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$60M cut from Missouri budget includes loss of 200 jobs

By CHRIS BLANK
Associated Press Writer
Published: Friday, August 21, 2009 1:35 AM CDT
Gov. Jay Nixon's administration announced Thursday details of $60 million in state budget cuts that will include trimming about 200 more state jobs through layoffs and leaving vacant positions unfilled.

Nixon, a Democrat, has vetoed or restricted spending $430 million for the budget year that started July 1. The Legislature approved a $23 billion operating budget, plus a two-year, $600 million capital improvements bill that included various projects funded with federal stimulus money.

Many of the $60 million in cuts affect state workers, even after the operating budget approved by lawmakers called for cutting 1,244 positions. Thursday's cuts also restrict employee travel and training sessions.

Nixon's budget director, Linda Luebbering, said many cuts focused on state workers because the governor wants to trim state payrolls before affecting programs.

“The first place the governor wants to go is to try to downsize state government as much as we can before we hit services,” Luebbering said. “Certainly the focus has been on trying to reduce the size of state government.”

The cuts were spread throughout state agencies, but the biggest hits came to the Department of Social Services at $16.3 million, the Department of Economic Development at $11.3 million and the Department of Corrections at $7 million.

Besides affecting workers, state agencies said spending restrictions could result in longer wait times for those seeking to have driver's licenses reinstated, reduce the number of disabled people receiving services through independent living centers and cut down on state meat inspections and animal disease control monitoring.

State police agencies also reported that $2.4 million in cuts to the Department of Public Safety could reduce their activities. For example, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said it would work to use less gas and cut back on assignments at the State Fair and University of Missouri-Columbia football games.

The state Tourism Commission says it will need to cut spending on salaries and equipment because of a $7 million cut.

The budget withholdings announced Thursday block money from being spent, so if state revenue improves, Nixon can later reverse them. Luebbering said the cuts would drop spending for the current budget year to match anticipated revenue, so further cuts won't be necessary unless state revenue continues to fall.

House Budget Chairman Allen Icet said making difficult budget decisions in the summer means emergency action is less likely to be needed in the spring. Icet, R-Wildwood, said everyone is looking at the national economy and wondering when conditions will improve.

“We're all waiting for the miracle to return and the sunshine to be back, and we won't have to do painful things,” he said.

Nixon told state agencies they would be asked to trim the $60 million when he signed the state budget in June. Among the proposals was a $1.5 million cut to the Tour of Missouri bicycle race that prompted outrage from the event's supporters. Race organizers argued cutting the state funds from the cross-state race's $3.3 million budget would have forced it to be canceled and likely never run again.

The funds for next month's race later were allowed to be spent.



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boscoe wrote on Aug 30, 2009 9:00 PM:

" Did the state lay off more of the unemployment services people? "

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wizo1 wrote on Aug 30, 2009 4:14 PM:

" Cuts for the bike race? So what? The Missouri River 340 canoe race from Kansas City to St. Charles is funded mostly by private donations through RiverMiles, and the racers and ground crews have to pay their expenses out of their own pocket, unless they beat the pavement for donations. And we don't tie up traffic on the streets and highways and go into an attitude dance when folks ask us questions like some of the wheel-heads did last year. "

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@da'lake wrote on Aug 26, 2009 9:47 AM:

" Rocky let the state pay for his Master's degree, then goes to the federal govt. (a huge bunch of lazy, worthless, overpaid, self-absorbed workers) but he has the audacity to criticize state employees as a whole because the dept. he worked in and he felt the people he worked with were lazy. I'm sure he was the ONLY hard-working employee in the entire division...or the state for that matter. But that's all changed, because now he's a "hard working" federal employee. Priceless...just freakin' priceless. ROFLMAO!! "

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Local 671 wrote on Aug 25, 2009 8:34 AM:

" Some of you people that write in here all the time are about the most negative, bitter, resentful bunch I have ever seen. I can't imagine working with some of you. "

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0123 wrote on Aug 24, 2009 8:48 AM:

" True, some state workers may be lazy but have you ever heard of STAT? This is a STATE dept that investigates crimes against kids. Everytime a child dies in the state, STAT is notified, if something is suspicious it is investigated and someone goes to jail. Before jobs are cut think of your kids, if one of them went missing, was abused or God forbid was killed would you want that dept cut? "

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two_cents_worth wrote on Aug 24, 2009 8:47 AM:

" Mr. Nixons' administrative departments are performing poorly already. The citizens of Missouri are having to wait longer for services, & I have 2 examples to prove it. Initial unemployment claims which are federally mandated to take about 3 weeks are now taking over 7 weeks. That is, from the day you are terminated, to the day you receive your first payment for unemployment, is almost 2 months! Now part of that is the large amount of people filing, but the wait time should not DOUBLE!
Also: Amended tax returns filed in APRIL have yet to be processed. Thats 4 months!
If Nixon's gonna cut more state jobs, he better find a way to do it so Missourians will not have to endure slower services. "

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boscoe wrote on Aug 23, 2009 11:30 PM:

" Hey, speakling of state employees, can anyone tell me when the Mo-DOT snowplow rodeo will be held this year? Do MO-DOT employees get another day off?

