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Where Are the Buyouts?

To The Editor:

It's amazing to me that except for a single New York Post article titled ''Buy- Bye Offers Eyed for City Workers" there has been no official mention of such a plan by unions, city/state officials or any other official representatives.

Why not? If we want to help the budget, reduce the headcount, minimize layoffs and do more with less, then an early-retirement package seems like the most logical effective way to accomplish this.

Normal attrition slows dramatically during fiscal downturns. If civil servants are laid off, then they collect various benefits (unemployment insurance, food stamps, etc.) and obviously stop being full taxpayers. By enticing older, generally higher-paid employees into retirement and not replacing them, you have accomplished several goals all at once. Why is there no public dialogue about early retirement plans?

New Jersey offered a buyout proposal to its state workers last year. Toyota, Chrysler, Disney and countless other companies have offered buyout packages to their workers as a way of reducing headcount as painlessly as possible. Any help from Washington only increases the national debt and will not be ongoing.

Yes, 14,000 Teacher jobs will be saved this year, but where does the money come from for 2010 and beyond? It is time to consider this as one measure of aid for city and state budgets in dire financial straits, yet we heard nothing regarding this tried and proven financial strategy. Why is leadership so silent in this matter?

MARK SCHOENFIELD