California State Schools

[csb]

Cripes...note to self- don't attend community college in Vermont!

 

[benbo]

Benbo, I was wondering from your point of view what would be a solution?
I think the gov. furloughs was to convince the public that they are in the same boat.. With estimates up to 20% underemployment in the state, the gov. couldn't continue spending the same on their employees without a public outcry i suppose.

We obviously splurged too much when times were good, and we took a bigger hit because of the real estate market than anybody else. That's the main problem, and I think obviously they have to cut everything across the board until the economy grows. So some furloughs are necessary, and maybe some layoffs. I don't like it but that's probably necessary.

The problem is you could fire every single state employee and it would not come close to getting this budget in line. This is a general fund budget deficit, and the two largest segments of the general fund (by far) are transfer payments to education and social services (like Welfare and Medical). So there is no possible way to get the budget in line without cutting those

fairly substantially

Although we hired a lot of people, these two websites do not make it look like California state employment is out of whack with anyplace else. Of course, there is the caveat that I don't know the agenda of the people who put these data together -

http://www.californiacityfinance.com/state_v_city_empl.pdf

http://www.ccsce.com/pdf/Numbers-mar07-govt-employees.pdf

 

[Guest]

We obviously splurged too much when times were good, and we took a bigger hit because of the real estate market than anybody else.

Are you sure about that - Florida took a nasty downturn leading the nation in # of foreclosures with no other industry or revenue source to help shore things back up.

That's the main problem, and I think obviously they have to cut everything across the board until the economy grows. So some furloughs are necessary, and maybe some layoffs. I don't like it but that's probably necessary.

That's a fair statment ... obvious or not.

The problem is you could fire every single state employee and it would not come close to getting this budget in line.

This is one thing that infuriated me when I was a state employee - no matter how try to justify layoffs, you aren't going to fix budgetary issues by laying off a few employees here or there ... and in fact, may be complicating matters if you don't have sufficient staffing to ADEQUATELY complete your mission (on an agency-by-agency basis).

Example: Florida did go through a big restructuring process and a hiring binge for child protective services workers after it was found that the existing set-up wasn't able to meet the needs of the community AND two children ended up dead when it was reported they were being monitored by state authorities.

This is a general fund budget deficit, and the two largest segments of the general fund (by far) are transfer payments to education and social services (like Welfare and Medical). So there is no possible way to get the budget in line without cutting those fairly substantially

Interestingly, the welfare and medicaid line items are not only the largest single contributors to the budget (approximately 25% in Florida) but also represent the single budgetary item that continues to grow at an unchecked rate (approximately 1% per year). For a state like Florida where so many people move to retire and there is little tax base other than ad valorem that has been reduced by an additional exmeption and no state income tax (e.g. solely reliant upon state sale tax) ... it represents a serious dilemma (spelled right).

JR

 

[benbo]

Are you sure about that - Florida took a nasty downturn leading the nation in # of foreclosures with no other industry or revenue source to help shore things back up.

We took a bigger hit than most, but I don't think as big as Florida.