03-27-2008, 12:58 AM
Tallahassee- Eight years ago Kevin Haywood needed surgery for a dislocated spine after being choked unconscious by an imate at the state hospital where he works. He's still being tested for HIV and hepatitis after being bitten on his upper arm by another imate a year ago.
His pay for dealing with dangerous imates: $24,000 a year. "A lot of fsmilies, husbands and wives, put their paychecks together to make ends meet". said Haywood, who protects doctors and other professional staff at the state hospital in Chattahoochee.
Haywood,47, is among thousands of low paid state workers with dangerous jobs and has little hope of a raise this year. That's in a state that spends less per capita on it's work force than any other, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States and Governing.
"Over the past 10 years we have fallen father and father behind, "said Doug Martin, legislative and communications director for the Florida branc of State, County and Municipal Employees. "Now when the buget turns down the public servents are the ones who have to suffer".
Although Pew gave the state a B-minus overall for its across-the-board governing performance in a recent analysis, it was dead last in the investment made in state employees.
"A travestesy," responded state Rep. Lorranne Ausley, who blames much of that poor ranking on former Gov. Jeb Bush. "All they didi was take away all the protections for state employees. There were two years during the Bush administration where they got no raises at all."
Ausley, a Tallahassee Democrat, cotents that pay and benifits improvements for state workers should be law makers top priority and not the last. But with lawmakers now slashing the budget with the economy in tatters, the outlook isn't a lot brighter.
Elva McCaig of Milton has been a licensed practial nurse for more than eight years at a Panhandle prison where she earns less than $30,000 annually and must use vacation time and spend her own money to maitain her professional credentials.
His pay for dealing with dangerous imates: $24,000 a year. "A lot of fsmilies, husbands and wives, put their paychecks together to make ends meet". said Haywood, who protects doctors and other professional staff at the state hospital in Chattahoochee.
Haywood,47, is among thousands of low paid state workers with dangerous jobs and has little hope of a raise this year. That's in a state that spends less per capita on it's work force than any other, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States and Governing.
"Over the past 10 years we have fallen father and father behind, "said Doug Martin, legislative and communications director for the Florida branc of State, County and Municipal Employees. "Now when the buget turns down the public servents are the ones who have to suffer".
Although Pew gave the state a B-minus overall for its across-the-board governing performance in a recent analysis, it was dead last in the investment made in state employees.
"A travestesy," responded state Rep. Lorranne Ausley, who blames much of that poor ranking on former Gov. Jeb Bush. "All they didi was take away all the protections for state employees. There were two years during the Bush administration where they got no raises at all."
Ausley, a Tallahassee Democrat, cotents that pay and benifits improvements for state workers should be law makers top priority and not the last. But with lawmakers now slashing the budget with the economy in tatters, the outlook isn't a lot brighter.
Elva McCaig of Milton has been a licensed practial nurse for more than eight years at a Panhandle prison where she earns less than $30,000 annually and must use vacation time and spend her own money to maitain her professional credentials.