Carcieri announces shutdown days to cut state costs
Alternative content
Shutdown Days
Gov. Don Carcieri will shut down the state government for 12 days to balance the budget.
NBC 10
Gov. Don Carcieri wants to shut down Rhode Island’s government for 12 days and trim millions of dollars in funding for local governments in order to balance the budget.
Associated Press Writer
Published: August 24, 2009
Updated: August 24, 2009
Related Video: Interview - Gary Sasse
Related documents: Frequently Asked Questions (.pdf)
Related documents: Executive Order 09-20 (.pdf)
Related documents: Gov. Don Carcieri’s savings plan (.pdf)
Poll question: Do you agree with Carcieri’s cost cutting plan?
PROVIDENCE—Rhode Island will shut down its state government for 12 days and hopes to trim millions of dollars in funding for local governments under a plan Gov. Don Carcieri outlined Monday to balance a budget hammered by surging unemployment and plummeting tax revenue.
The shutdown will force 81 percent of the roughly 13,550-member state work force, excluding its college system, to stay home a dozen days without pay before the start of the new fiscal year in July.
“It’s kind of unfair,“ said state worker Marshall Motulski. “I mean, I know the economy is hurting but I think they are picking on the state worker. It’s going to hurt. I got bills too.“
“The not getting paid thing is not great, but I understand where it comes from,“ said state worker Jeremy Cutler. “I’d prefer this to layoffs.“
The closures come as the worst recession in decades has eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections and pushed unemployment to 12.7 percent, the second-highest jobless rate in the nation behind Michigan.
Carcieri predicted the state’s fiscal future could grow even bleaker.
“There are going to be inconveniences for the public, and there are going to be sacrifices, as I said, for state employees,“ Carcieri said at a State House news conference. “These steps right now are unavoidable if the state is to live within its budget, live within its means.“
The governor ordered the shutdown in an executive order but said he’s willing to negotiate a different deal with state employee unions so long as it saves the same amount of money, roughly $22 million. But time is short: the first shutdown day has been scheduled for Sept. 4. Additional shutdown days have been scheduled every month through June.
Critical workers such as state police, prison guards and child abuse investigators still will report to work during the shutdown, Carcieri said. He ruled out raising taxes to balance the budget and
said the state cannot lay off more workers since it deeply trimmed its work force last year.
At least 19 other state governments have proposed furloughing workers or shutting down government offices to save money amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, according to a
survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Carcieri’s plan is certain to spark a legal fight with state employee unions that contend it violates their contracts. In bargaining last year, state workers agreed to give up a pay raise and pay more for their health insurance as state leaders struggled to balance the budget. They also took a day without pay.
“We did what we think is all we can do as taxpayers and state workers,“ said J. Michael Downey, president of Council 94, a state employee union that represents around 4,000 workers. “We’re saying
to them that enough of the budget problems have been taken on the backs of state employees.“
Besides shutting down state government, Carcieri asked lawmakers to grant him the power to unilaterally cut spending approved in the budget. State lawmakers rejected a similar request from Carcieri
earlier this year.
Governors in 38 other states have at least limited powers to cut state spending without legislative approval, according to a survey last year by the National Association of State Budget Officers. State lawmakers stripped that power from Rhode Island’s governor in 1997.
If approved, Carcieri said he would cut about $33 million in local funding for city and town governments.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Oh haha I found out what happens to people who had appointments (ergo, me).
So convenient, I got a call that rescheduled the test for two day earlier. Yay!
danny82…your right, the Gov is putting some responsibility on the 39 cities and towns. Here’s a thought….they need to get their house in order like start trimming their staff, get teacher, fire & police concessions. Your taxes won’t go up that way.
Is that too much to ask Mayors FUNG and AVEDISION to do….their job!!! I hear them crying…“what am I going to do?“ I can’t cut anymore….WHY NOT???
Did you see the SAT scores for RI students? Below the national average….5th in New England. The TEACHERS should be fired on that performance. The Teacher’s Union should be ashamed of themselves and should kiss the ground they even have a job to go to…...LOSERS!!
