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200 Maryland state workers getting pink slips today
Aug 25, 2009 (04:08:44)
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More than 200 state workers will lose their jobs as Gov. Martin O'Malley tries to close a nearly $740 million budget gap amid the national recession. Affected employees are being notified today."This is not something we do easily," O'Malley said at a media briefing Tuesday. "This is not something we do lightly. And I have a tremendous amount of concern for those employees who are going to be affected. They're all moms and dads."
The director of the largest state worker union, which has been negotiating with the governor's office on changes affecting 70,000 state employees, said he was "surprised that (layoffs) had occurred."
"We are disappointed," said Patrick Moran of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "This takes away from our priorities in Maryland. It affects people in all sorts of departments, and it also affects the people who rely on the services that these employees provide."
Officials did not disclose which departments or agencies would be affected by layoffs. O'Malley said more details would come after workers were notified.
The rest of Maryland's work force will see their salaries reduced by the equivalent of three to 10 days through a government-shutdown and furlough plan. The two-tiered proposal is designed to have less of an impact on lower-paid workers and gradually require deeper pay cuts so that those making more than $100,000 a year would be docked 10 days' pay.
The Democratic governor will present his package of budget cuts totaling $454 million tomorrow to the state Board of Public Works, which makes spending adjustments when the General Assembly is not in session. Weeks ago, the board approved $282 million in reductions.
In addition to the state work force cuts, Baltimore City and the state's 23 counties will lose about $211 million in state aid. Most of the money will come from the state's highway user revenue program, which helps pay for road maintenance and improvements. But the state also will cut $20.6 million in local police aid and $10.5 million from community colleges.
The governor decided against scaling back aid to poorer jurisdictions in Maryland, such as Baltimore City and Prince George's County, known as disparity grants.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch, a Democrat, said local governments should have been expecting and planning for cuts to state aid and noted that few counties have had furloughs while the state is in its second round during the O'Malley administration.
"We've looked to the state for efficiencies first," he said. "You're down to bone and gristle now when it comes to state government."
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore Sun reporters
12:47 p.m. EDT, August 25, 2009
