The state budget proposal was presented this week to the legislator. While we at TRAGIC see several items we are disturbed about, one particularly egregious cut stands out. Here is the proposed 2015-2016 budget: https://opb.georgia.gov/sites/opb.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/FY_2016_GovernorsBudgetReport.pdf On page 137, line number 11 and 12 the following is stated: 11. Delay the implementation of the scheduled increase of the employer contribution rate for non-certificated school service employees from $596.20 per member per month to $746.20 per member month, deferring the collection of an estimated $102,825,000 in revenues for the SHBP 12. Effective January 1, 2016, eliminate SHBP coverage for non-certificated public school employees, as define in OGGA 20--2-910, who work, on average, fewer than 30 hours a week. Georgia’s non-certified employees include but not limited to cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, parapros, and secretaries. Many of these positions are part-time. These are positions within local school districts, but certainly there are thousands of part-time employees in other state departments as well. How can the state justify this action? These employees deal with our children day in and day out. They include bus drivers who are charged with safely transporting OUR children to and from school every day. These are the same bus drivers who selflessly took care of hundreds of children during the snow event last year. They include the cafeteria workers who feed OUR children every day, who stayed or came back to cook dinner and breakfast for children who were stranded at school. They include the custodians who are around OUR children every day, who clean up if they get sick, who help make sure germs aren’t waiting for everyone when they return to school the next day. Is THIS the way we are going to treat these employees? The proposed budget will leave our local school districts with no recourse but to raise local taxes to cover the benefits no longer covered by the state for these employees, or to privatize many of our non-certified employee positions. Do we really want to contract private companies to provide these services? Private companies who answer to no one but the bottom line? Once again, I am left with anger. I am angry at our state for entertaining this idea. I am angry that our state is looking at refusing to take care of its employees, even while these employees continue to take care of our state citizens despite furloughs, pay freezes, and rising health care “cost-sharing.” We, as state employees and teachers, should be angry that our state is chipping away at our benefits and salaries. When the state takes something away from one of us, they are taking something away from all of us. I have said it before and I will continue to state it until someone hears us; apathy is a disease, and it has a firm grip on most of our state employees. We must stand together, and make our voices heard. The only way to have our voice heard is to make a stand with those who cast the vote on the budget. You must contact your elected officials down at the state capitol. TRAGIC encourages you to call, and write your Senator and Representative. YOU are his/her constituent, and YOU elected him/her. If they are concerned about reelection, hundreds of calls to their office from voters will get them to listen! We cannot afford to be apathetic any longer; if you just sit there and count on others to call and write, you are part of the problem. To find your local Senator and Representative: openstates.org/ga/legislators/?chamber
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 20:16:35 +0000
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