The latest, third round of cuts that were made yesterday in this year’s Maryland budget includes the abolition of 112 positions in state government, over half of which are currently filled.
It’s called “downsizing” by means of “reduction in force” (RIF) in government bureaucratize.
Are you listening Mr. Pollitt?
And were you listening during that public hearing at the Civic Center last week when a speaker said that a particular position on your staff should be RIFFED?
8 comments:
Joe, you may not know this but Wicomico County's own "Personnel and Policy Manual" has a step-by-step process already in place that mentions the RIF and how to go about doing it. Rick knows its there, the employees know its there, and now YOU know its there.
The issue is not whether or not Rick "CAN" do it but "WILL" he do it?
no
9:58 he may not do it this year but he and the County Council are already saying how bad "next year's"(fiscal 2010-11)budget process will be compared to this year's. AND I remind you "next" year will be an election year for Rick so it will be very interesting to see what happens "next year".
One of the things that bothers me, though, is the process for "next year's" budget starts around December/January and here we are NOVEMBER 19th and Wicomico County STILL HAS NOT corrected the "past year's" budget. That doesn't bode well for voter confidence or for the county employees' moral.
Ted Shea, Matt Creamer and Gary Mackes should all be gone-- either retired with pensions, or 'RIFFed' without.
A big hunk of change for those three. It would go a long way toward filling some gaps.
Times are very tough, and we can't afford to be sentimental anymore. The hard decisions must be made and carried out.
11:03 am ---Next year will be too late. Downsizing of this years' budget needs to reflect savings in next years' budget. Instead it looks as though adjustments made by Rick so far are just that. Adjustments to get through this year only and, also using up the county's savings.
Saw last night where the county council approved borrowing $16+Million. Great. Put more strain on the finances of this county.
All I have to say is people hide your wallets...the county is going to need more money.
You hire in good times and you fire in bad times! Any questions?
How about not rehiring positions vacanted by the out going employees.
Say employees who either leave on there own or are terminated by policy. It can be done if done right and the work will get done. Everyone wants to layoff before they think about a resolve.
The sad part (coming from a County employee) is that if/when Rick Pollitt and the County Council initiate a reduction in force it will more than likely be even across the board when it should not. They will probably layoff or eliminate jobs proportionally among every department in the County to make it "fair" when in fact it would not be "fair" at all. The problem I see with this is that there are a few departments are super efficient, but most are not at all! The departments that have and are operated very efficiently are going to suffer more because of this. The cuts should be made in those departments that have a surplus of workforce and thus cost the County more than what is actually neccessary. Personally, I feel as though my job should be secure because my director and his employees run a tight ship and we ALL have a full workload; however, I can never feel 100% secure because Rick Pollitt tends to want to cut the County equally across the board instead of concentrating cuts and potential layoffs in the departments that are truly costing the County additional money. He needs to look at each individual employee and their tasks and ask himself if that particular person is neccessary and/or can I consolidate that position with another to eliminate salary. It would certainly take time and effort to evaluate the entire county workforces, but the results would be highly beneficial and lucrative in the long run - the County would retain its most productive employees to maintain the highest possible level of service while maximizing the savings in annual salary costs. Its common sense, maximize efficiency and minimize cost! Any good business does this and if the County wants to run more like a business they would do it too! The only problem with this is that they would have to leave behind the "good ole boy network" meaning that people like Shea and Fineran could be eliminated or consolidated into one position... you think that Rick would or could do that? Unfortunately, I don't think he has the courage to do it.
We also have people that work for this County that make more than what they would in a similar position at major corporations, but are less qualified! ie: we have non PE engineers that make more than PE engineers at private companies! Where does that make sense? Re-evaluate individual salaries and official job descriptions and I guarantee that you'll save hundreds of thousands, in not over a million dollars each year! A lot of employees' qualifications don't even meet the qualifications on their require job descriptions! This doesn't fly in the private sector, why should it in the Government sector?
I will not disclose the department for which I work and I will not single out other departments that I feel should be cut because that SHOULD be Rick's job. However, I am 100% confident that, if our department was to be evaluated in this type of comprehensive reduction in force, our staff would ramain unscaved when layoffs come around. If only the public could be a fly on the wall in the GOB, Roads Division, BOE, Parks & Rec, Health Department, etc. they would see who TRULY works for their salary and who does not!
This is what the citizens should push for: High quality level of service at a discount price-It shouldn't even be called a reduction in workforce because the same about of work can be done with less employees; it should simply be called a consolidation of employees. We don't have to lose the quality and level of service to save money - remember that when future budget cuts and elections come around.
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