Deficits, scandals, reform — NY State’s perfect storm
By Roger E. Benson
In times both of budget surpluses and deficits, in what has become as predictable as a snowstorm in winter, the services our members provide to New York’s citizens become a target of budget cutting, anti-government, anti-public-sector ideologues, all under the guise of smaller government and taxpayer savings. This year is no different, but the threats are more insidious.
Beyond the broadside cuts targeting our members in the state Division of Parole, Office for Children and Family Services, Education Department, Department of Agriculture and Markets and Division of Criminal Justice Services, “mergers” and “consolidations” are the new buzzwords for the 2005-06 budget.
These are the same words used when you want less accountability and to cut services while creating the appearance of efficiency.
Year after year, we see more and more of our work being done by contractors and consultants. And, year after year, we see the state waste hundreds of millions of dollars paying consultants and contractors for work that we do better and for less.
Our calls for reform have gone unheeded until now, but this year may be different. This year, we have what could be the perfect storm for change in how the state does business — multi-year billion dollar deficits, scandals at state authorities and shadow agencies and sustained calls for reform. We have the opportunity to take advantage of this perfect storm by exposing privatization for the fraud that it is.
We will continue our initiatives to increase the accountability of authorities and shadow agencies.
We will work to require cost-benefit analysis before state services are contracted out.
We will work to ban lobbyists’ efforts to influence the award of state contracts.
And we will work to require all state agencies to disclose how many contract employees they have.
In politics, they say, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.” It’s time for New York to enact these reforms to ensure New York gets its citizens the best possible value for every one of their tax dollars it spends.
Our members and the state’s taxpayers deserve nothing less.
The
Communicator March 05
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