I would love to negotiate with these union thugs…..I would ask the taxpayers if they want to pay more in taxes to fund the teachers pension fund. What do you think Joe six-pack would say…..? Let’s hold some town hall meetings on education and forget healthcare!!! BATTER-UP!!
I sleep just fine knowing I voted for the GOVERNOR!!
It all comes down to this….he is making his problem go away by making it 39 town and city problems, he didnt even talk to any of the towns for there imput. He is right on one thing, he wont raise your taxes but he’s going to make your town raise your property tax. He didnt even talk to his own people in his own party
So what happens to the people who had appointments in government offices that day?
I was supposed to get my license on the 4th but now what? Do I have to go out of my way to reschedule, even though I’m not the one who needs to?
Bet he will have 12 days missing out of his pay 2 right!! Of course not!! You got your blue cross for life your killer pay..your good! Gov. Carcieri your just a bad dream can’t wait for your term to be done!! I can sleep knowing you didn’t get my vote!
HMMMM How funny is that I leave a comment about the corruption in this state and it has disappeared!!!! Clean up the corruption and we won’t have to take 12 unpaid days. How about we start with getting this state in sync with the rest of this country and update the computer systems so we can keep up with all this “missing” money. This state is so outdated the residents can’t even E-file because the system they use is so old.
Our wonderful governor thought it would be a good thing to against the Narragansett Indians and just let Lincoln and Newport support the state. Where are Lincoln and Newport now???? Right in front of ME filing for bankruptcy, yet foxwoods and Mohegan sun and the state of Connecticut are reaping their benefits. I have no doubt that the Narragansetts wouldn’t be crying bankruptcy, and this state may be in a much better financial position. Look up what the state of Ct has gotten from the casino’s and we wouldn’t be talking about taking 12 days unpaid. Why couldn’t Lincoln and newport make it???? Because the higher ups have padded their pockets, drive the best vehicles and have weekend vehicles, taken luxurious vacations, live in the best of homes, and wined and dined till the money was gone and now the state has to pay the price.
Wonderful Governor we have here. Can’t wait till his term is up. I didn’t vote for him but I have to live with his terrible decision making.
RHODE ISLAND THE STATE OF CORRUPTION!!!! This is the what the rest of the country knows about this state. How sad is that???
I know there are a lot more reasons this state is in the situation it is but the major problem is, there are TOO MANY reasons!!!
BTW
My son wants to be a state trooper when he gets out of college. maybe he can work for the governor and support me and his family also. that overtime pay must be great!!!
I don’t think its that bad. At least employees will keep their jobs. One day a month without pay will not make a huge difference. I am a City employee and I would not mind in the least if that happened to us. Its better then seeing temps getting laid off who have families to support. If the State has exhausted all its resources then thats the way to go.
It does suck to get furloughed, unfortunately the State is going broke. Like him or not at least the Governor puts it on the line with some temporary solutions. WHERE IS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY? The most useless bunch of self serving, pathetic ect…
It is only going to get worse in this State, just wait till the stimulus money runs out…The taxpayers can’t afford to pay more taxes, the State does not have enough money to support all the programs it offers, if it were a private business it would be in bankruptcy (like the car companies)for a major overhaul and many employees would be lost terminated! So as bad as furloughs might be, be thankful you still have a job for now. Because if we had a General Assembly with any balls there would be major cuts at the State level.
ristinks - you too, would be complaining about getting furloughed. All people don’t want to get furloughed. We understand the State is in trouble and I certainly would rather have a job then not. But, lets hope the Gov and his large-salaried friends also get furloughed. And, as mikep2 mentioned, some jobs are federally funded (mine is…and more then 80%...the state loses money if I get furloughed).
Whikle there will certainly be savings, I’m not sure they will be as great as the governor projects. Many State positions are 80% federally funed. If he furloughs one of these employees making $100/day, the savings is only $20, not $100. Considering that the Satate will lose the income tax on the $100, the savings go down further. I question whether these savings justify the inconvenience to the taxpayers or the sacrifice of the employee.
Advertisement