A Message to State Employees
August 24, 2009
This is Governor Martin O’Malley. As all of you know, our country is going through some really tough economic times, and so are we in Maryland. This week we’ll present over $400 million in budget reductions before the Board of Public Works.
Now all of us look forward to a time when the national recession reaches its end. We’re seeing some hope on the horizon, but we still have a ways to go. So none of this will be easy. And just as our families have had to find ways to do more with less, we’ve also been working to change and reform our state government –to reform long-neglected state agencies so that they not only operate more effectively, but also operate more efficiently for the people of our state.
With this round of latest cuts, we will now have reduced government spending by more than $4 billion since taking office. That means, for the first time in thirty years, state spending will actually be less than what it was four years ago.
These cuts represent about 5 percent of our general fund for FY2010. By comparison, California’s budget gap has reached as high as 49%. New York State – 36%. And Florida’s deficit has reached nearly 25% of their general fund. While I know these painful cuts are necessary, we must make them if we are going to come through this national recession, and do so more quickly than other states. We must continue to make the tough decisions necessary to not only change and reform our state government but to secure a better economic future for all the people of Maryland – as quickly as possible.
On this very website, you’ll find a link to today’s specific budget actions. They are deep, and they are painful. And there is no avoiding that.
But you’ll also find on this website a specific outline of the furlough and salary reduction plan that we’re implementing as part of these cuts. It is progressive based on salary, meaning lower income employees will actually be impacted less than higher income employees, but it is spread throughout all employees and it allows us to avoid large scale layoffs. In fact, because of the savings achieved through this salary and furlough reduction plan, we will be able to avoid the layoff of approximately 1,500 of our fellow state employees, who otherwise would today be facing unemployment.
We also structured the furlough plan based on some of your suggestions through this website earlier this month. Many of you asked that more so-called “service reduction days” be implemented – that is, days when virtually all of government functions will be closed so that employees experience the same furlough day, and the state achieves additional savings from the energy reductions from closed buildings and offices. You also asked that we consider ways for employees who are exempt from furloughs to participate in the program. We’ve included that in the plan as well.
And I want to assure you – Lt. Governor Brown and I will take part in this furlough program just like you, contributing, based on our salaries, a total of ten days of pay – back to the state’s general fund.
I know that you continue to be asked to do more with less. I see it everyday, and I hear directly from you. So I want to say, as your fellow citizen, thank you for your dedication to public service and the people of our state. Thank you for getting through these tough, tough times. We are all in this together. And together, we’ll come through this national recession more quickly than other states.
Thanks for your hard work.
