Four More Furlough Days for State Employees

Sad

It's like they are admitting they can't find a way to fix things so state employees and the public at large has to suffer.

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by: Snead @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 18:53:51 PM UTC

Um...

The state is broke. TABOR and other funding restrictions have backed Colorado into a corner.

They ARE saying that there are no other options, because there aren't any.

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by: Colorado Pols @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 19:05:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maine

We should be inviting our friends from MAine to come visit ont he furlough days.  Plenty of state employees will be available to host them.

Hell, we don't even have to wait for furlough days. Wait until higher ed sees their budgets, there will be plenty of adjunct faculty and others available then. Except @ Mesa.

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by: MADCO @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 19:27:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Revenue

There is another option, and thy name is revenue.  As in, the state needs more of it to sustain the services that families and businesses rely on every day.  

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by: COFPI @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 19:50:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Gotta put revenue streams on the ballot

The time for that is long past for the year, unless there's some provision for a special election that I don't know about (and that we can't afford to run...)

"We're below sharks and contract killers." -- Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), speaking on Congress's 9% approval rating

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by: Phoenix Rising @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 21:45:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not necessarily

There are several things the legislature can do without going to the ballot to generate more revenue, and help make our tax system more balanced.  
http://tinyurl.com/ygvfxw5

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by: COFPI @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 21:48:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And In The Mean Time...

If these 'legislative fixes' are so easy then why haven't they been done yet? Instead we continue to let important services get cut and force people to take unpaid days off.

And how long will it be before these tax policies go into effect? Are we going to stand by and let Higher Ed get butchered and perhaps even privatized as the legislature argues over an internet sales tax?

Colorado's legislature has consistently shown a strong loyalty to the business community, including many democrats. What makes you think they will be willing to go along with eliminating tax exemptions that Colorado business's are accustomed to?

Someone needs the political courage to stand up and lead this state out of this crisis. And it MUST be through the Constitution! TABOR must go down! And I'm not talking about some sneaky complex way of doing it like Romanoff tried.

We need to have this debate and the people must decide once and for all!    

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by: cunninjo @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 16:56:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Repeal TABOR

Or Colorado is, and will continue to be, a failed state financially. It's that simple.

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by: redstateblues @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 17:01:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

In an election year?

Especially one that leads up to redistricting?

Surely you jest.

Spoken like an ideologue, not a pragmatist.

Maybe good government can poke its ugly head into the discussion when there's nothing political at stake.  In the meantime, there is much at stake.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 01:02:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I disagree

For the past 20 years it has never been the "right time" to discuss how appropiate government is a good and necessary thing. And to then discuss what must be done to pay for it.

If we can't discuss it when we have this level of devastating cutbacks, when can we? When we're rolling in dollars and the response will be that we have too much?

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 04:06:18 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

it has never been the "right time"

Sure it has. In 2005, it was the right time for a variety of reasons -- economy was in good enough shape people felt like they could afford it, a lame-duck Republican governor could "go to China" and campaign hard for it, and it was an off year after the Democrats took over the Legislature and before a gubernatorial election, midway between redistricting elections.

Granted, those are a lot of conditions (none of which are the case right now), but politics is hard, the right times don't come along that often.

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by: RedGreen @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 04:25:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I understand that but...

"We're streamlining services, cutting spending and finding smarter, less expensive and more efficient ways of doing business and serving the public."

It sounds to me like furloughs are a way of avoiding all that icky reform.

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by: Snead @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 20:23:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not to mention all that icky

running for election having just raised taxes or advocating for same. It ain't fair or smart, but that's not proven to be a big winner in elections past.

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by: MADCO @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 20:51:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Colorado voters have been reluctant to vote for new taxes

But the state is in dire straits. Until the public will changes and demands new revenue sources, this is what we're stuck with -- cut, cut, and more cut.

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by: Colorado Pols @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 21:47:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Gimme a big WAAH!

