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Nevadans will feel impact of four-day government workweek
Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Sun archives
- Bipartisanship emerges in anger at Gibbons over session deadline (2-25-10)
- Democrats: Trim education cuts to 5 percent (2-24-10)
- Gibbons adds to agenda, says session will end by Sunday night (2-24-10)
- Relationship between Gibbons, Raggio shows strain on Day 2 (2-24-10)
- Plan to use cameras to catch uninsured motorists appears dead (2-24-10)
- Gibbons’ budget plan risky in an election year (2-24-10)
- Anti-tax ideology tests Republicans (2-24-10)
- Gibbons pulls senior staff from legislative hearings (2-23-10)
- Gibbons denies, then admits taking texting friend to D.C. (2-23-10)
- Lawmakers to tackle water rights during special session (2-23-10)
- Proposal to close state prison meets opposition (2-23-10)
- Budget crunchtime: Lawmakers set to tackle historic deficit (2-23-10)
Most of Nevada’s government will soon transition to a four-day workweek. But the reasons for it go beyond filling the state’s $887 million deficit.
The plan, proposed by Gov. Jim Gibbons and broadly supported by legislators, will save $600,000 on energy costs, make it easier to implement a 10-hour-a-month furlough for state workers and lift their flagging morale.
But legislative sources point to another reason — even if they’re loath to admit it publicly — for this major change: The reduction in the availability of state services will make the public feel the effect of the revenue shortfall.
It’s a potentially controversial, if intriguing, strategy.
The citizen who isn’t attending college or doesn’t have a child in school or use social services, may not have felt the effects of previous rounds of cuts. But longer lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles, lengthier waits for birth and death records and delays for businesses dealing with state agencies might make Nevada’s stark financial situation personal.
Legislators cited first the potential economic benefits of the four-day week — Utah, which adopted the schedule in 2008, saw energy savings, overtime and sick leave among state employees decrease and citizens increasingly use online services.
But as Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, said: “It’s important for us, as we cut across the board, to demonstrate to the public the impact of the cuts.”
Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said that the goal was primarily cost-savings and efficiency, but “I think it’s important to let people, the critics out there, know that these cuts have an effect.”
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said, “There’s no way we can cut $887 million without an impact on services, whether it’s the DMV or senior services.”
He acknowledged the Legislature has been able to avoid the most high-profile cuts so far with the help of federal stimulus dollars and a tax increase passed last session. This time, he said, “these cuts will have a much broader impact to all of us as Nevadans.”
As legislators work this special session to fill the deficit, they’re doing so with an eye toward the 2011 Legislature, when the situation could be more dire. Forecasters expect a deficit of $2 billion to $3 billion because of the loss of federal money and expiring taxes.
Legislators and lobbyists are predicting a contentious session as lawmakers will likely undertake realigning the state’s tax structure, including tax increases. To build support for higher taxes, some think the public needs to see the effects of the current shortage in tax revenue. Yet so far, many of the cuts have been confined to state employee salaries, services for the poor and elderly, and higher education.
Horsford proposed closing all state parks to save $8 million over two years. He said parks, although important, ranked second to education. The plan targeted a high-profile state service, used by a large segment of the population that would take notice.
That plan is dead. But the idea behind it — that the public needs to see the effects of budget cuts the Legislature is making — pervades in Carson City.
Smith said people have and will notice the effect on state services.
Secretary of State Ross Miller reported that earlier rounds of cuts caused a backlog in business registration applications.
Smith said the Legislature is likely to drain a graffiti removal fund at the Transportation Department; cut a bookmobile in rural Nevada; and end a National Guard youth program.
“Some of these things may not affect 5,000 people at once, but when you add them up, they’re significant,” Smith said.
One state agency that touches almost all citizens is the DMV. Many offices are open six days a week, but will be open four or five days a week, said Edgar Roberts, DMV director.
Health and Human Services Director Mike Willden said the 250,000 Nevadans on food stamps and 250,000 on Medicaid have seen the effect of cuts: longer lines and longer waits to process applications for assistance.
He said he will seek an exemption to the four-day week for welfare offices.
