non essential employees

Well the word has come out that we are going to offer buy out packages to 2,011 "non essential employees" of the state. The package is most likely going to include one years pay and free college education for new hires and one year pay for retirees. Those who were going to retire are now holding out for the extra payday. Most of the expense would come from reserves held in the department (Another area that needs to be looked at are these reserves that are held by departments year after year and are not counted as part of the budget or their budget. It is like a inter government slush fund).

The things that kills me are; if they are "non essential employees" then why did we hire them in the first place? How many more of these "Non essential employees" are we currently paying?, how long have we been paying them? and why don't we stop paying them? It they are "non essential" I think that about says it all.

It looks like someone has been using the government as a jobs program.

The kicker is they are getting working businesses and working people to pay for it through taxes. Thus limiting the business growth/employment capabilities. It turns into a vicious cycle. More government jobs kill off private business jobs witch makes some want to give more government jobs with a tax increase to pay for it.

Now as election year starts to loom closer and closer the governors "Technical corrections tax increase" is starting to face some headwind. Thank god for political opponents. Most people on my side of the isle say the only reason Gary Odum is suddenly against the 27 million dollar tax increase bill he has been carrying all year is because he got a political opponent.

Gary was just rated as the least business friendly legislator in the state by a Tennessee business magazine.

Ouch. The lead on a big tax increase and least friendly to business? That would be 2 good political bullets.

Suddenly, he is mister no more tax increases. Good to see the change of heart here at 11:59.

If the technical corrections tax increase bill fails that could be another 27 mill out of the budget. Who knows, maybe we could get rid of some more "Non essential employees" with some non budget money.