Paterson to agencies: Suck it in
BySHERRYHALBROOK thecost-cuttingeffortatthestate andnewprograms.
IfyouworkforNewYorkstate,you Workers’CompensationBoard(WCB), PEFisworkingatthelabor-
canexpecttofeelthepinchofthestate’s wherePEFrepresentsjudges,senior managementleveltoaddresstheseissues
fiscalbelt-tightening. claimsstaffandseniorhearingreporters.
Ifyourco-workersleavetheirjobs, Respondingtotheoriginalcallfor Federal cuts hurt too
theymaynotbereplacedandyoumaybe saving3.35percent,theWCBsaidit Theagenciesarealsogettinghitwith
leftwithasizeableshareoftheirwork. wouldnotrefillpositionsastheybecome somefederalbudgetcutsthatcouldaffect
Andifyouexpectedanynewequipment vacant.Italsoplannedtoclose11 PEFmembers.
orprojectsinyourdepartment,don’thold customerservicecenters. Forinstance,morethan100ofthe
yourbreath. It’sthatplantoclosetheservice approximately700filledpositionsatthe
Thegovernoraskedallstateagencies centers,whicharemainlyusedforclaims DivisionofCriminalJusticeServices
tocomeupwithplanstocuttheir hearingsandappeals,andtonotrefill (DCJS)arefederallyfundedthrough
budgetedspendingby3.35percentthis vacanciesthatsetoffalarmbellsamong Byrnegrantsthathavebeendrastically
yeartohelpheadoffabigbudget PEFmembers. reduced.DCJStoldPEF
shortfallexpectednextyear.Assoonas Theyworrythey itwouldtrytosupport
thoseplanswereapproved,hetoldthem willhavemuch asmanyofthose
tochopanother7percent.Andthenhe longercommutesto positionsaspossibleby
directedthemtostartprioritizingall workorbeforcedto usingmoneyleftover
programswithaneyetopossibly relocate–leaving frompriorByrnegrants.
eliminatinganynewonesandthoseleast themtodealwith However,thatmightbe
relatedtotheir“core”missions. highergaspricesor undercutbythefaltering
AccordingtoPEF’schiefbudget sellingtheirhomes statefunding.
analystanddirectorofcivilservice inadepressedrealestatemarket.They ThisisanotherissuePEFistryingto
enforcement,TomCetrino,areviewofall alsowillhavetopickuptheslackforthe addressthroughlabor-managementand
oftheagencies’approvedplansfor peoplewholeaveandarenotreplaced. byworkingwithNewYork’selected
cuttingtheirspendingunderthenew Andinjuredworkersfrommanystate representativesinAlbanyand
“ProgramtoEliminatetheGap(PEG)” agenciescouldfacelongertravelto Washington.
revealed: hearingsandslowerprocessingofclaims.
Mostagenciesstartedtomeettheir Theonebrightspotinthisplanwas Check it out
ever-deepeningsavingstargetsbystrictly theWCB’sdecisiontosavemoneyby Ifyouarelookingformoredetails
controllingthefillingoftheirvacancies bringingsomeinformationtechnology abouthowthestateandfederalbudget
duringthefiscalyearaswellasreducing workbackin-housethatithasbeen cuttingmightaffectyouragency,youcan
theirtravel,equipment,contract,leasing, givingtocontractors.Theagencywants getmuchofthatinformationonline.
andsupplyexpenses.Someagencies tohireatotalof40people,currently Allofthestateagencies’approved
havealsopermanentlyeliminatedsomeof workingasITconsultants,toworkas planstocutspendingarebeingpostedby
theirvacantpositions. stateemployees.Thishiringwouldbe thestateDivisionofBudgetassoonas
Nooneissurewhereitwillstop. absorbedbyreprogramming40existing theyareapprovedonitsWebsiteat
vacanciesinothertitles. www.budget.state.ny.us.
Devil’s in the details However,eventhat’sonshakyground DOBhassaiditalsowillpost
Amongthefirstagencyplanstoraise afterthegovernororderedanother7 quarterlyupdatesonhowtheagencies
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