Does the Governor's office have to cut all those FTEs they stole from other agency budgets too? "

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boscoe wrote on Aug 23, 2009 11:28 PM:

" State employees are just costly expenditures that need to be exploited, reduced, and cut. They are not valued resources that are to be developed, protected, or rewarded.

State workers are liabilities, not assets. Assets have value to the organization and are developed. Liabilities are cut and discarded. "

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fishing01 wrote on Aug 22, 2009 2:18 AM:

" And yes, I worked for the state and also was educated by the state also. "

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fishing01 wrote on Aug 22, 2009 2:08 AM:

" I agree on the state workers having a bad attitude. And you hit the nail right on the head. They expect so much more and most in those lower level jobs have no degree. That or they get a $50,000.00 pay check and have no college education. There is a dept. at MU, which is basically state that lets their employees wear shorts to work in the summer and also hires uneducated employees. Its a dept. that is totally worthless as it is actually a service that is duplicated in another state department. Its things like this that are such a total waste of money. "

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Countercouple wrote on Aug 22, 2009 1:38 AM:

" Fact:

There are to many state employees and not enough private industry. This isn't a suprise and everyone should have seen this coming. I support Gov. Nixon in this. The days of over inflated state employment is coming to an end.

I wonder what will happen to Jeff city? Oh yes, who cares "

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RockyV wrote on Aug 21, 2009 11:23 PM:

" @dalake I didn't get cut, I actually got my Masters while working for the state and was so disgusted with the attitudes, laziness, constant complaining of state workers I moved on to the Federal Govt. I never worked in such a dreary, sad, depressing place than I did when I was a state worker. It wasn't because of the managment, governor, it was because my co-workers felt that being able to type 50 wpm should get them a 50,000 a year paycheck. Thats the lazy, self centered attitude of the state worker. "

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traceyt wrote on Aug 21, 2009 6:40 PM:

" I've been with the state for about 8 years now. I've been hearing the encouragement to "do more with less" for at least 6 years. I guess the goal is to do a little more with a little less, each year. I think we need to take full advantage of the savings inherent in this plan by skipping the inefficient "middle" years and going straight to doing everything with nothing. Just think of all the money that will be saved and all of the services that the state will be able to provide. "

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sunflower wrote on Aug 21, 2009 4:25 PM:

" Why do they keep posting jobs if they aren't going to fill them? "

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FAMILYOF4 wrote on Aug 21, 2009 4:18 PM:

" this may be a little off subject, but what about all the people that receive the Property Tax Credit or as some call it a Circuit breaker or Rent rebate... The state is issuing this money to persons that are disabled or over the age of 65. But where is all this money coming from? To read more on those, like how much the credit is and everything... go to the dept of revenues web site. "

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Bsnoltth wrote on Aug 21, 2009 2:58 PM:

" Maybe I'm wrong here, but didn't our legislature vote a raise for themselves? "

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@da'lake wrote on Aug 21, 2009 2:11 PM:

" Aren't they still going ahead with renovations to the capitol and/or gov's mansion? Is the Gov's office still paying his staff MORE than the previous administration? Has the Gov's office taken any REAL reduction in budget? (and I'm not talking just billing his travel expenses to various other state agencies).

What is truly clueless is that any reduction in staff WILL result in a reduction in providing services. Front line staff have been cut to bare bones now.....the true "fat" has yet to feel the effect of the cuts. "

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@da'lake wrote on Aug 21, 2009 2:07 PM:

" Sounds to me like some fat got cut when Rocky got cut! If you believe that state workers are notorious for being lazy and overpaid then you truly are clules or never worked for the state at all. Missouri is 49th or 50th in pay nationwide behind such states as Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.. The only ones overpaid are the top dogs. Tell the front line staff that do most of the work and get paid $15,000 - $20,000 year they are overpaid and lazy. You are truly clueless. "

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Bsnoltth wrote on Aug 21, 2009 1:57 PM:

" Byron W. wrote

"Does this make sense to anyone?"

No, because any cut in payroll will be a cut in service. State workers are already undermanned and underpaid.

And Rocky, the problem is that those that are milking their job are not always the ones cut. "

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Byron W. wrote on Aug 21, 2009 1:25 PM:

" From the article:
Nixon's budget director, Linda Luebbering, said many cuts focused on state workers because the governor wants to trim state payrolls before affecting programs.

The first place the governor wants to go is to try to downsize state government as much as we can before we hit services, Luebbering said. Certainly the focus has been on trying to reduce the size of state government.

Does this make sense to anyone? "

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RockyV wrote on Aug 21, 2009 12:40 PM:

" Thank god! It's about time someone had the courage to trim the fat. I worked in state service for some time and let me tell you the majority of my co-workers milked the job. State workers are notorius for being lazy and overpaid! Our Troopers should be on the road anyway the UM system has it's own campus police department. "

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lumofo wrote on Aug 21, 2009 10:59 AM:

" Why is the state paying for Troopers at a Missouri football game. Shouldnt the university be billed for that? "

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two_cents_worth wrote on Aug 21, 2009 9:37 AM:

" Just wait 'til the budget comes out for next year. State employee layoffs might rival what we experienced in '72-'73. Even though we have seen many layoffs already.

Get ready Cole County, (and surrounding areas) this one's gonna hurt! "

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hmarie775 wrote on Aug 21, 2009 8:34 AM:

" Bicycle race vs. permanant jobs lost...gee that was a great call. NOT. "

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