Minnesota Senate OKs cutting 15 percent of state workforce

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Minn. Senate OKs cutting 15 percent of state workforce
by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio

March 30, 2011


St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate Wednesday passed a government finance bill that dramatically cuts the state workforce, freezes salaries and slices the operating budgets of all state agencies.

Republicans say the changes are needed to make state government more efficient and help erase a projected $5 billion budget deficit. But Democrats argue the proposed cuts are too deep and rely too much on financial guesswork.

TIME TO TIGHTEN THE BELT, REPUBLICANS SAY

Since the beginning of the 2011 session, Republican leaders have been adamant that state government has to do the same kind of belt-tightening that businesses must do in tough economic times. Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, the chair of the Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee, said families are also making sacrifices.

"I have constituents that have gotten rid of their cable TV, that have downsized in the vehicles they have, because we're all survivors," Parry said. "I would hope that we could say our state government is taking the lead from our families out there that have had to do the same thing." ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/03/30/senate-workforce-reduction-bill/