“I’m concerned that we can’t do a four-day workweek at our welfare office,” Willden said. “Theoretically, it’s the same 40 hours, but it’s a compaction issue. We have 1,000 people a day applying for benefits. I don’t think we can compact that into 4 days.”
The state is supposed to process applications for food stamps within 10 days, in an emergency, or within 30 days for less urgent cases. The welfare office met that goal 95 percent of the time last year, but now only meets it 80 percent of the time.
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The majority of "Nevadans" will never notice a shutdown of government services.
The cuts won't hurt the same throughout the state. You have twice the wait time for DMV in Las Vegas than you do in the "Land of Oz" (Carson City).
The city of Henderson has had a four day work week for several years now. Any Henderson residents notice a change?
And I always thought the lines at the DMV were way too long! Go figure.
Cutting the work week to 4 days has unintended consequences. You make a ghost town around public employment locations. Restaurants that usually rely on both state workers and people doing business with them will find their businesses empty on the day offices are closed.
This will also impact retailers, services businesses and future local tax revenues. The unintended consequences never seem to be considered.
Nevada, land of the Repugnant Party!
Let them eat cake -- Try getting Welfare on 4/10s --- but hey this is what you all wanted
All those tax dollars from Vegas and Reno and there is a 887 million dollar Deficit! HMMMMMM!
Normally, a business would lay-off workers in this case but because how government works it is very expensive for the state to lay-off workers.
You got to love government!!!!
this is bull crap...
makes nevada seem like a second rate state...
raise the damn taxes on mining and gaming...
solve the damn problem...
period...
end of story...
The taxpayers would be well served if the state had a no day workweek.
The four day workweek will be beneficial. I do agree that businesses near the public offices may be affected, but in downtown Las Vegas there are still Federal buildings that will be open, and there will still be business around the area.
I think it really gives the employee an extra day off to go out and spend money elsewhere throughout the city, and studies have shown that morale does indeed pick up from this.
In Henderson where I live, the four day work weeks are a topic of discussion, but I don't think people are going to argue with doing a four day workweek rather than cutting out more important essential services.
And for everyone who keeps saying to raise taxes - I understand that mining and gaming need to be taxed more Birdie, and I agree. But just know that what we tax them is not going to be enough. If you quadrupled their current taxes, and pissed them off, it still would leave us nowhere near break even.
We are just going to have to ride this one out.
RE: DMV lines, In other States (Ohio for example), drivers can renew their registration at multiple vendor sites.
Renewing registration should be like getting a fishing license. Go to a "7-11", fill out a form, pay some money, for example.
Driver tests could also be distributed to multiple vendor sites. That would take a lot of load off the main DMVs.
Nevada already has on-line services for some matters.
Jlb101- Your statement is simply ridiculous-
No state government? No prisons, no Highway Patrol, no oversight to make sure that cons are not ripping off the public, no state parks ( major tourist dollars)-- no NDOT=no new roads and no road repair. Up north, no snow plows--down days for business and less interstate commerce--no entomologists to prevent plagues which cause major economic damage, no one to deal with water rights,
Should I go on?
A major positive about 4 day work weeks--3 day week ends-- less traffic on that one day that they have off- less gas consumption so more money in their pockets-- less pollution--more free time to spend money and get the economy on track
Like it says on some of the other postings, City of Henderson has had a four day work week for about 25 years AND most employees have been at 38 hours that same time. Some work Monday-Thursday and others Tuesday-Friday. It seems not many people knew this already...must be working pretty good too! Guess if they had to start taking furlough days then people would notice.
For Birdie:
I think Golf Courses should have an extra tax as they do not pay their fair share yet take large amounts of Nevada's limited water resources.
It is far easier Birdie to spend other people's money instead of controlling costs.
Well, the parked cars on the roads around the DMV are increasing exponentially with the Real ID law. You'll be taking a day off to register your new car soon, since in Henderson, the wait is getting closer to 4 hours. All in a sour economy. And they want to be shut Saturdays?
There has got to be a better way. Writer davidcurtis has a great point about having other methods and places to register your car. I mean, it's not exactly brain surgery to register or get a renewed license..
