Posted on 05/28/2004 6:31:40 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich is threatening to lay off 5,000 workers if he doesn't get his way on the state budget, but he has added nearly 1,900 people to the state payroll in the past five months, state records show.
Despite the governor's own hiring freeze on all but critical positions, his administration has hired a Spanish liaison for the Lottery, three people earning a combined $218,000 to improve "procurement efficiency" for the state's purchasing agency, and 29 people in the governor's own office.
At least 53 percent of the new hires have been prison guards, welfare workers, state troopers and employees in other jobs easily identifiable as providing direct services -- positions Blagojevich promised to fill despite multibillion-dollar budget deficits the past two years.
But those hires could also be the first fired in a mass layoff since, in many cases, more senior employees can bump new hires out when their own jobs are threatened.
With lawmakers fighting over his proposed budget, Blagojevich last week threatened massive layoffs unless the Legislature passed his proposals to close tax loopholes, increase business fees and shut facilities to close an estimated $2.3 billion budget gap.
The Democrat said the state could continue functioning with 5,000 fewer workers.
"You can streamline and even turn the work force into a more efficient work force," Blagojevich said Friday. "There may be some positions that aren't quite as necessary as others."
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
"estimated $2.3 billion budget gap."
Blago is not up to the task, but unfortunately, the residents of Illinois are going to get whacked with a huge tax increase.
It has to come from an income tax increase, since nothing else adds up to 2.3 billion.
The is RAT-speak for "We have a lot of loafers and freeloaders on the payroll. They are chewing up your tax dollars, but they vote RAT and I keep them employed for those votes."
He has also threatened to lock all AFSCME members out on July 1st.
McGreevey pulled the same nonsense in New Jersey. He started with a budget of 19.5 billion and grew it to 25.5 billion in three years despite record revenue shortfalls. Yeah right! But he's getting away with it.
Grant to Blagojevich that he sternly tries to uphold his election pledge of no tax increases.
The old democratic guard, primarily Maddigan whose daughter won State Attorney wants to reduce debt by increasing taxes. Maddigans daughter Lisa eyes Governorship and needs to make promises to get elected. No monetary flexibility, no election promises, no Lisa Maddigan Governorship. Worse yet, Blagojevich states he will cut 5,000 jobs to prevent tax increases. Suggestion to the Governor: Farm out Labor by privatizing, this will enable the State to pass productivity savings to taxpayers.
Blagojevich already has problems with the two major public service unions, AFSCME and SEIU. Both, but especially the latter, poured loads of money in the Blagojevich campaign. With the RINO George Ryan scandal, the Dems and their special interets smelled blood, and got Blago in. After 26 years of GOP rule in the governor's mansion, the unions, thru Dem Blago, would rule the state. Nevermind the guy got a grand total of one bill passed in six years as congressman He was the man with the plan. His plan was to become governor of Illinois and look pretty on the evening news. But the state was broke before Blago took over, and he has done nothing substantial to fix the fiscal mess in Illinois. He doesn't want to p*ss off the unions more that he already has.
I agree, Lisa Madigan and her Daddy are waiting in the wings to take Blago's place.
But if things are even worse here in 2006, which I suspect they will be, they'll be a real "throw the bums out" feeling among the electorate here. And there will once again be a Republican governor living in Springfield.
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