C'mon now. What about the rest of the businesses in this state and every other state in the Union that are suffering?
I lost a dollar an hour several months ago as did every other employee in my company. We have also suffered with 32 hour work weeks twice now in the past year and a half and we are going back to that once again in a week or so. Might even lose more money per hour. Do you care? Does anyone here care? Uh no.
I have a buddy working for a local electrical (union) shop that has also put every salary employee on 32 hour work weeks on top of most of the electricians are setting on their bench. He is not union so he has three days off each and every week. Do you care? Uh no.
We don't have the option to put our widdle hands out and cry poor us, we need more money from all of you. We are like every other business out there (non government business that is), ride it out if possible.
 

NoBama .... NoBamaCare either

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by: Gecko @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 22:33:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I care

We need to work these bubbles out of the economy. I think I understand the sacrifices you're making. It's amazing how small businesses have the flexibility to make their Plan work. Larger companies don't have that flexibility. There's a lesson here.

Your WAAAH could become longer and louder. If it does, I hope you and your family has a safety net.


Exercise your right to peaceably assemble and reclaim the commons. Stop the militarization of America.

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by: Sir Robin @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 02:03:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

But business is the driving engine of our economy

Business was totally unleashed during the Bush years with tax on corporations slashed and give aways to the rich at every opportunity.  I thought all of this Republican largess towards business and the rich was suppose to fuel a robust economy and trickle down to help all.

Apparently corporations and the wealthy took all the tax cuts handed to them by the Bushies blew it on a big big party.

No one believes that giving business more tax cuts will restart our economy.  Voodoo Reaganomics has screwed this country for a long time but all Jerko can complain about is how unfair it is to ask business to help finance a civilized society.  Social Darwinism is all it understands.

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by: Gilpin Guy @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 02:06:35 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

When tax increases are put on the ballot

don't most pass? I thought that was part of most local governments de-Brucing.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 04:08:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Exactly.

Reform requires thought doesn't it? Most bureaucrats' minds can't generate sufficient electricity to light a bulb. If you really want to resuscitate Denver's economy, just refuse to cut and go after non-traditional revenue streams, especially if you want to get re-elected after flipping the bird to unions and middle-class workers. Even California's addle-headed Gov had enough sense to hold a giant garage sale to raise revenue.

We have a huge unemployed population, many more not on the unemployment teat; all we need is someone with the brilliance to start a few programs. Ritter has Google, too. He can look up programs, go to other states, go after tax dodgers and raise taxes on the uber class. He'd rather let the mainstream swirl down the commode.  

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by: Chef @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 05:18:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hope these state workers weren't planning to retire soon.

Poor bastards!

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 22:12:30 PM UTC

Sad but necessary

A Gov has to do what a Gov has to do.

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by: paulrosenthal @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 22:23:18 PM UTC

Puh-lease.

Come on, Paul. For one minute, take your proboscis out of his arse and admit he isn't the risen messiah.

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by: Chef @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 05:19:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

They cannot do anything other than cut

It's pathetic is what it is. Ritter could give a rat's tuchis about the people working in the actual jobs and certainly more cuts will come sooner than later. Why is it such a brain-exploding concept to cut corporate loopholes, tax companies not paying their fair shares, go after these businesses with gusto and use the millions from that to begin investing in home-grown local business? How about looking at additional streams of governmental income, such as creating more jobs to have more tax money coming in?

Denver itself is full of people looking for work and the city itself is in horrible shape and we're supposed to have stimulus money resting in someone's pocket that could be freed up. Even if that money is frozen, it doesn't require massive brain power to start a few job creation programs that other states have put into play.

There's a mad rush to cut because it requires no creativity or organizing and just perpetuates a vicious circle, doesn't it? We can't create jobs because we have no money, and we have no money because nobody is hiring so we have fewer to tax.

Because what is it to him? They can't line his coffers nor prepare for his retirement, so they're out, along with anyone else in his line of vision.

Sorry to contradict the holy Pols oracle itself, but there are other business models that exist. Companies facing down economies can do things other than cut or go under. Where there is a will there is always a way. This man is not trying.

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by: Chef @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 05:11:34 AM UTC

We should start a poll on how many additional furloughs

Ritter will announce in 2010.  

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by: Retired @ Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 12:28:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]