State of Ohio’s Budget as PowerPoint

Today the Office of Budget and Management released the Fiscal Years 2010-11 Executive Budget Proposal.  You can find all you ever wanted to know about this proposal here.

If you want to go straight to 100 slides worth of PowerPoint CLICK HERE.

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Ohio Sunday Papers – February 1, 2009 – A Lot of Ohio Education Debate

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Ohio Sunday Papers | January 18, 2009 | Ohio Tuskegee Airman, Kevin Boyce, Casinos, Strickland, Ohio Economy, Cuyahoga Corruption, Fingerhut, OCSEA, Hobson, Voinovich, Taxes

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State of Ohio Workers’ Major Union Asked for Big Concessions

January 16, 2009 by Pelikan · 2 Comments
Filed under: State of Ohio Budget, State of Ohio Govt 

The state is currently in negotiations with its largest bargaining unit, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA).  The state and union are trying to hammer out the agreement under which they will tolerate one another for the next three years.  The OCSEA isn’t happy right at the moment.

The Dayton Daily News broke the first big news of current contract negotiations this afternoon when they got hold of a bargaining update issued to OCSEA members.  The update said that the state was asking for, in union parlance, 18 ‘givebacks’ to help the state close its budget hole and avoid laying off many more workers.  Some of the concessions being sought from the state include:

  • 5% pay cut
  • 35 hour work week
  • mandatory days off without pay
  • elimination of personal leave, holiday pay and other benefit premiums
  • elimination of longevity pay

A couple of things are actually pretty good ideas.  Right now, state workers get a boost in their pay at certain time increments for merely hanging on.  This is pay that has nothing to do with performance.  “Seniority” may be fine when judging who gets first dibs on the cubicle by the window, but longevity pay should have some performance strings attached or go by the boards.

Read more

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Ohio Newsbreak – January 14 – Winter Weather Ohio-Style, Pimp Daddy, Gamboling to Gambling, Traficant

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Ohio Sunday Papers: January 11, 2009 – Education, Homebuilders, Gambling Debate, Salmonella, Ohio Legislature, UT, BGSU, Casinos, Budget Cuts

January 11, 2009 by Pelikan · 1 Comment
Filed under: Uncategorized 
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Ohio Newsbreak – Jess Goode, Jenn Urban, Obama Stimulus, Ohio DYS, Paul Tipps, state budget, Voinovich, Finkbeiner

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Ohio Newsbreak – January 7, 2009: Budish, Jimmy Crum Dies, Blackwell’s Quest, Dannettes Reject Offer, Ohio Economy, Fingerhut warns on tuition

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Ohio Newsbreak | January 2, 2009

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State of Ohio Using All the Tools to Cut Costs

An article today in the New York Times highlights some of the things employers are doing to trim budgets around the edges in hopes of saving a few jobs during this recession.  The State of Ohio is rolling one of the measures out to its own workforce.

From the Times:

Even as layoffs are reaching historic levels, some employers have found an alternative to slashing their work force. They’re nipping and tucking it instead.

A growing number of employers, hoping to avoid or limit layoffs, are introducing four-day workweeks, unpaid vacations and voluntary or enforced furloughs, along with wage freezes, pension cuts and flexible work schedules. These employers are still cutting labor costs, but hanging onto the labor.

What the state of Ohio has begun in some state agencies, and will make available in most others, is the voluntary furlough.  Known by the dreaded euphemism, “Voluntary Savings Program,” the VSP is nothing more than a voluntary furlough.  A furlough of course is when an employer says, don’t come to work for a particular period of time, we’re not going to pay you, but when the time period is up – come on back, you’ll still have a job.  It’s unpaid time off.

At the state, employees who wish to take some unpaid time off will be able to choose to take a recurring time period off without pay – such as one week per month for a given period of time – or take blocks of time.  The voluntary furloughs are subject to management approval, although management is not able to steer employees to the program.  State managers will be using the ability to provide full customer service in their business units as a major determinant in approving voluntary furlough requests.

The state doesn’t have a great deal of experience with the program.  It’s been one of the tools in the box for some years, and was used to some effect at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources during hard budget times some years ago.

One bad thing about it is its name: Voluntary Savings Program.  This is just more government doublespeak.  Why not call it the “Voluntary Furlough Program?”  That’s exactly what it is.  When I see Voluntary Savings Program, I think deferred compensation or maybe the Christmas Club at the local state credit union.

Here’s hoping the VSP helps out on the budget front.  It certainly doesn’t do accomplish anything on the ’say what you mean front.’

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Ohio Newsbreak – Lame Duck Bad Legislation, GM Supplier Cuts 100, Tom Winters, Road Salt, Credit Ratings, Ohiowood

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Ohio Sunday Papers – October 5, 2008

Elections & Politics News

Other News

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Ohio News Roundup – October 1: Obama leading, McCain Complaining, Payday lenders, Brunner, Bailout, Sherrod Brown, Voinovich, Gov Approval Rating, Strickland establishes economic growth group

Presidential Politics and Election News

Other News

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Ohio News Roundup – Jobs for Cambridge, Sick Days Editorials, Light to be out, Ohio AG race,

Government, Politics, Economy

This deal came about with the help of the Strickland Administration through the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Administrative Services. Earlier this year, budget cuts led to 128 state employees at the facility to lose their jobs. Oglethorpe, the new owner, is scheduled to hire 200 from the Cambridge area.

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Ohio News Update – Austria Plagiarizes, Boehner on Palin, OH Guard to LA, Grocery Tax No More, Dispatch RNC Coverage, Payday Lenders, Cordray

Austria accused of plagiarism in local paperDayton Daily News

Boehner: Palin Critics ElitistPolitico

Ohio Guard Sending 1,500 Troops to LAColumbus Dispatch

Appeals Court throws out CAT tax for grocersDayton Daily News

Court Voids State Grocery TaxColumbus Dispatch

Party is muted but Palin news isn’tColumbus Dispatch

Cordray, Dann find little in commonColumbus Dispatch

Minnesotan fires up Ohio delegatesColumbus Dispatch

Corporate cruise able to double as storm fundraiserColumbus Dispatch

Editorial: Lose it or payColumbus Dispatch

Ohio fills abandoned mines to avoid collapsesCleveland Plain Dealer

Payday lending issue step closer to ballotDayton Daily News

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