Despite Facility Closings
State Unions Like Spitzer Blueprint

By REUVEN BLAU

The two largest state-employee unions last week hailed Governor Spitzer's budget proposal to increase the state work force by nearly 2,500 employees but questioned his plan to close several youth facilities.

DANNY DONOHUE: Offers wary approval.

"We are very pleased Governor Spitzer has recognized the importance of strengthening state operations," Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees' Association, said in a statement.

Studying Health Reforms

Public Employees' Federation and CSEA officials said that they were still reviewing Mr. Spitzer's far-reaching plan to control health-care spending and other details of his budget.

"There is a lot to consider in what the Governor has put forth and the issues are far too important in the short and long term for a knee-jerk response," Mr. Donohue said. The CSEA represents 60,000 health care workers in Nassau University Medical Center, the Westchester Medical Center, and other public health facilities.

"CSEA is committed to a public health-care system that meets the needs of real people in the communities where they live," Mr. Donohue said. "We will not back away from that commitment and will work to ensure that principle is reflected in the budget."

KEN BRYNIEN: 'Governor appreciates us.'

The new Governor has proposed cutting $1.2 billion from state health-care programs, which would counterbalance billions of dollars worth of increased education funding and planned property tax cuts.

Cutting Consultants

PEF President Ken Brynien highlighted other aspects of the proposed budget, saying that Mr. Spitzer was "following through on his campaign promise to reduce the reliance on costly private consultants and instead rely on qualified and less-expensive public employees."

Through its Go Public campaign, Mr. Brynien continued, PEF has worked to draw attention to the millions of dollars wasted by the state each year when it hires costly private workers. "Now, it appears we have a Governor who recognizes the better use of tax dollars is to invest in the state work force," Mr. Brynien stated.

He noted that the Governor's plan calls for adding 411 workers to the state Department of Transportation and 109 employees to the Department of Environmental Conservation. "These added resources are long overdue and will benefit the taxpayers of New York," Mr. Brynien said.

Add 189 Child Staff

Mr. Spitzer's spending plan also includes funds to add 189 workers at the state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), while proposing the closure of several youth facilities, including Great Valley and three group homes for troubled youths in Brooklyn, Gloversville, and Mount Vernon.

"While we have concerns about the proposed closings, we are hopeful his plan to add positions at OCFS will address restructuring of the work force without compromising the level of care provided," Mr. Brynien said.

As for the proposed health care cuts, CSEA spokesman Stephen Madarasz said the union was trying to work out all the intricacies of the plan. "We are really trying to sort through it," he said during a phone interview. "We are trying to unravel the ball of thread to figure out where the funding threads lead."

Governor Spitzer also proposed creating a commission to review closing some prisons to help cut costs following a reduction in inmates over the past eight years.

NYSCOPBA: Work With Us

Larry Flanagan Jr., president of the New York State Correctional Officers' and Police Benevolent Association, said the union would work with the commission.

"The proposal does not call for any immediate prison closures, but for an exhaustive, system-wide review of prison capacity," he said in a statement. "NYSCOPBA plans to work closely with the commission throughout the process so our views are not only heard, but reflected in any recommendation it makes to the Governor and the Legislature."

NYSCOPBA represents the state's 23,000 Correctional Officers.

The state's inmate population has dropped from its peak of 71,472 prisoners in December 1999 to a projected 63,472 by April 1, according to Mr. Spitzer's budget.

Based on the Governor's plan, the commission would file an initial report in November and follow that document a year later with binding recommendations. Only the Governor and the Legislature would have the power to reject that report's suggestions.

A spokesman for Mr. Spitzer told the Associated Press that no prison would be shuttered before November 2009.

Former Gov. George Pataki proposed closing several minimum security prisons in his last three budgets. Those plans, however, were rebuffed by the Legislature.