I don’t have time to do this up right, so I’m going to let the press release from the state employees’ union do the talking (emphasis added):
A Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA) public information request has provided the union with troubling information about the amount of federal money forfeited by the Douglas Administration as a result of its June position cuts.
“VSEA went over the list of 123 employees provided to us by the State, and we discovered that the total annual savings achieved by the State with its June position RIFs was approximately $6 million,” explained VSEA Director Jes Kraus. “However, of that $6 million saved, roughly $2.4 million was money the federal government provided to Vermont to help pay some of the RIF’d employees’ salaries. In fact, the feds were paying as much as 75 percent of some RIF’d employees’ salaries.
That’s right. In the biggest economic downturn in the better part of a century, Douglas is essentially sending millions of federal dollars back – all in order to put more Vermonters out of work (and all that, presumably, in the service of his ideological holy war against the union).
A response quickly followed into my inbox from one of the candidates to replace him. From the Racine campaign:
“I am disappointed that the Douglas Administration will forego $2.4 million that could have kept Vermonters working and provided much needed services to our citizens.
“Sending money back to Washington is a reverse stimulus package. Rather than saving jobs and investing in our state’s economic recovery, cutting positions funded with federal money becomes a missed opportunity at a time when Vermonters need every opportunity they can get.
“During the legislative session, I questioned the Administration’s plan to cut positions that were funded entirely with federal money. Eventually, some positions were restored because cutting them made no sense. We face serious economic challenges and our response must be strategic and thoughtful.
“I again encourage the Governor to work with the Vermont State Employees Association to find the savings required by the Legislature. I continue to believe that working together solutions can be found that keep Vermonters working and preserve Vermont’s ability to serve our communities. Like the early retirement incentive, these solutions take collaboration and creativity.”
If I hear from any of the other candidates, I’ll post their responses as well.
In a piece by Louis Porter:
Nice. We’re laying people off and acting like it’s a shell game.
something doesn’t add up here:
cutting the jobs would have saved 6 million (or, really, 6-2.4 = 3.6 million). not cutting the jobs would have COST 6 million (or, really, 6 – 2.4 = 3.6 million).
so the governor managed to SAVE 3.6 million despite the federal addition. taking the federal addition would have COST us 3.6 million.
it seems to me that, if possible, the federally supported jobs should be saved, and the others cut, if the real goal is to save VT money and spend federal money.
if all jobs are federally supported to some degree (ie, no single job is 100% backed by the federal govt), then cutting them, or cutting wages, seems to be where the savings comes from.
based on the evidence above, if the goal is to “save vermont taxpayers money”, then cutting these jobs, federally backed or not, is meeting this goal. if the goal is keep people employed no matter the cost, then i think the governor is failing at that goal.
Would seem to have the juice to demand a full summary of where the federal money went, if not to the designee. Why doesn’t she ask Reardon to show us the money? Seems like a no brainer. Start demanding some proof already of Douglas’s talking heads claims.
This isn’t even to mention the federal money being lost because state offices are too understaffed to apply for grants. The Department of Aging and Independent Living lost a $500,000 grant due to the 400 position cut exercise last year.
Maybe we should be looking at the $300 million in private contracts the state currently has. Contracts have gone up 190% since Douglas has been in office!