Blaming the tough economy and deep budget cuts, the Rendell administration today announced it would lay off 319 employees across 10 state agencies, bringing to 769 the total number of government jobs cut over the past year.
Administration Secretary Naomi Wyatt said the Department of Environmental Protection will see the greatest reductions, losing 138 positions, about five percent of workforce - while the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will lay off 85 workers, or more than 25 percent of its workforce.
The cuts - effective Nov. 20 - are expected to save the Commonwealth $17 million over the next 12 months. The staff reductions were negotiated as part of the budget agreement approved last month after a 101-day delay.
The reductions come on top of two other rounds of layoffs earlier this year, including 250 cuts announced in August. About 50 of those workers found jobs elsewhere in state government, Wyatt said.
Wyatt said the cuts, the result of the state's $3.2 billion budget shortfall, could have been much worse (as many as 1,000 jobs) under some budget proposals that were under consideration by the legislature.
Wyatt also said cost-cutting measures such as elimination of travel budgets, deferral of new equipment purchases and not filling job vacancies helped reduce the number of layoffs.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will suffer the greatest percentage loss in its workforce, resulting in the suspension of services at six historic sites, closure of the state museum two days a week and eliminate all new exhibit spending. The State Archives also will close Mondays and Tuesdays. Educational programs and other services at historic sites, including Graeme Park and Hope Lodge in Montgomery County and Washington Crossing Historic Park in Bucks County, will be discontinued and buildings' "mothballed," Wyatt said.
Kirk Wilson, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, said the agency is hoping local "friends" groups will step up to keep activities going. The agency has nearly completed agreement with the Friends of Brandywine Battlefield Park in Delaware County to help keep that site open.
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No cuts for The Barnes On The Parkway Fiasco either. Ed Rendell has $30 MILLION in Tax dollars for building the disgusting Barnes On The Parkway Project but can't even keep State Workers employed. The man has lost control of his senses, he fails to recognize the human cost of his Parkway Folly. How does Ed "Picasso" Rendell and the rich people of Philadelphia live with themselves building this Barnes Move project on the unemployed bodies of State Workers and their families? STOP THE MOVE! See Barnesfriends.org— RR- Comment removed.
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- Peacemaker, just because you failed history doesn't mean that everyone shares your views. I'm just angry about these layoffs after the state gave $7 million to SEPTA employees who never do anything anyway.— catnameddomino
- My math shows this is an average of $53,291 annually per person. That seems like pretty good wages for the positions being layed off.— OneShot
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- PA government really is too bloated. The jobs are handed out like candy. That said, I don't think that applies to the DEP at all. But there is double and triple spending for programs that overlap, are replicated, in social services in Philly. It's time for better accounting that identifies costs. PHA doesn't identify its costs per house, for example. They can't tell you, unlike any landlord, which houses they own that cost the most and reimburse the least. They don't know which they could mothball for the most savings. This is basic financial management that PA simply doesn't require at the state to county level.— CleanupPhilly
- The Dept. of Social Welfare is a monster, and its costs are not accounted for.— CleanupPhilly
- Thanks, George W. Bush, for tanking the nation's economy and leaving states with no way to plug the revenue gap. The unemployed state workers should move to Texas and camp in his yard.— Speakingtruth
- Peacemaker you are clueless. The HMC s a vital part of our state and help to draw visitors in who spend monsy in PA while on vacation. What part of that escapes you? Fast Eddie would spend our last nickle in Philly if things were left to him.— truthfirst
- Peacemaker: history and landscape is about all the state has left to offer!— yawns
- Peacemaker is a knucklehead, so ignore him, her, or it. Bottom line, hundreds of people in a recession are losing their jobs, which will hurt their families, hurt the local tax bases, hurt local businesses who rely on employed people spending, hurt tourist attractions by the nature of the firings. Moreover, as usual with Rendell, he hammers environmental protection, history and preservation; man is a Phillistine, always has been and always will be. Fortunately, he will be hosting an Eagles windbag talk show after the 2010 elections.— chuckw
catnameddomino please provide proof that "The State" gave this money, because so far there is no documentation that it is something that is a lump sum. And as an "SEPTA employees who never do anything anyway." I have to wonder if you know anything at all. I worked 65 hours last week driving a bus thank you very much.
