Read Press Release From Gailbraith/Riley Campaign.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Steve Beshear’s Mass Email to State Employees
Frankfort, Kentucky June 6, 2011
Last Friday, in response to Gatewood and Riley’s Open Letter to State Employees, Governor Steve Beshear sent a mass email to all state employees promising them “no furlough days for state employees will be scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012”.
Of course, being the career politician he is, Beshear weasel worded his way out of his promise in his next sentence. “We will continue to evaluate whether any furloughs will be necessary to balance the $169 million budgeted gap in the FY 12 budget when we have updated revenue projections; however, if things continue as they are going now, they will be unnecessary.”
We are sure that state employees will recognize this self-serving mass email for what it was: A blatant attempt to buy their vote with empty promises while balancing the state budget on their backs.
State employees should remember the old adage: “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice shame on me.”
Our Open Letter clearly stated how we will treat state employees and what we expect from them. We think state employees already know how Steve Beshear treats them and how little he values them.
Contact: Ralph Long
ralph@ralphlong.com
859-797-3008
###
Editor's note: Below's the Governor's email:
From: Governor's Communications Office (Gov Office)
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 2:26 PM
Subject: A Message from Governor Beshear
A MESSAGE FROM
GOVERNOR STEVEN L. BESHEAR
Dear Fellow Employees:
I am pleased to share some positive news about the state’s financial situation, and its impact on state employees. The Office of State Budget Director reported today that May’s General Fund receipts grew 17.8 percent compared to May of last year, an increase of $113.6 million. The enacted budget calls for 4.5 percent revenue growth for the entire fiscal year. May marks the 13th consecutive monthly increase, signaling a robust recovery in General Fund tax receipts. Therefore, it appears that we will end the current fiscal year with unexpected funds, though the amount will not be known until we close the books after June 30.
The May revenue report provides additional hope that the revenue outlook for Fiscal Year 2012 may also improve beyond budgeted levels. Therefore, at this time no furlough days for state employees will be scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012. We will continue to evaluate whether any furloughs will be necessary to balance the $169 million budgeted gap in the FY 12 budget when we have updated revenue projections; however, if things continue as they are going now, they will be unnecessary.
My sincere thanks goes to all of you for your sacrifice. Nearly every state employee took these days, regardless of their position, including me. This sacrifice saved over 400 state jobs and helped us balance our budget despite incredibly difficult financial times, and it will not soon be forgotten. I join you in looking forward to a more robust economy and better days for all Kentuckians.
Sincerely,
Governor Steve Beshear
And below's Joe Gerth's piece:
Furlough topic has Gov. Beshear taking hits
Written by Joseph Gerth
House Speaker Greg Stumbo sounded a lot like Senate President David Williams on Friday after Gov. Steve Beshear sent word that state tax revenue was on an uptick and that he doesn’t expect he’ll have to furlough workers during the next fiscal year.
“As for the good news that furloughs appear to be over,” Stumbo said in a release, “I think I speak for members of both sides of the House in saying that we applaud the governor for recognizing the unfairness of this policy, particularly as it relates to the hardship it caused lower-paid state employees. We commend him for finally following the recommendations of the General Assembly to forgo this practice.”
Kind of a back-handed compliment and it implies that Beshear has acknowledged that it was wrong to furlough workers in the first place.
Beshear never did that.
What he said was this:
“The May revenue report gives us additional hope that the revenue outlook for next fiscal year may improve beyond budgeted levels as well. Therefore, at this time no furlough days for state employees will be scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012. We will continue to evaluate whether any furloughs will be necessary to balance the $169 million budgeted gap in the FY 12 budget when we have updated revenue projections; however, if things continue as they are going now, they will be unnecessary.”
Basically, Beshear is saying that the situation has changed and that the furloughs won’t be needed. He never said he recognized “the unfairness of this policy.”
For Williams’ part, he sent out a release in which he called the furloughs, which saved taxpayers $24 million this fiscal year, a “gimmick” and “a talking point in a television ad.”
Beshear did tout his decision to furlough workers for six days this fiscal year in his latest television commercial.
But what Stumbo and Williams don’t say in their releases is that they are the ones who gave Beshear authority to furlough state workers when they passed a budget in 2010. That budget laid out the process that Beshear was required to follow in instituting the six days of furlough.
Both the House and Senate passed a budget provision earlier this year that would have prohibited furlough but Beshear vetoed it, saying he needs flexibility in balancing the state’s budget.
Stumbo and Beshear aren’t on the best of terms and haven’t been for quite some time, and Stumbo has been critical of Beshear a number of times over the past couple years, especially after he submitted a budget that was based in part on revenue from expanded gambling even though Beshear had little chance of passing legislation to allow slot machines at race tracks during the 2010 session of the legislature.
The biggest rift between the two top Democrats in Frankfort may have come in May 2010 when Beshear sided with Senate Republicans on a budget plan. ...
