NYS Budget bounces to finish line on time


By SHERRY HALBROOK The state budget was adopted on time


and some of the most egregious power grabs and funding cuts by the executive were thwarted. However, the final package was still rife with mischief. PEF President Ken


Brynien said the union is “encouraged the Legislature defended the state’s civil service system against the governor’s attempt to undermine the constitutional principle of merit and fitness.” PEF was pleased


lawmakers killed budget language to directly authorize the closing of Kingsboro Psychiatric Center, and the union applauded their addition of important funding for the state University of NY (SUNY) teaching and research hospitals. “However,” Brynien said, “in too many


other ways, this budget agreement between the Legislature and the governor continues the trend toward state government abandoning its responsibilities for the care and protection of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. This budget allows the potential decimation of inpatient services for the mentally ill. It lays the groundwork for privatization of services for the developmentally disabled, and the state is walking away from its duty to protect public safety, by outsourcing juvenile justice services.” Another big sticking point for the union


is budget language that will allow the governor to transfer funds to consolidate some “back-office” administrative functions, call center and information- technology (IT) operations among agencies. “PEF will continue to monitor the


implementation of these forthcoming consolidations to ensure our members’ job security,” Brynien said. “We can thank the vigorous efforts of


thousands of our members who visited, called and faxed their legislators about the important issues. They gave the


Page 6—The Communicator May 2012


lawmakers the facts, insights and understanding of these issues that they needed to face down relentless pressure from the governor’s office,” Brynien said. “Without this grassroots activism, none of the state services at risk could have survived these gale-force political winds.” PEF, he said,


continues to call on legislators to stand up for New Yorkers and refuse to let the state abandon these critical responsibilities. “The governor


and the Legislature need to recognize the importance of public services and the work public employees do for the people of our state. You should


not have to be a millionaire to be treated with respect by elected leaders,” Brynien said.


Will the dams hold? Even the apparent budget wins may be


eroded over time if the executive is allowed to push the boundaries of its power unscrutinized, unchallenged and unchecked. For instance, the Legislature turned


down the governor’s bid to merge his Office of Employee Relations with the state Department of Civil Service, which should function as a watchdog and brake whenever the governor and commissioners start to trample state Civil Service Law provisions. Nevertheless, the governor is moving to locate these agencies together. While the Legislature clearly intended


to keep both Kingsboro PC and the inpatient services of SUNY’s Downstate University Hospital open and serving the millions of residents of Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood, attacks on those services may continue.


Ready for sneak attacks “We remain on high alert in Brooklyn,”


said PEF Vice President Pat Baker, who has led the fight to preserve those state


services and keep them right where they are.


Specifically, the budget does not


include authority to immediately close Kingsboro. But it does authorize the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) to close, consolidate, reduce, transfer or redesign the services of hospitals and it requires just 45 days of notice before beds are reduced and 75 days of notice before services or facilities are closed or consolidated. What’s more, the budget authorizes OMH to shut down up to 400 inpatient beds statewide. And the budget allows OMH to


restructure its New York City Children’s Psychiatric Centers serving the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens into a single appointing authority, the New York City Children’s Center. That would directly affect any PEF members working at these facilities if their jobs are eliminated, because they might be forced to transfer to positions in other boroughs or face layoff. Budget watchers gave a collective sigh


of relief when the legislators turned back the governor’s move to hand off to private agencies the custody and treatment of sex offenders confined under the law. “This was such a bad idea on so many


levels,” said Baker, PEF’s labor- management chair at OMH. “Thank goodness common sense prevailed. But, again, we must be constantly on guard against new attempts by the state to duck this responsibility.” And while, the state is still stuck with


housing and treating sex offenders, the governor did manage to slip out of another mental health duty he didn’t want: educating children in state mental health facilities. PEF teachers, vocational and recreational instructors at OMH have had that responsibility for many decades, but this budget allows OMH to transfer that money to the state Education Department which may contract with local school districts and BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) programs to provide those services. “These children have very challenging


needs that require highly trained and specialized professionals to coordinate instruction with the students’ therapeutic needs,” Baker said. “Our members have that training and experience, so it makes no sense to hand the work over to people who don’t have it. At least, the Legislature


PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


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