05-12-2009, 05:36 PM
Article published May 11, 2009
Bill Cotterell: After the pay cuts comes the bitterness
Bill Cotterell
Notebook
Usually, when somebody says "it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing," you can assume that the money is a close second — if not the main thing bothering them.
A lot of state employees have been venting about pay cuts in the past week. Following a couple years with no general pay raises, taking a cut hurts.
About four out of five state workers won't be affected by the 2-percent reduction for those earning more than $45,000 a year. And those in the university system are safe — which, predictably, does not sit well with the rest of the work force.
We've had a lot of phone calls, e-mails, Zing! barbs and other comments about the pay cut. No issue since ex-Gov. Jeb Bush's 2001 "Service First" personnel overhaul has caused such heartburn for so many Tallahasseeans. The "People First" personnel privatization mess with Convergys a few years ago came close, but most of the people complaining then were the ones whose health insurance got canceled or whose time sheets got miscalculated (not to mention those who worried about their medical records winding up in India).
But the plan to cut salaries, no matter how necessary or how little, affected just about everybody. Its smallest impact, in the original Senate budget, would have been a token 1-percent cut for employees earning more than $100,000, but everybody knew that was just an opening bid — as was the House proposal to take 4 percent from all employees earning over $26,400 and 5 percent from those making $80,000.
When they compromised at $45,000 and 2 percent, even the unaffected knew what might have happened. And they know that, if state revenue collections continue their slide and another budget-cutting special session is necessary, the goalposts could move to 2.5 percent and $35,000 — or worse.
Judging from responses we've heard, it seems that many employees reached for their calculators. First, they figured out how much it will cost them in dollars ($900 on $45,000), and perhaps more than a few folks calculated how much work time they'll have to avoid (48 minutes a week) to equal 2 percent.
OK, so if you while away about nine minutes a day on Facebook or getting back late from lunch or making a personal phone call, you can get even with the state for cutting your pay. Some angry voices in my phone mail, some anonymous e-mail messages and some desultory griping by acquaintances around town would seem to indicate that many employees have contemplated a little vengeance.
A few employees even want to sue, reasoning that, since more-experienced workers tend to earn more, those affected by the 2-percent cut tend to be older — hence, an age-discrimination case might be made. Others have suggested boycotting the United Way campaign to recoup the 2 percent.
For obvious reasons, neither of those options makes much sense. There are a lot of 25- and 30-year-old workers earning $45,000 a year or more, so you'd have a hard time proving that legislators discriminated against anyone, by intention or disparate impact. And not giving to the annual charitable campaign would just hurt a lot of needy people who had nothing to do with any of this.
As Big Bend legislators pointed out in the budget debate, a pay cut is a de facto income tax on the affected employees. Also, by hiking fees for things such as driver licenses and lacking the gumption to enact a sensible tax system, legislators continued their decades-long tradition of balancing the budget on the working poor and middle class.
But when they're cutting back in so many other areas, when their constituents are worrying about losing their jobs, legislators can't be expected to spare state employees' paychecks. And, as Gov. Charlie Crist pointed out, a pay cut is better than a layoff.
Maybe some employees will quit, but there are a lot of people ready to replace them. Morale will suffer, more than it already has in recent years of "bonuses" or no raises. But after a while, the bitterness will subside and state workers will keep plugging away — hoping things get better but not really expecting much any time soon.
Coincidentally, the pay-cut news hit during the annual public-service appreciation week. Crist recorded a warm tribute to federal, state and local government employees all over the state.
Watching the online video of Crist thanking employees, you find yourself thinking, "Aww, don't mention it, governor. No, I mean, really — don't."
Contact Bill Cotterell at (850) 671-6545 or bcotterell@tallahassee.com.
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Bill Cotterell: After the pay cuts comes the bitterness
Bill Cotterell
Notebook
Usually, when somebody says "it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing," you can assume that the money is a close second — if not the main thing bothering them.
A lot of state employees have been venting about pay cuts in the past week. Following a couple years with no general pay raises, taking a cut hurts.
About four out of five state workers won't be affected by the 2-percent reduction for those earning more than $45,000 a year. And those in the university system are safe — which, predictably, does not sit well with the rest of the work force.
We've had a lot of phone calls, e-mails, Zing! barbs and other comments about the pay cut. No issue since ex-Gov. Jeb Bush's 2001 "Service First" personnel overhaul has caused such heartburn for so many Tallahasseeans. The "People First" personnel privatization mess with Convergys a few years ago came close, but most of the people complaining then were the ones whose health insurance got canceled or whose time sheets got miscalculated (not to mention those who worried about their medical records winding up in India).
But the plan to cut salaries, no matter how necessary or how little, affected just about everybody. Its smallest impact, in the original Senate budget, would have been a token 1-percent cut for employees earning more than $100,000, but everybody knew that was just an opening bid — as was the House proposal to take 4 percent from all employees earning over $26,400 and 5 percent from those making $80,000.
When they compromised at $45,000 and 2 percent, even the unaffected knew what might have happened. And they know that, if state revenue collections continue their slide and another budget-cutting special session is necessary, the goalposts could move to 2.5 percent and $35,000 — or worse.
Judging from responses we've heard, it seems that many employees reached for their calculators. First, they figured out how much it will cost them in dollars ($900 on $45,000), and perhaps more than a few folks calculated how much work time they'll have to avoid (48 minutes a week) to equal 2 percent.
OK, so if you while away about nine minutes a day on Facebook or getting back late from lunch or making a personal phone call, you can get even with the state for cutting your pay. Some angry voices in my phone mail, some anonymous e-mail messages and some desultory griping by acquaintances around town would seem to indicate that many employees have contemplated a little vengeance.
A few employees even want to sue, reasoning that, since more-experienced workers tend to earn more, those affected by the 2-percent cut tend to be older — hence, an age-discrimination case might be made. Others have suggested boycotting the United Way campaign to recoup the 2 percent.
For obvious reasons, neither of those options makes much sense. There are a lot of 25- and 30-year-old workers earning $45,000 a year or more, so you'd have a hard time proving that legislators discriminated against anyone, by intention or disparate impact. And not giving to the annual charitable campaign would just hurt a lot of needy people who had nothing to do with any of this.
As Big Bend legislators pointed out in the budget debate, a pay cut is a de facto income tax on the affected employees. Also, by hiking fees for things such as driver licenses and lacking the gumption to enact a sensible tax system, legislators continued their decades-long tradition of balancing the budget on the working poor and middle class.
But when they're cutting back in so many other areas, when their constituents are worrying about losing their jobs, legislators can't be expected to spare state employees' paychecks. And, as Gov. Charlie Crist pointed out, a pay cut is better than a layoff.
Maybe some employees will quit, but there are a lot of people ready to replace them. Morale will suffer, more than it already has in recent years of "bonuses" or no raises. But after a while, the bitterness will subside and state workers will keep plugging away — hoping things get better but not really expecting much any time soon.
Coincidentally, the pay-cut news hit during the annual public-service appreciation week. Crist recorded a warm tribute to federal, state and local government employees all over the state.
Watching the online video of Crist thanking employees, you find yourself thinking, "Aww, don't mention it, governor. No, I mean, really — don't."
Contact Bill Cotterell at (850) 671-6545 or bcotterell@tallahassee.com.
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