Plus 945: Why Quinn Doesn’t Fear Public Employee Unions
While governors in New York and Wisconsin are stirring up much antagonism from state and local employees after making sizable cuts to stave off fiscal calamity, Illinois's Governor is adding hundreds to the state payroll.
by Ashley Muchow
Governors throughout the U.S. are taking steps to improve their states’ fiscal health, some with relative ease and others much resistance. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed cutting nearly 10,000 jobs. In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker has called for the lay off of thousands unless public employees are stripped of their collective bargaining rights. North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue has proposed merging multiple state agencies and laying off public employees.
Our northern neighbor is facing protests by public workers responding to Governor Walker’s proposal to increase worker pension contributions to 5.8 percent of their salary and double contributions to their health insurance premiums. Governor Walker’s moves have stirred heated resistance from public employees, but is a step the Governor deems necessary to correct the state’s $137 million deficit.
Wait, Governor Walker is going through this mess to rectify a $137 million budget deficit? Yes folks, you read that right. Illinois would be lucky to have a $137 million budget deficit. We stare down a $13.7 billion budget hole and what has our Governor done to rectify the situation?
Proposed the state add an additional 945 public employees to its payroll. Yep, while governors throughout the nation are cutting and making needed adjustments to confront their budget debacles, Governor Pat Quinn has included in his 2012 Budget Proposal an expansion that would add 945 employees to the state payroll, including 187 at the Department of Corrections, 150 to the Department of Transportation, and 101 at the Department of Public Health.
From the State Journal-Register:
The additions, described in a budget analysis from House Democrats, would increase the number of state workers by just 1.7 percent, but they come as the state is trying to claw its way out of a deep budget hole. Republican legislators and some Democrats say Quinns spending plan wont do enough to cut expenses.
Governor Quinn left much to be desired in his 2012 Budget Proposal. Check out some of our preliminary findings here and look for our Budget Solutions 2012 – a line-by-line alternative to the Governor’s budget proposal – set to be released Tuesday, March 9.