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Budget Picture Could Have Been "Much, Much Worse"

OPEA members responded to a Call to Action last week, generating thousands of emails and phone calls to legislative leaders.  As a result of OPEA member’s efforts, the state budget had far fewer cuts than was originally expected.   

 

“We were bracing for the worst,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley.  “While a 7 percent cut isn’t great, we could have been hit a lot harder.  At this point it looks as if the bigger agencies like Transportation, Corrections and the Department of Human Services survived in-tact, or actually received a modest increase. Any cuts to those agencies would certainly have been detrimental to the citizens of Oklahoma.”

 

State lawmakers reached a budget agreement Friday, just one week before the end of the session.  Original projections showed agency cuts between 7 and 9 percent, with reductions in force (RIFS) and furloughs a very real possibility.

 

OPEA urged its members to begin contacting their legislators and the Governor, asking them to spare their jobs. 

 

“Our Call to Action resulted in more than a thousand phone calls and emails to the Capitol in just a few hours,” Zearley said.  “OPEA members turned up the heat on legislators, and they responded favorably.

 

“We were told that cuts would be minimal, and so far it looks like we have protected our state employee’s jobs.  And what’s more, it looks as if core services to our fellow Oklahomans will be spared as well.

 

“In a year that could have been much, much worse, we survived in pretty good shape.  We didn’t get the pay increase we so desperately need, but we managed to keep our jobs and in today’s economic climate, that is fantastic news,” Zearley said.

 

Several key agencies saw no cuts or even modest increases in their budgets:

 

Department of Corrections:  $0 or 0.0% change

Department of Human Services:  $9,395,077 or -1.7 decrease

Department of Transportation:  $1,149,866 or 0.6 % increase

Department of Veterans Affairs $0 or 0.0% change

 

 

“OPEA will continue to work with the administrative teams of agencies that saw more severe cuts,” said Zearley.  “These agencies will have to be very careful in spending through the next fiscal year.”

 

 

 

Posted on Mon, May 18, 2009 by Mark Beutler

10 comments (Add your own)

1. BADGRANNY wrote:
All I can say is that our legistlators (and our governor) should be ashamed of themselves when they take a cost of living raise every year. You make it sound like we should be proud of them for this. No Way!!! It is time we get compensated for the years of struggling to provide services with minimal resources and personnel.
It doesn't seem so hard for them to shake their heads no to the very ones who pay their salaries. Maybe it could have been much, much worse but I believe it could have been much, much better, too.

Mon, May 18, 2009 @ 3:06 PM

2. Kevin wrote:
badgranny--you missed the point. at least we still have our jobs. of course a raise would have been nice, but the guys at the capitol could just as easily have cut our jobs...so kudos to opea for keeping us out of the unemployment line.

Mon, May 18, 2009 @ 3:55 PM

3. Ross wrote:
Kevin, I don't know if that is true, in both mine and a family members state agency there is a lot of doors being closed and private meetings going on, that's not a good sign. We see what we see, OPEA is not there to see that going on. I don't like the feeling. In my opinion there IS in fact jobs that will be lost and furloughs. Hopefully OPEA will put pressure on these agencys to not do that. Our agency was cut 750,000 and in our agency that is almost a death sentence. I can't see any possible way there will not be jobs lost in addition to furloughs. I know in 2003 when this happened we all had to take four furlough days. As far as I know, no one can feel safe in our agency that jobs will not be lost. And I will be shocked if jobs are not lost, and furloughs are not in place. I can tell you this much there is no one in our agency walking around with smiles on their faces, there is a lot of tension right now. So I don't know where this is comong from that all State jobs are safe. I don't see it, I don't feel it, at least not in our agency.

Mon, May 18, 2009 @ 9:45 PM

4. FattCatt wrote:
I think this whole thing has been a lot of smoke and mirrors…we want a raise and then the Legislators threaten us with furloughs and RIF’s so we will all be grateful to have a job.

When millions of dollars in stimulus money were sent to help improve roads and other services one would think that it would free up money and would help make up for any budget shortfall…where did all this money go!