If it makes up the deficit then why not? Yeah so now you have to wait longer or there may be less services but they are not cutting emergency services (yet) and education isn't going to be taking as big of a hit (yet). The kiosks and online services for the DMV are a breeze as long as you can read. If you have to fill out unemployment, again the internet is the way to go. As far as anything else goes, I have no idea because like most other people I have had no need to use additional services but 9 out of 10 times, most of these things can probably wait a day and be handled the following day or week.
I really like what people are saying about Henderson figuring out how to do a 4-day work week and still provide services for 5 days/week. Fiscal crisis should not be a time to extort/punish the public into higher taxes or less service. Fiscal crisis should be a time of setting priorities and enacting overdue money-smart measures. All our legislators are demonstrating with their approach and attitude is mismanagement and greed.
you guys are already freaking over being inconvenienced, yet are the first ones to say, cut the state workers. So, let me see if I get this straight, you the public, want state agencies staff cut, you want they're pay cut, yet you still want the availibility and convenience of public service whenever you need or want it?
I like the way that they make a point not to cut the welfare office. Okay, so... the people who are working and have limited time to address personal responsibilities need to feel a pinch, but people who have nowhere better to be need their services kept fully intact so they can drain the state further without giving anything back. Here's an idea: Offer the welfare applicants jobs at government offices in exchange for their welfare check. I have all the compassion in the world for the disabled and those in a brief hard time, but there can NOT be 1,000 people a day fitting those demographics! Seriously, to favor them at a time like this is not even fit for the most absurd satire.
trailspast-and no social workers, no tax collectors, no freecare for the freeloaders. Makes sense to me.
State workers have agreed to this plan and all Nevadans will feel the pinch, but this seems like an equitable solution to our current fiscal problem.
Not directly related, but....
I am wondering why the US postal service doesn't cut home mail delivery to 4 days a week from 6? This would probably save billions of federal tax dollars, and no one can convince me that we need the same frequency of mail delivery as we had 100 years ago. With direct deposit of checks, on-line bill payment, etc - there is no need to get junk mail deleivered to your home 6 days a week.
dont stop there; put the executive and legislative branches of government on part time status and cut their salaries and perks accordingly.
The Postal Service receives no tax subsidy to operate the nation's mail service.
Revenues from the sale of postage, products and services fund its operations
I would rather see the state employees working a 4 day work week than to be laid off....it is not fun being unemployed
Four tens is not going to solve the problem. It doesn't save that much money.
And wait until the 2011 Legislative session starts and the legislators want a report or stats run on a Friday. Too bad...so sad...you'll have to wait until Monday.
Then let's see how they like the idea.
City of N. Las vegas has a 4 day work weeek. I dated a woman that works there and she b#tched that was too much for her, guess that's why she had chronic fatigue syndrome and was on prozac. Gov't workers are the biggest p##sy's I've ever known and they do not work hard but complain loudly!
there are bad apples in every bunch. You can't judge the whole lot from one depressed, chick on prozac.(you picked a real winner huh?)
You nailed it birddie....right on ...good post Shalom
Why is it that "We the People" need to feel the pinch" so that our State officials can make it easier for them to hit us with another tax increase? Unreal.
CCSD is scheduled to lay off 1000 teachers for next school year, not because of budget cuts, but because so many people are leaving the State they don't need them anymore. CCSD is actually going to close schools this coming year because they don't need them. Maybe we could talk CCSD into renting or leasing the space to someone, since part of our budget shortfall is paying the mortgage on these schools. Maybe that would shore up part of the deficit the School District is sure to get out of this "Special Session."
Maybe we should think of a way to make the corporate criminals "Feel the Pinch" too.
All this time, "you the people" have been screaming, we don't need public services, get rid of 'em, cut 'em all to min. wage,99% of the people wouldn't miss ya, now all of a sudden when you might be affected or inconvenienced, its a problem?????what is it you want? your cake and eat it too? you want public services, then you have to pay for them, if not, don't complain when you get inconvenienced.
