Kaine tells agency heads to seek further spending cuts
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has instructed heads of state agencies to seek ways to further reduce spending, given financial estimates that show state revenues have dipped below revised budget projections.
Kaine, speaking to reporters at the state Capitol, said April revenues would fall below estimates.
He said current economic trends are likely to leave the state up to $225 million short of revenue needed to balance Virginia's budget through the end of fiscal 2009, which ends June 30.
The governor said there is still an $160 million in unallocated funds for fiscal 2010 that could be applied to the new shortfall, mitigating the new cuts.
"We're telling them that they need to be austere," Kaine said.
Reader Reactions
Grateful
“but we already work 2-1 for any state/fed/city worker out there and the stats to prove it.“
Please produce those stats that prove this point. Otherwise your statement is just drivel.
“you folks have some of the BEST benefits going - so don’t cry too much.“
Again prove that point as I would like to know what benefits you are talking about that are any better than any other job.
“And once hired, firing one of you guys is not like getting rid of someone in the private sector.“
Again what might be the difference in firing “one of you guys” if you mean government workers it is just as easy as any other job.
Cut the useless redundant agencies that provide no benefits to the citizens of the Commonwealth except for small special interest groups. Cut the large cumbersome agencies that rip off the taspayers by overcharging other agencies for substandard services. Cut the high number of Supervisors that are only supervising 1 to 5 people in an agency that is top heavy. Talk to the boiler plate empoyees and they can show you how to dut millions in money without cutting any services. No one wants to talk to or listen to the low level employees as they know were all the cost savings can be had.
grateful: I work for VCU and we’ve (our department, at least) not received our annual raise in coming up on three years. I’m not sure who you’re talking about when you said, “..VCU/ODU/UVA - they ALL get raises even when the governor says no”. Perhaps just my department is getting the shaft? I seriously doubt that’s the case.
I agree with dogtown… get rid of VITA! They are a HUGE waste of the taxpayer dollar.
This will make you cry. I teach in public schools. Our salaries are frozen which is fine. However, we have 7 aides in our building who do not teach anyone and cannot cover anyone’s classes because they are too ‘busy’. We just had a SmartBoard delivered to our school. No money for teachers, but plenty of grant money for gadgets. We even created another position with state grant money. ‘Special Education Parents’ Advocate’. Their job will be, among other things, counseling parents of SPED students upon their choice of hairdressers and manucurists. I’m not kidding. They had the gall to have a 3 column article about it in our local paper.
The only state employees I have a problem with are the ones you see along side the road. One person is working in a hole shoveling dirt out and the other five standing around being held up by shovels!
But seriously, I work out of New England and I just “had to take” a 30% pay cut April 1st along with “all” my fellow coworkers. The door was the only other option, and with todays job market Hummmm. I do not even have health insurance provided by my employer; so try that one on for size with government employees. Everyone from the owners of the company to people that has worked there for 20+ years are effected. So please let us start from the top people.
Mr. Kaine I expect you first, a 30% pay cut and follow up with all other state employees until the budget is balanced! I’m OK with 13 to 15% for the rest of the folks to start with. Take these measures like many small business owners in America have to do today? That is for the ones that are lucky enough to say they are still in business for now. It is truly part of balancing any budget! Adjust accordingly back to the previous salaries after the budget is balanced, its simple math people.
Pull up the old boot straps Mr. Kaine. I believe Mr. Obama made that quote, so please listen to your leader and both of you lead by example!
Sincerely,
and just one more thing…again..not a slam…but HIGHER EDUCATION is where the cuts should be coming from…VCU/ODU/UVA - they ALL get raises even when the governor says no - the reason - they have SO many BUCKETS of money (fed, va) to choose from.
So - cut the higher education budgets - and don’t tell me “it’s affecting the quality of education” - that is bs…if the students want to learn they will…if the the professors actually taught instead of hiring grad students to teach…may be a whole different story
McRedd and Jer1234 have a point - not ALL state/city/fed employees should be lumped into one category. As having working for VA, there is a lot of REDTAPE associated with these jobs - getting ANYTHING done sometimes is a nightmare.
Flip side of the coin - you folks have some of the BEST benefits going - so don’t cry too much.
I also feel lucky/fortunate to have my job in this downtrodden economy - but…the state/fed/city by it’s (not your) very nature is out of control.
And once hired, firing one of you guys is not like getting rid of someone in the private sector.
I feel for you folks that didn’t get raises for 1-3 years, my company is not giving raises this year either; but we already work 2-1 for any state/fed/city worker out there and the stats to prove it.
That’s NOT a slam, it’s a fact.
good luck to all of us
I agree with Jer1234.
Speaking for myself, as a State worker, I bust my a$$ every day and I can count on 1 hand the number of sick days I take in a year. Some people make it sound like ALL City/State workers are slugs – are there some, yes but, there are also some damned good workers here as well. I’ve worked in public and private sector – like everything else, there are good and bad (employees) in both areas.
I typically work 45-50 hours a week and am only paid for 40 (I’m non-exempt so, I should be getting overtime pay or leave but that never happens). I normally work through my lunch to get all the work done – hey thanks to budget cuts we’ll divide 3 peoples work between 2 and not pay either of you any more because we have to give back the 3rd salary. I pity my employer if they ever piss me off enough to file a D.O.L. complaint but that’s another story. Not that I’m asking anyone to break out their salt shakers and violins …. Just saying that to say ALL of us don’t do anything is absolutely an untruth.
We’ve been told not to expect a raise for FY10 either – so what’s that, 3 years no raise? We’re supposed to be (and I am) grateful that we HAVE a job. My family and friends in the private sector who get 4-5.5% raises ANNUALLY and the occasional COLA raise are doing far better than I am. Most state salaries SUCK compared to a comparable position in the private sector – supposedly our pay is low because we have a pension which I am also grateful for because I know many people who ONLY have 401K (maybe) and Social Security.
This makes me wonder though, how in the world did VDOT give about $1M in raises/increases/bonuses recently when no one else could?
Get off the backs of state employees. Anytime someone wants to see how easy a state job is just volunteer to spend one day in their job. Why is it every time a budget cut comes up people jump first on the so called “lazy” state employees? Get a new mantra. State employees are some of the hardest working people I work with. Either prove your accusations or get off it.
Given recent credible reports of the inefficiency, behind-schedule, and over-budget performance of the VITA/Northrop-Grummann IT Partnership - and especially the recent security breach involving prescription drug records - a good place to begin would be an objective, independent study of VITA/Northrop-Grumman to determine whether financial penalties should be assessed and/or the partnership terminated for cause.
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement