I know it seems like I’m blogging a lot about this one topic. However, due to the number of hits I’ve received on today and last Wednesday, it appears to be a very popular topic.
In the aftermath of the governor’s speech about the revised budget, I talked to several people about it. Here’s what they had to say.
TSEA:
-On the $50 million set aside to offer buyouts: “This request shows some promise and we look forward to the details.”
-On using the rainy day funds: “If it’s not raining now, how do we define a rainy day?”
-On employee raises: “We’re asking the general assembly to fund at least a portion of compression along with across the board increases to keep up with the inflation of over 4 percent.”
Overall, they are still calling on the governor to use the rainy day fund to save employees jobs and give state employees pay raises. They say the state workforce is already stretched thin and can’t handle losing experienced workers.
Ken Givens, Commissioner of Agriculture:
-On making cuts in his department: “We don’t have any specific numbers in all, but we feel like we can make the cuts necessary and do it and still render the services we’ve been doing over the years. There’s always room for more efficiency, we believe.”
-On specific numbers: “I understand we’re going to get the number of folks and the dollar reversion that we’re expected to deliver.”
House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol)
-His general thoughts: “Overall, there’s not much to complain about. It is the unfortunate reality of the times we live in.”
-On one-time state employee bonuses: “We recognize that they are experiencing a downturn in their personal economics as is everybody across the state.”
-More on the bonuses: “I have had some talks with both speakers about the possibility of a one time bonus if we can find some one time money in departmental reserves or other pools of one time money I think it’s something we want to do and something we can do before we adjourn.”
House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington)
-General reaction: “It’s going to be a tough budget. It’s going to be a hard budget but it’s going to be a budget we will balance.”
-On Mumpower’s suggestion of a one time bonus: “That’s something that we have been mentioning and talking about for some time and I’m just glad to know that he’s on board with us.” (The idea of a one time bonus first came up to the media during Naifeh’s regular legislative news conference on May 1st.)
Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, (R-Blountville)
-On TSEA’s reaction to the governor’s proposal: “I truly believe that if a Republican governor were proposing the same thing that they would be picketing on legislative plaza, but since a Democratic governor proposing that they’re saying ‘well he’s doing the right thing,’ so there’s some irony in that I suppose.”
-On general reactions: “In the news media the last day or two I’ve been complimentary of the governor, because he’s doing exactly what I think needs to be done, making cuts and paring back as opposed to proposing tax increases.”
-On one time bonuses: “Hopefully, it wouldn’t send the wrong message that in the same time we’re offering buyouts for over 2000 employees for the ones remaining we’re offering bonuses.”