OPEA needs to try something different next year for Lobby Day. Being people are attending Lobby Day at their lunch time it would be helpful if some kind of lunch be offered, all of us still need to have lunch. Pizza is easy or those big sandwiches’ from Sam’s…hell the hot dogs OPEA served for the Employee Appreciation day was a big hit.

I would be willing to help with the cost if it get more people to Lobby Day…and I really do think it would. I know this seems like a bribe to get people to Lobby Day but, in my opinion it is a necessity because we all still need to eat lunch.

State employees must come together and get organized or nothing will ever change...the Legislators will continue to disrespect us and threaten our jobs.

“LOBBY DAY 2010”

>*X*<

Tue, May 19, 2009 @ 10:52 AM

5. FattCatt wrote:
Just got out of a meeting and we were just told DPS is going to be furloughed to 4 day work weeks.

Also ODOT will be going to the bi-weekly pay days now that HB-1111 has been introduced and looks as if it will pass.
However; no one can tell us how we are going to be totally compensated.

Example: If I should be getting paid for the month of Dec. on Jan 1 and they extend payday out to Jan. 15 will I get a 4 week check on the 15 or will it be a 6 week check?

“LOBBY DAY 2010”

>*x*<

Tue, May 19, 2009 @ 11:59 AM

6. concerned wrote:
I don't like it. The higher-ups I hear got nice raises. Where did all that money come from? The state workers should have gotten a raise that has been promised for several years and haven't seen it yet. We are being lied to and being treated like we don't evan exist. Will they still give an increase on our longivity and the state put in 65.00 as stated sometime back? $25.00 doesn't evan fill your car. Something is verrrry wrong with the government system.

Tue, May 19, 2009 @ 12:25 PM

7. FattCatt wrote:
I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!

After reviewing the State budget I find myself fuming and foaming at the mouth. In times like these you would think some of the extras would be cut back on for example; the Oklahoma Arts Council went unscathed receiving $5,150,257. This a profit organization receiving donations and charging out the butt for any art show the council promotes. The art show in downtown alone brings in MILLIONS of dollars every year…why do they need more income when there are agencies that have no income at all and having to consider furloughing employees?

Another thing that just burns my hide is, the Regents for Higher Education…these crooks are already charging an insane amount of money for tuition.
There is an OU student in my office he says he pays roughly $2400.00 a semester in tuition alone no books no housing just tuition. There are about 20,000 students at two semesters $4800.00 x 20,000 is $96,000,000 a year in just tuition income.
Why do they need an extra $31,579,728? Why do they need more income when there are agencies that have no income at all and having to consider furloughing employees?

Of course I could go on and on about this joke of a budget and state but, it seems to fall on deaf ears.

It is obvious the “GOOD OH BOY SYSTEM” is alive, well and thriving in the state of Oklahoma…I really hate this state!
You can count on it “I'm not taking the abuse again in 2010!” Lobby Day be there!

>*X*<

Wed, May 20, 2009 @ 1:10 PM

8. Ross wrote:
Not one single job should be lost with a rainy day fund of 600 million earning interest.
Not one single job. I have a BIG problem with that, and everyone should have. This is not California, and never will be. If they show us they support us and our jobs, we will be out there spending money, if not state workers will stop spending money and stagger the states budget picture even worse. I would say they have them selves in a perfect catch-22 which is where they belong at this point. They are causing it.

Thu, May 21, 2009 @ 11:31 PM

9. end of road wrote:
Could someone tell me what link on openbooks will take me to the info on agency head "raises", I found the link for current salary, but I want to make sure my legislator can see something in writting. thanks eor

Mon, May 25, 2009 @ 5:28 PM

10. Where is the Commissioner for Mental Health wrote:
Terri White is missing in action. Someone needs to find her in a hurry. Oh No, she is missing.... maybe not She may be lost in the 220 patients being housed at Griffin today and we just don't recognize her because most of us would not recognize her If you are sleeping on one of the mats - call out Terri - some of the staff will come to find you - We would only hope you have your name tag on like the rest of the staff. Cutting the Mental Health Budget and overloading the system. Way to go legislators that is really great thinking. I know all the other agenices are in the same boat as Mental Health but at least most of their agency directors are visable.

Tue, May 26, 2009 @ 3:15 PM

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