Update: Lawmakers rip Handel for refusing furlough days
House budget writers this morning criticized former Secretary of State Karen Handel for refusing to take furlough days as mandated by lawmakers and the governor, a situation they plan to rectify now.
But Handel, who resigned in December to focus on her bid for the Republican nomination as governor, hit back, with her campaign accusing House leaders of seeking retribution.
While going over the proposed 2010 amended state budget, Appropriations Committee chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans) said he has been working with current Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Kemp has agreed to take the required six furlough days, Harbin said. But while most other state employees will have taken six unpaid days off from July 1 through June 30, employees in the secretary of state’s office will have to take six over the next few months, if this budget is approved.
Handel campaign spokesman Dan McLagan said lawmakers haven’t been paying attention. Handel has consistently said on the campaign stump that she cut the secretary of state’s budget by 20 percent to avoid furloughs. She also eliminated 38 positions.
“Furloughs are a short-term solution and the budget is a long-term problem,” McLagan said.
Harbin acknowledged that Handel had found other savings, but we’re telling everyone to take furloughs.”
Harbin said other departments also found savings but still followed the edict that furloughs were also necessary.
“I think it was a mistake, and we’re asking that department to participate like everyone else,” Harbin said.
But Rob Simms, a Handel campaign adviser and former deputy secretary of state, said he personally testified before Appropriations Committee hearings about Handel’s plan to avoid furloughs through cuts.
“They were aware we were not taking furloughs,” Simms said. “And at no time was a concern raised.”
Harbin’s comments caused a murmur in the massive Capitol committee room and prompted several questions from other lawmakers.
McLagan said lawmakers are punishing Handel for her emphasis on ethics problems at the Capitol.
“This is the kind of thing the Legislature does when someone does something they don’t like,” he said.
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24 comments Add your comment
Johnnu
February 10th, 2010
10:10 am
Whine, whine, whine. Thats all they do. If Rep. David Lucas feels he doesn’t have have to take a furlough day, neither should anyone else…
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/ajc-exclusive-7-lawmakers-284543.html
jack f
February 10th, 2010
10:26 am
Handel should have kept her office because she doesn’t stand a snow ball’s chance of being governor. Lack of qualifications and arrogance don’t add up to overwhelming attraction to the voters. Good riddance to Mrs. Handel and I certainly hope that she takes “changes over time” Kathy Cox with her when she fades into anonimity.
GoKaren
February 10th, 2010
10:35 am
Very interesting. Handel implements zero based budgeting in her agency, implements long term budget cuts, and the legislature dings her for not using gimmicks like furloughs.
She should be recognized for her leadership ability.
By Example
February 10th, 2010
10:57 am
I agree that more facts need to be looked at rather than insisting everyone take furlough days. Our Department has taking the furlough days even though our Commissioner has expressed concerns since our budget has been cut over 30%. In fact we have almost 20% less staff than last year and last year was down 25% from the year before. I applaud Handel for taking a stand for her employees.
tc
February 10th, 2010
10:58 am
unless she fired folks instead of furloughing, her budget must have been fatter than most to begin with. what did she cut to avoid furloughs?
Valdosta Dawg
February 10th, 2010
11:39 am
If the idiots in the Atlanta and in Washington would look and listen there are better places to cut back on the budget than fulough days for state employees! I agree with Handel, they are a minor fix and they cost low paid teachers a great deal! How about we quit funding the numerous programs that go on in this state that are a waste of our money. How about the state quits trying to fund all the programs for the homeless and jobless and quits punishing those that have a job. Makes no sense to say I know you work hard and pay your taxes but we are going to take money from you so we can keep funding the sacks of crap that will not get a job. Quit funding state run organizations that try to help drug addicts and drunks. It is not my fault that they have a problem and my tax dollars should not fund their recovery or give them a place to rest at night. It is time for all the idiots up there to go, government was created to be small and provide a little to the citizen. Stop trying to baby sit the poor that refuse to help themselves and live on welfare for life. Stop paying them more everytime they have another kid. It ismy money and I do not want it going there. I bet though if I stop paying taxes you will come get me, but the homeless keep on getting free medical care, on me! Government needs an enema!
Sincerely a taxpayer who is sick of this and I am married to a techer that is getting screwed. HANDEL YOU JUST GOT MY VOTE FOR CUTTING YOUR BUDGET 20%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fawkes
February 10th, 2010
11:40 am
I attended a conference on my last furlough day. I’m scheduled to “make up” my furlough soon while the state replaces the two year old carpet in my office/cubicle to match the five year old carpet adjacent to me. Last week my new $1100 chair arrived a week ahead of schedule. Because we no longer share waste bins, I either need a smaller desk or eliminate resources I use to do my job.
I have co-workers who make considerably less. Two colleagues don’t know how they will pay their bills, feed children and commute to work. We all have new $1100 chairs and new carpet on the way. The Legislature must overrule the Governor and give institutions the option of making do with less opulence rather than take food out of employee’s mouths. But you can bet, that while the dedicated faculty of this institution accepts a pay reduction, there is a clock tower or fountain project about to be fully funded.
Valdosta Dawg
February 10th, 2010
11:41 am
That last part was TEACHER, I got fired up and missed a letter!
