Thread: KU employees, other Kansas state workers begin receiving furlough notices

KU employees, other Kansas state workers begin receiving furlough notices / LJWorld.com

very very disturbing and disgusting stuff going on.

Topeka — Thousands of employees at Kansas University and throughout other state agencies began receiving furlough notices Friday as a budget stalemate in the Kansas Legislature dragged into the 106th day of the session.

Lawmakers have until Saturday night to pass a balanced budget plan, including a tax package to fund it, or else all nonessential state employees would be ordered to stay home starting 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

At least 24,200 workers at Kansas state government agencies and state universities would be affected.

Figures provided Friday to The Associated Press showed that almost 71 percent of those employees work at a state university.

Kansas State University announced it sent notices to almost 8,700 employees. The number at Pittsburg State University was 530.

<snip>
At Emporia State University, however, employees received an email Friday saying department chairs and deans would be furloughed, along with student workers. But senior administrative assistants would not be furloughed.

Department Chairs furloughed over the summer? Brilliant!

Student researchers furloughed over the summer? Double Brilliant.


So glad I followed my head and not heart, and excluded R1 state schools in the Midwest/South (to be closer to family) and instead focused on a smaller balanced research/teaching private university search for my academic appointment. I had a gut feeling 4-5 years ago this would become a growing trend politically.

Originally Posted by SlevinKelevra

KU employees, other Kansas state workers begin receiving furlough notices / LJWorld.com

very very disturbing and disgusting stuff going on.




Department Chairs furloughed over the summer? Brilliant!

Student researchers furloughed over the summer? Double Brilliant.


So glad I followed my head and not heart, and excluded R1 state schools in the Midwest/South (to be closer to family) and instead focused on a smaller balanced research/teaching private university search for my academic appointment. I had a gut feeling 4-5 years ago this would become a growing trend politically.

Oh yea of short memory. This has happened over the course of time in several states, California being one of them.

It happens during budget impasse, and yes, those folks you mention are indeed nonessential state employees. It's right in the part you quote:

Lawmakers have until Saturday night to pass a balanced budget plan, including a tax package to fund it, or else all nonessential state employees would be ordered to stay home starting 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

Most likely the state you're in right now has the same or a similar provision in place in case of their own legislative budget impasse.

Originally Posted by Joe Steel

Behold the failure of conservatism.

You know this happened in California too.

Originally Posted by clownboy

You know this happened in California too.

also, while a GOP Governor was in charge.

Coincidence?

Originally Posted by SlevinKelevra

KU employees, other Kansas state workers begin receiving furlough notices / LJWorld.com

very very disturbing and disgusting stuff going on.




Department Chairs furloughed over the summer? Brilliant!

Student researchers furloughed over the summer? Double Brilliant.


So glad I followed my head and not heart, and excluded R1 state schools in the Midwest/South (to be closer to family) and instead focused on a smaller balanced research/teaching private university search for my academic appointment. I had a gut feeling 4-5 years ago this would become a growing trend politically.

The dysfunctional leadership in Topeka has imposed high and growing costs on Kansas, as described by ratings agencies, among others. Their fiscal damage could have a long-lasting effect, and possibly extend beyond basic services and credit ratings to statewide competitiveness should the education system suffer chronic underinvestment in the aftermath of that damage. A combination of breathtaking fiscal recklessness and underinvestment in human capital development is not conducive to fostering competitiveness and prosperity. Unless the state changes course, it could also begin to suffer brain drain, which would further impair its long-term outcomes.

Last summer, S&P downgraded Kansas' credit rating to AA. The accompanying press release stated:

The downgrades reflect our view of a structurally unbalanced budget, following state income tax cuts that have not been matched with offsetting ongoing expenditure cuts in the fiscal 2015 budget," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst David Hitchcock. In our opinion, recent shortfalls in income taxes will leave both fiscal years 2014 and 2015 with ending general fund balances much less than projected in the enacted fiscal 2015 budget.

From Moody's, which downgraded Kansas to Aa3 this spring:

Kansas' below average issuer rating reflects the use of non-recurring measures to balance its budget, its relatively sluggish economic recovery compared with peers, revenue reductions (resulting from tax cuts) which have not been fully offset by recurring spending cuts, and an underfunded retirement system for which the state is not making actuarially determined contributions. In recent years the state has appropriated funds from or shifted costs to the State Highway Fund (SHF) to help balance the general fund budget.

Notice that Moody's cited an economic recovery that was weaker than that for Kansas' peers. Fiscal gimmickry is no substitute for sound policy. The economic outcomes reflect, in part, the state's suboptimal policy framework.

In the end, I guess one can say Kansas finds itself in a highly competitive race of sorts--a battle with Illinois, among a few other states, for most unsound fiscal policy. In the meantime, Kansas' people suffer the consequences and Kansas' youth could see reckless policy makers undercut their future.

Originally Posted by SlevinKelevra

also, while a GOP Governor was in charge.

Coincidence?

No, considering the legislature makes that call and the CA legislature has been solid blue for decades. Really, this thing you have for conservatism, you need a bit more education before you consider pursuing it further.