Sources close to Governor Cuomo say at least 10,000 state worker jobs will soon be on the chopping block.
"We've been spending too much money for years. But it has to stop now and there is going to be no doubt a period of short-term pain as we make these adjustments. I believe it's for a period of long term gain," said Cuomo.
Gov. Cuomo seems to be rising to the occasion of taking on the state's fiscal woes. The taxpayers will expect bipartisan support...
and he may already be receiving it!
10 comments:
Hey Strike, as long as your co-workers get a pink slip & not you then you're all for Cuomo gutting the state workforce. Is that how it works? How much is the state going to save when these people end up collecting unemployment or welfare? And it won't be management that is cut. As usual, it will be the backbone of the state workforce, the middle class worker. I'll bet you're not of the latter.
We should lay off 15,000. We could really save the state a lot of money.
These people need to know what it is to work a real job.
And what's a "real job"? One with no benefits, no pension, & lousy pay? Yea, let's all get a "real job", with no pension. That way, when we all retire from a "real job", we can all live like paupers. This is what it's come down to in today's society. If you have a decent job, you're looked down upon as a parasite. Pathetic. I've been a state worker for 25 years & am damn proud of my service, & I won't apologize to you for the work I'm doing because you think you have a "real job" & I don't. You don't know what you're talking about.
"And what's a "real job"? One with no benefits, no pension, & lousy pay?"
Unfortunately, that is what it is becoming for most non-government workers because too much money is being sucked out of the private sector by the government.
No one disputes that we need government and government workers. Public service at one time was considered a high calling. People were respected for taking government jobs because (1) the jobs were recognized as being essential to a properly functioning society and (2) the jobs were often taken at a somewhat reduced pay compared to the private sector. The people taking these jobs often considered the objectives of their work more important than the financial reward. In return for their altruism they were promised job security.
At some point, things went wrong and government jobs proliferated. Jobs that never existed suddenly became essential, such as grants writers and teacher aides. These jobs were never "needed" until government changed the way it did business to make them so.
Entirely new government programs which never previously existed were developed, often centering around programs to collect and distribute "government" money (i.e., stuff we pay for) -- such as the Lottery, a host of economic development agencies, and an "office of climate change." Government invented "needs" justified more hiring.
In the private sector, individuals and the market place determine "needs." If people don't "need" a company's product, that company goes out of business. Not so with the government.
In government the power to tax makes market forces are irrelevant . . . but only to a point. Government can defy the natural law of the market place only for so long. At some point people will switch their government --- either by moving elsewhere, or by voting for change.
New York State has long passed the tipping point of being viable in a national marketplace. Now it is at a point where something has to be done.
Hopefully the new governor doesn't do across-the-board layoffs without thinking. Rather, each program needs to be evaluated and prioritized with the lowest priorities eliminated.
Everyone should take pride in the work that they do... but not all jobs are "needed" by society. That is where the "real job" comment comes from. The high paying union jobs that were a staple at auto parts plants in western New York could be thought of as not "real jobs" too . . . and now they truly are not real, at least not in New York.
State workers cannot expect to be exempt from the same process that sent "overpaid" autoworkers scurrying south for half the pay. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
It is wrong to denigrate any segment of society as a whole. The point remains that not all government jobs are not "real jobs" and not all private sector jobs are "real jobs." It is wrong to paint all public sector jobs with the same brush. What we have to do is get down to "real jobs" in both sectors.
Once again the OD continues it's attacks on public employees. The OD in today's ed piece alleges that public employees are getting a "free ride" in regards to health ins. & pension benefits. Perhaps the OD ed board & it's publisher should get their facts straight before they print an attack on public employees. State employees have & have been for years been required to contribute towards their health ins. coverage. It's not a "free ride". As far as pension benefits, employees are required to contribute towards said benefits for the first 10 years of employment. Not a "free ride". The state just instituted a tier 5 whereby all new hires will be required to contribute for the life of their employment & the retirement age has been raised to age 62 for these new hires. This will save the State of N.Y. billions in pension costs. I think it pathetic that the OD has resorted to attacking employees who by the OD's own admission make an average of $35,000/yr. And yes, pension padding must be addressed. However, the practice can be narrowed down to a tiny minority of retirees. To use that as an attack on all public employees is a disgrace. And I believe that the OD knows full well that State employees are contributing towards their own benefits, but is deliberately attempting to decieve the public into believing that all public employees are getting a so called "free ride". Of course, that's not surprising as the OD has been for years shown it's willingness to deceive the public with lies, & half truths in an attempt to sway public opinion to their own slanted views on news, events & public policy. All public employees should rise up & stand up to the OD to expose the lies that they print. At the newstand.
I agree, anonymous. The general attack on public employees is simplistic and misses the point that we have too much government.
In similar fashion, when the OD does choose to address too much government, it's a simplistic "we have to consolidate" or "share services" argument, with no analysis of costs to provide a service to a particular area, who will pay what rates, and whether the rates are distributed in a manner that reflects the cost.
Strike, not only do State employees contribute to their health ins. & pension plans, but so do Oneida County employees. But, the OD leaves out that fact in an attempt to label public employees as freeloaders on the taxpayer's dime. The OD keeps bringing up the fact that layoffs occured in O.C. because the Union would not agree to concessions. Perhaps the OD doesn't realize that a union contract is a legal document/agreement between 2 parties. And I'm sure that when this contract expires, O.C. employees & the Union representing them will agree to concessions. But, in the meantime the OD will use the fact that the Union would not cave into Picente as an excuse to print Union bashing ed pieces & to slam public employees, who for the most part are middle class citizens just trying to make ends meet like everyone else in these tough economic times.
Public Employees are not freeloaders. And Union contracts are binding.
Unfortunately, however, we've come to a point where Public Employment, at least at current levels, is no longer affordable for the taxpayers. As government became too big and too overreaching, it pushed the private sector out. Dozens of large stable employers with good pay levels have left Central New York. That leaves who to pay for the government?
When people in the private sector are losing jobs and benefits, they expect the government workers to share the pain. People in the public sector MUST expect the same to happen to them.
People in the public sector who insist on clinging on to their jobs and existing levels of benefits are viewed by those in the private sector who are FORCED pay the tab through taxes as arrogant and greedy.
It's true that most government employees are just middle class citizens trying to make ends meet . . . but so were the thousands who lost their private sector jobs . . . but in spite of job loss are still expected to pay the taxes to support the government worker.
It simply is not sustainable.
"...(support of so many government workers in the manner to which they are accustomed) .. is simply not sustainable."
And that's the point everyone in government wants to ignore. The huge cow of the electorate has run out of milk. We are "udderly" dry.
I don't care if government workers and teachers do a heck of a job and kick in a little for their benefits.
It's WRONG that in most towns across the state teachers and government workers are at the top of the income ladder. It's WRONG that money is taken from us to provide lifestyles never intended when we the electorate initially agreed to pay a few people to provide services that would benefit all of us. It's WRONG for a government to tell taxpayers we need services we do not need. It's WRONG for those in charge to reward their friends and themselves with money taken from our pockets. It's WRONG when an election is no more than a popularity contest to determine who does the best job of lying. And it's WRONG when government refuses to stop stealing our money.
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