Posted on 11/26/2005 7:06:32 AM PST by Ellesu
While hurricanes Katrina and Rita put more than 300,000 Louisiana residents in unemployment lines almost overnight, state employee layoffs remain a rarity. An estimated 197 state workers are set to lose their jobs through a variety of storm-related actions, including spending cuts ordered by Gov. Kathleen Blanco, state records show.
However, most of the initial round of layoffs apply to workers listed as "missing," which means they have not been in contact with state officials since the storms.
About 4,600 state workers are on furlough, which means they remain on the state payroll without collecting paychecks. Many are expected to become layoffs in upcoming weeks.
Most of those worked for LSU hospitals and medical schools in New Orleans, where work sites were destroyed and difficult layoff decisions were not required.
"Nature did it for us," said House Republican leader Jim Tucker of Terrytown, a longtime proponent of a smaller government work force.
Sen. Tom Schedler, R-Mandeville, said that, while he does not want to minimize the hardships of workers, the job losses so far are small in a state facing massive financial problems.
Blanco's spending cuts, which are just part of the layoff puzzle, triggered 47 layoffs in a state work force of about 85,000.
"I think it is incredibly small when you think about the employment base," Schedler said. He said the layoffs were part of a relatively painless reduction of nearly $1 billion in state spending that triggered few protests from constituents and special interest groups.
"These cuts were preliminary compared to what we may deal with in January," Schedler said of a possible second hurricane-related special session. "The next round of cuts could be extremely painful."
State Budget Director Ray Stockstill said it is too early to see what the budget cuts will mean finally to state workers.
"Everything is a work in progress," Stockstill said.
The impact of the storms has been more swift outside of state government.
About 311,000 state residents filed jobless claims after the hurricanes. Those claims have already cost the state about $300 million in unemployment checks, and the total is expected to reach $1 billion by August.
About 3,000 municipal employees in New Orleans -- nearly half the total work force there -- lost their jobs shortly after the storms because of plummeting city receipts, Mayor Ray Nagin said.
Work-force comparisons are hard to make, in part because states define state employees differently. Louisiana state government has 85,469 employees, which includes higher-education employees. Annual payroll costs are $3.3 billion.
A recent survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures said the state had the 10th-largest state work force in the nation. Louisiana's population was 4.4 million as of 2000 -- 22nd in the nation -- according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
State leaders last month raised the possibility of up to 18,000 in layoffs of state employees. Questions about the future of New Orleans area, and the knowledge that it provides about one-third of state tax receipts, have raised major concerns about state services.
State leaders earlier said they were grappling with a $1.5 billion shortage rather than the $1 billion budget gap they tackled during a 17-day special session, which ended on Tuesday.
The impact of the initial cuts, including layoffs, was far less than expected for several reasons.
A recent budget surplus provided $189 million of the needed funds. State leaders also agreed to dip into the state's "rainy-day fund" for another $154 million.
State spending was trimmed by $603 million, which officials said will have a significant impact on higher education, health care and other services. However, some of the savings stemmed from less-visible reductions, such as eliminating unnecessary travel and little-noticed state services.
"Department after department said 'We can take these cuts,' " Rep. Tucker said.
The state also had nearly 3,600 unfilled jobs in the state budget at a cost of $127 million. Even that estimate may be low.
Stockstill said the reductions eliminated 624 of those vacancies and, combined with layoffs, produced savings of about $24 million. He said the state has so many unfilled jobs because of a recent hiring freeze.
But Rep. Monica Walker, D-Hessmer, said she was surprised and concerned by the number of unfilled jobs in the state budget at a time when education and health services were on the chopping block.
Walker said the state needs to change its practice of eliminating unfilled jobs to balance the books.
"I just think the government is too big," she said. "We are changing everything else. We might as well change this." Walker said the $603 million in spending cuts had a "very mild" impact on the state work force.
Rep. Tom McVea, R-St. Francisville, complained during the budget debate that state spending cuts ignored a bloated state bureaucracy.
"I've never seen so many undersecretaries in my life," McVea said.
Asked later about his comment, McVea said he is concerned that the budget cuts are falling on those who provided services directly to taxpayers .
"It appeared to me that we are administratively top heavy," he said. "Until I am shown different, that is my view."
College and university leaders said last week that 2,100 university, faculty and staff positions may be eliminated. Where those cuts will be and what kind of jobs will be affected is unclear.
"We are going to see significant layoffs," said Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth and vice-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
State work forces
1. Texas, 340,183
2. New York, 252,099
3. California, 208,000
4. Ohio, 139,368
5. Virginia, 123,521
6. Florida, 108,206
7. Massachusetts, 95,259
8. Connecticut, 92,433
9. North Carolina, 91,092
10. Louisiana, 85,469
* Totals may exclude higher education employees
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
Blanco's spending cuts, which are just part of the layoff puzzle, triggered 47 layoffs in a state work force of about 85,000.
I vote to give Louisiana back to France - they deserve it.
Blanco needs a pink slip.
And we keep electing Kennedy and Kerry. I've lived here all my life, and I don't plan to move, but Lord we are a messed up state.
Better get the people back so they can serve the government.
Springfield is the end-product of the 'Massachusetts Miracle'... and I'm out as soon as I get a job offer.
However, most of the initial round of layoffs apply to workers listed as "missing," which means they have not been in contact with state officials since the storms.
----Nah... to easy
These are the people who only existed on paper-some democrat hack was collecting multiple paychecks.How much of the money ended up at the national level?
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