Steve Beshear’s Mass Email to State Employees
Frankfort, Kentucky June 6, 2011
Last Friday, in response to Gatewood and Riley’s Open Letter to State Employees, Governor Steve Beshear sent a mass email to all state employees promising them “no furlough days for state employees will be scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012”.
Of course, being the career politician he is, Beshear weasel worded his way out of his promise in his next sentence. “We will continue to evaluate whether any furloughs will be necessary to balance the $169 million budgeted gap in the FY 12 budget when we have updated revenue projections; however, if things continue as they are going now, they will be unnecessary.”
We are sure that state employees will recognize this self-serving mass email for what it was: A blatant attempt to buy their vote with empty promises while balancing the state budget on their backs.
State employees should remember the old adage: “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice shame on me.”
Our Open Letter clearly stated how we will treat state employees and what we expect from them. We think state employees already know how Steve Beshear treats them and how little he values them.
Contact: Ralph Long
ralph@ralphlong.com
859-797-3008
###
Editor's note: Below's the Governor's email:
From: Governor's Communications Office (Gov Office)
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 2:26 PM
Subject: A Message from Governor Beshear
A MESSAGE FROM
GOVERNOR STEVEN L. BESHEAR
Dear Fellow Employees:
I am pleased to share some positive news about the state’s financial situation, and its impact on state employees. The Office of State Budget Director reported today that May’s General Fund receipts grew 17.8 percent compared to May of last year, an increase of $113.6 million. The enacted budget calls for 4.5 percent revenue growth for the entire fiscal year. May marks the 13th consecutive monthly increase, signaling a robust recovery in General Fund tax receipts. Therefore, it appears that we will end the current fiscal year with unexpected funds, though the amount will not be known until we close the books after June 30.
The May revenue report provides additional hope that the revenue outlook for Fiscal Year 2012 may also improve beyond budgeted levels. Therefore, at this time no furlough days for state employees will be scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012. We will continue to evaluate whether any furloughs will be necessary to balance the $169 million budgeted gap in the FY 12 budget when we have updated revenue projections; however, if things continue as they are going now, they will be unnecessary.
My sincere thanks goes to all of you for your sacrifice. Nearly every state employee took these days, regardless of their position, including me. This sacrifice saved over 400 state jobs and helped us balance our budget despite incredibly difficult financial times, and it will not soon be forgotten. I join you in looking forward to a more robust economy and better days for all Kentuckians.
Sincerely,
Governor Steve Beshear
And below's Joe Gerth's piece:
Furlough topic has Gov. Beshear taking hits
Written by Joseph Gerth
House Speaker Greg Stumbo sounded a lot like Senate President David Williams on Friday after Gov. Steve Beshear sent word that state tax revenue was on an uptick and that he doesn’t expect he’ll have to furlough workers during the next fiscal year.
“As for the good news that furloughs appear to be over,” Stumbo said in a release, “I think I speak for members of both sides of the House in saying that we applaud the governor for recognizing the unfairness of this policy, particularly as it relates to the hardship it caused lower-paid state employees. We commend him for finally following the recommendations of the General Assembly to forgo this practice.”
Kind of a back-handed compliment and it implies that Beshear has acknowledged that it was wrong to furlough workers in the first place.
Beshear never did that.
What he said was this:
“The May revenue report gives us additional hope that the revenue outlook for next fiscal year may improve beyond budgeted levels as well. Therefore, at this time no furlough days for state employees will be scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012. We will continue to evaluate whether any furloughs will be necessary to balance the $169 million budgeted gap in the FY 12 budget when we have updated revenue projections; however, if things continue as they are going now, they will be unnecessary.”
Basically, Beshear is saying that the situation has changed and that the furloughs won’t be needed. He never said he recognized “the unfairness of this policy.”
For Williams’ part, he sent out a release in which he called the furloughs, which saved taxpayers $24 million this fiscal year, a “gimmick” and “a talking point in a television ad.”
Beshear did tout his decision to furlough workers for six days this fiscal year in his latest television commercial.
But what Stumbo and Williams don’t say in their releases is that they are the ones who gave Beshear authority to furlough state workers when they passed a budget in 2010. That budget laid out the process that Beshear was required to follow in instituting the six days of furlough.
Both the House and Senate passed a budget provision earlier this year that would have prohibited furlough but Beshear vetoed it, saying he needs flexibility in balancing the state’s budget.
Stumbo and Beshear aren’t on the best of terms and haven’t been for quite some time, and Stumbo has been critical of Beshear a number of times over the past couple years, especially after he submitted a budget that was based in part on revenue from expanded gambling even though Beshear had little chance of passing legislation to allow slot machines at race tracks during the 2010 session of the legislature.
The biggest rift between the two top Democrats in Frankfort may have come in May 2010 when Beshear sided with Senate Republicans on a budget plan. ...
Labels: Kentucky politics
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 2:34 PM
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