Helvetco:
Teacher lay offs? We started this school year desperate for teachers...we'd even hire the bad ones! Class sizes are STILL too large, and the most basic services (like books!) are still in short supply. Having people move out, but keeping the same budget sounds like a good step toward a SOLUTION to some problems!
As to renting out space- I've always thought that was a good idea. Back in the days of the one-room schoolhouse, it was usually used as a meeting place (Government) and perhaps also a church (Little House on the Prairie :D )
I don't know why we have so many city/state-funded rec centers, when the same fee could be paid at a school to play basketball in the gym, or swim at the pool. I smile, whenever I pass people, out walking the track at the High School! Why aren't other resources available to the community at night?
OMG! I just figured it out! If I spend time at the schools, I might-gasp- interact with some of the kids! They might even be charming enough that I begin to CARE about them! They might even learn something useful from ME!!!! Start to want MORE out of life...go to college...
Ah- it all comes down to money! The improvements I would want would cost money- I would have to open my wallet for it...only for the ungrateful little bastards to come out of college whining about wanting a decent job, at a decent wage.
Nope- FAR better that those buildings remain silent. Forget what that old English dude said- First, let's go for the Librarians!!
(lights torch, grabs pitchfork)
How are the veterans residing at the Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City supposed to take care of themselves without staff? It is a 24-hour skilled nursing facility, not an assisted living facility. 4-10's are not going to work there! They need care 24/7. What if you had a loved one living there, you are just going to let them be without care for 3 days just to save electricity? Come on...
Aushi-
I'm sure that in the case of the jobs that cannot be done during 'bankers hours', will have the staff rotate. Instead of say- 3 nurses per shift, they will spread out their days off, and only have 2 nurses, on some days. Just like when they work 8 hour shifts.
Funny how all levels of the government sector work here:
If anyone can give a clear answer of when WE the taxpaying citizen ..that contributes to all city, county, state, and federal taxes so that services and infrustructure exists for all citizens at all levels...
Now WHY is it, TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN, there is supposedly no money to sustain these services and infrustructure, however the government levels need new courthouses, new furniture, new offices, new pay raises, new everything....
...and yet, everytime there is a "budget shortfall", any cutbacks that are always in the crosshairs of what to trim or discontunue are ALWAYS the services and infrustructure that WE THE TAXPAYER HAD DONE PAID IN FULL FOR !
I say trim government spending, leave the services and infrustructure alone, and layoff excessive city council/county seat/state seat/US congress positions by at least 50 percent, and the ones that remain can take a pay cut and lower their benefit packages that they pay little or nothing for.
That will balance out the government budgets....too much government has been the problem all this time.
The Governor claims that 600k will be saved by closing State offices one day a week. Interestingly, the majority of those offices that will be closed do not pay electricity..it is included in their lease. Oh well, you wanted State workers to take a hit and we did. Never thought it would affect you too though, did you? I am reminded of that saying about being careful what you wish for cause you may not like the results. You wished and now you are going to feel the pinch along with us. Haha! Thank you Governor and Legislators!!!!
Does anyone know what 600k equates to with a 800mil + shortfall? .06% less than 1%!!!!
AK, you will feel the pinch, because the public insisted on govt saving and cutting back. The people believed the forked tongue Gibbons when he said Nevada Govt was bloated, the people decided they were ready to devastate the lower paid empployees instead of insisting upper govt make cuts. The people insisted we little worker bees were the problem with spending. Those of us in the construction portion of the state, have less than the teachers taken from the general fund, our pay comes from cig tax and other taxes, yet we are the ones that took the biggest hit, while other agencies took none. Like Carson says, be careful what you wish for. Like you the public told us, quit whining, and deal with it.
A little advice for government department heads.
Don't be playing games with the people. Don't cut back ONLY on services that have direct contact with the taxpayers to make a political statement.
Any department that is playing politics with the cuts should have it's department heads FIRED...
I think people might be surprised by the 4 day/10 hour week. Utah experienced increased production and decreased overtime after implementing 4/10's. The only thing better would be just go to 2/10s, 2/9s and leave the workweek at 38 hours. Instant permanent savings.