States React to Budget Woes

Last month, the National Conference of State Legislatures released its state budget update. Today's story in the Olympian by Adam Wilson gets past the statistics. Wilson has a quick rundown of state budget cuts across the country. It's a bleak picture.

Down near Nashville, the governor plans to lay off 2,011 state employees, equivalent to 5 percent of the state workforce. 

He quotes the AP story.

,,, More than half the states are experiencing budget shortfalls.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has announced spending cuts that could lead to about 2,700 of the state's 60,000-plus workers to lose their jobs. Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri last week signed a revised spending plan that includes a provision to make state employees who retire after Sept. 1 pay more for their health insurance — a change that state officials say could prompt about 2,500 state workers to leave before the deadline.

In New Jersey, Gov. Jon S. Corzine is proposing to cut 3,000 state jobs through early retirement incentives and layoffs. The state's commerce and personnel departments would be eliminated.

With a $2.5 billion shortfall predicted here, could this be the agenda for January '09?

Comments

[RDM]

"With a $2.5 billion shortfall predicted here, could this be the agenda for January '09?"

It won't be on the current Governor's agenda, that's for sure.