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OPEA Concerned with Deep Budget Cuts to State Agencies

 

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association expressed concerns with deep agency budget cuts while education is being held to minimal reductions.

 

“Once again state leaders are taking the easy way out and expecting state employees to keep government going, while holding education to minimum cuts,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “State agencies have been already been seriously crippled with the 10 percent reduction in the current year. With these additional cuts, essential services, which are critical to the daily lives of thousands of Oklahomans will be devastated.”

 

“The budget for the Department of Corrections, which is operating at 70 percent staffing levels has been slashed another $14 million,” continued Zearley. “Already, treatment programs have been eliminated in the prison system to meet the current budget. Inmates, finishing their sentences will be released at the end of their sentences with fewer skills and officers to watch them in our communities. The OSBI, will have a 17 percent budget reduction over two years. These cuts will endanger Oklahomans.”

 

“While we are all proud of our colleges and universities, the Regents have not answered to performance audits like other functions of government,” said Zearley. “Universities have highly paid lobbyists, some with more than six figure salaries.”

 

Many of the basic functions of government, such as permitting and regulatory services will be slashed between seven and 15 percent, on top of the ten percent cuts from last year. The Health Department, which monitors food quality and nursing homes and protects Oklahomans in epidemics will be slashed another 7.5 percent.

 

The Office of Juvenile Affairs that protects the public from troubled youth and turns their lives around before they become a statistic in Oklahoma’s corrections system has been slashed 15 percent in two years.

 

“The budget agreement leaves state government on life support after a decade of underfunding and budget cuts,” concluded Zearley. “Future legislatures will have to clean up the mess from this devastation.”

 

To view the budget agreement spreadsheet click here.

Posted on Thu, May 20, 2010 by Trish Frazier

8 comments (Add your own)

1. Catherine wrote:
DHS needs to lower their standards on response time & what they investigate. The legislature needs to hold everyone harmless for drug crimes. Maybe this would ease the strain somewhat. Something has to give!

Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 5:55 PM

2. Sick of Govt Lies wrote:
Not to mention that the leadership at DMH wants to privatize leaving state works without jobs, benefits or retirement!
This is not good for us as employees but it is good for the profiteering fat cats at the expense of Oklahnomans and their families!

Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 8:16 PM

3. dj wrote:
so what about DHS, we don't even warrant a mention here?

Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 8:16 AM

4. KC wrote:
State workers at DHS have work loads that have increased continually. Leadership is very proud of the fact to serve so many more persons with food stamps. Increased case loads, not hiring people to help work the cases and yet no pay raises in over five years and trying to do more with less.
They wonder why there is a turn over? No don't hold drug abusers harmless and those who break the law. Prosecute them to the extent of the law.
Oh and do away with abawd policy. Persons in college trying to better themselves have to work 20 hrs a week or 80 hours per month. But those who choose not to work and there are some who have never worked can recive the maximum amount of food stamps and not even be required to look for work. something is wrong with this picture.

Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 9:26 AM

5. concerned wrote:
You should really look at the budget spreadsheet attachment. How, on God's green earth, would you justify some of the cuts/increases?

Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 9:31 AM

6. Hank wrote:
The budget is out and some did better than others but it was good to see education had a decrease as well. I work for mental health and our population has grown just like
The amount of persons needing assistance at DHS and the amount of cases has jumped as well. During hard times the burden on social services rises and our legislators need to know this. We have to be verbal and we need every OPEA member to sign up another co-worker so we can show a united front. We are all state employees no matter what agencies we are from. If we stand together we can get through this time. we need to champion one another.

Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 5:02 PM

7. Darren wrote:
With all the cuts going on, thigs are going to get dicy around the Department of Corrections. As if our job isn't dangerus enough. Now they (the politicians) expect us the correctional officers and staff to do more with less. Less staff, less space, less programs, and less money. What do the want? For someone behind the fences to get hurt, or better yet get killed. Maybe if our elected officials had to walk the fences everyday and be around all the hate and hostility everyday and yes, the anger of the inmates and see and feal what we deal with on a daily bases then maybe the might look at things a little differently.

Sun, May 23, 2010 @ 6:09 AM

8. Jim wrote:
It’s our own fault we should have stood up for ourselves a long time ago…see you in the unemployment line.

Mon, May 24, 2010 @ 8:05 AM

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