WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Governor says some state jobs are "fossils"

Governor says some state jobs are "fossils"

Governor Phil Bredesen said today " there are some painful things" because of the state budget reductions, "but there are a really number of good things happening because of these cuts."

After speaking to the Girls State gathering at MTSU, Mr. Bredesen told reporters the cuts offer a chance for some long overdue reorganization of some state agencies.

"There are some positions that are just leftover fossils from some previous something or other that now are getting identified."

His comments came shortly before state finance commissioner Dave Goetz held a capitol hill update on the $50-million dollar voluntary buyout package that will save 64-Million dollars in next years state budget by eliminating 2000 state government jobs.

Goetz said a "phone book" size packet of information will be sent out to 11,700 state workers by the third week of June.

That is the number of workers the administration has identified as eligible for the buyout package.

They would have until August 5th to decide to accept the offer.

Broad financial details of the buyout were released by the administration in the last week the legislature was in session.

Those include 40-percent of a year's pay for the one-time buyout.. $500 for each of year of service, along with 6-months of health care benefits and tuition benefits for two years of higher education.

Commissioner Goetz said, "on a theoretical basis our modeling works, we shall see if it survives contact with reality but we believe it will."

At The Tennessee State Employees Association, workers clamor for details about the buyout with calls, emails and letters.

"We are hearing from our members across the state in various agencies they have already been talked to by supervisors," says the group's executive director Jim Tucker.

He said its always been a concern that various groups or classifications of workers get identified as eligible for the buyout.

Tucker says, "if they don't volunteer--it may be an involuntary separation."

Governor Bredesen says if 2000 workers don't sign up the for buyout, involuntary layoffs would be imposed.