Aaron Gould Sheinin
February 10th, 2010
11:55 am
she did it through a reorganization and by firing 34 people and eliminating four other open positions
GoKaren
February 10th, 2010
12:01 pm
Sounds like she actually believes in smaller government, and has made it happen.
JohnD
February 10th, 2010
12:02 pm
My question: is this an isolated incident, or a harbinger of what relations would be like between Governor Handel and her legislature? I don’t particularly care for her style, but I don’t think she (or the hardworking people at SOS) deserve this.
Jack from Sandy Springs
February 10th, 2010
12:06 pm
Handel still should have taken the furlough days as an example and to show she was sharing in the sacrifices with other state employees. I like her in many ways but feel she is too arrogant at times which may just be a symptom of her insecurities. She did not do a good job at Fulton County largely because of her demeanor and know it all attitude. If she can get past these issues, she will be a wonderful Governor.
By Example
February 10th, 2010
12:24 pm
Cannot speak for her Department, but some of our cuts have been – making sure every computer is off for the evening, printing on both sides of paper if possible, eliminating printers on each desk, not upgrading equipment, travel restrictions on all employees, reducing field audits, reducing supply orders (many employees bring their own pens or gather pens at free health fairs, etc.), eliminated some middle management jobs forcing many into early retirement, reduced air/heat settings and forbid the use of personal space heaters, put employees in smaller cubicles which allowed some offices to be empty (no electricity used in those areas except for minimum lighting), and other minor details that add up for overall cost reduction.
GoKaren
February 10th, 2010
3:25 pm
Aaron,
Any idea of how many other departments didn’t take furloughs? Just curious
uberVU - social comments
February 10th, 2010
4:31 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by AJCGeorgia: Lawmakers rip Handel for refusing furlough days: http://bit.ly/bAtiKU…
tc
February 10th, 2010
6:30 pm
another way to look at it, is she knew she was leaving so what the heck, cut people she hardly knew while her remaining staff would not feel the pain of furlough…..
Kelley
February 10th, 2010
6:42 pm
What is not being told in this story about Handel is that she fired these employees as a political cleansing. She got rid of dedicated Secretary of State employees who were hired under a previous administration, for no other reason. She hired her political cronies, paying one more than that of five previous employees put together. The new cronies don’t know what they are doing, but that’s OK, there is no one left who knows what to do either.
It is not that she believes in smaller government. She just wants a jobs program for her buddies, only. Kind of like the Illinois style pay for play, right.
SWGA Politics » Karen Handel: Unsympathetic Or Bloated?
February 10th, 2010
7:38 pm
[...] morning, State Rep Ben Harbin, the House Appropriations Committee Chairman, commented that Karen Handel – nor anyone in the Secretary of State’s Office – had taken [...]
Oh really now
February 10th, 2010
10:51 pm
Kemp messed this one up. He doesn’t believe in furloughs for SOS employees? What a nice fu to the guy who appointed him and to all of the teachers and state employees who have been doing furloughs. News flash Brian: Karen is gone because she was not successful at managing the SOS. It does not make sense to follow in her footsteps. The Guv has furloughed his staff and so have all of the other major state agencies. It’s the humane and intelligent thing to do. State collections are at an artificial low. It makes no sense to make permanent changes for a temporary shortfall. The SOS is reeling from Karen’s poor decision making in her brief time in office. Career employees were regularly let go and replaced with politicals. Every division except Shawn LaGrua’s is staffed at inadequate levels. Forget what Karen did. She was wrong. She fired 34 hard working folks. Do you have any idea how devastating that must have been for those families? How devastating for Macon’s economy? I’m sure they will be feeling the effects of Karen’s ruthless actions for a long time to come. Someone needs to check Karen’s numbers. I can hardly believe that she really reduced the agency’s costs by 20%. She set her top staff’s salaries about 25% more than Cathy Cox’s top staff got paid. Maybe she gets her number using that distorted baseline?
Mary
February 11th, 2010
2:54 pm
We saw this on the news last night. How nice of Ms. Handel to fire 38 employees, who now lose their benifits and jobs, instead of giving them six unpaid days. Which would you rather have? What a skank -
Guess What
February 11th, 2010
3:47 pm
Not just Handel – Mike Beatty balanced DCA’s budget on the backs of hard workers while moving family friends to the federal DCA payroll (and they’re being paid for jobs they are not doing)….how many jobs could those furlough days have saved???
Know the truth
February 11th, 2010
9:18 pm
Those SOS layoffs occured well before the furloughs were called for. Mary the Skank whisperer needs to get the facts straight.
Can't Win
February 11th, 2010
9:22 pm
Gee you can’t win folks complain that the government employment is bloated and inefficient and when someone rightsizes as a good steward of taxpaper dollars getting rid of uneeded positions, they are doing a hatchet job?
On the humanity…geeezzz
Hamm Ghast
February 11th, 2010
10:58 pm
Just downsize the govt payroll by letting them all quit and go to work for consultants doing the same job for 50% more money. If not, just hire folks of the street for 75% more than you were paying the previous govt. employees. Do it in the name of “downsizing and saving”.
Wait, maybe the wrong agency