will go further to bring the state out of its fiscal crisis than damaging and counterproductive cuts. Our message remains the same.

Damaging cuts to state services and the workers who provide them is not a viable option. Our message will grow louder and state leaders who ignore it will do so at their own peril.

allegations must be very serious to merit that investment of time for an investigation. In regions with the poorest staffing,

Sachs said, “Slapping wouldn’t get our attention. Neither would neglecting to provide water or blankets. “It’s not that we don’t want to

investigate these things, but we’re in triage mode. We are forced to prioritize and focus on the very worst cases.” What will get their attention? “We’re talking about criminal assault,

punching, burning, sexual assault and medication error.” Sachs said. “The lower our staffing gets, the lower

the bottom line for what we can effectively investigate. We’re getting dangerously close to the point where: If it isn’t death or serious abuse, it’s nothing.”

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