Budget Cuts Continue
Governor Patterson continues to detail his proposed cuts. [Quoted from the Times Union article.]
Work force: The plan calls for a delay of salary for five days this fiscal year essentially moving a week’s worth of payroll off this year’s accounts. Also, the Governor is asking to withold the 3 percent 2009-10 salary increase previously negotiated with several unions. Also, state workers will be asked to contribute a greater share to their health insurance costs; require workers and retirees to contribute to Medicare Part B premiums.
As a state employee, I have to admit all these budget cuts make me very uneasy about job security. No one at SED has lost their job at this point, nor has anyone been “encouraged” to retire early. Although, I can’t say everyone wasn’t mildly concerned when the Commissioner announced his resignation.
I’m not exactly thrilled with the idea of not getting a raise next year and losing a week of pay AND having a higher premium or deductible or BOTH. But I would certainly rather have my job at the end of the day if it meant having to suffer through any or all of that. From what I’ve been hearing, though, the unions are not happy with this plan and are being quite rigid about their already agreed upon contracts. I can understand that, considering some of them were several years behind when they finally went through earlier this year.
Oh, well.
Random Things
I had a dream last night that I gave Yara a bath and flooded the apartment. How the two became related I don’t entirely recall, but I assure you it was the most hilarious dream I’ve had since that one about Crunchy Cucumber December Flakes and Heather will vouch for how crazy funny that one was since she was in it.
Yara ate a tissue today. She got it out of a coworker’s wastebasket today and swallowed it before I could stop her. She’s become rather notorious for swiping things from wastebaskets just to have something in her mouth to carry. “Things” here ranging from tissues and napkins to candy wrappers and a chewed piece of gum! Today, however, was the first time she actually consumed said thing. I’m thinking of pulling out the mousetraps I bought way back when because Dolly couldn’t keep her nose out of the trashcan. We’ll see.
Two people at work today commented that they believe Yara’s gained weight since seeing her last Thursday. Truly these were the highlights of my entire day. Also, my day was boring and water is wet.
Oh, and I’m adopting a ragdoll kitten. Yes, seriously.
Our First “Week”
Two days is hardly an adequate amount of time to make any judgments, but I must say that Yara and I are quite happy at VESID.
Yesterday, was mainly spent acclimating to the new office. I was introduced to everyone else around the office — and then promptly forgot who they were. My computer got set up, including my specially ordered monitor, and I got my ID card and security pass. Yara was incredibly well-behaved through it all. There are two other dogs on our floor and they all were quite fine with one another. For the most part she was content to chomp on a bone under my desk, but anytime we were away from my desk and not actively going somewhere, she’d get a bit whiny. Still, she impressed pretty much everyone with her behavior; if she doesn’t end up with a swelled head from all the praise being thrown at her, I’ll be amazed.
Today was even better for her, now that she knows the routine a bit. I wasn’t away from my desk too much, so that probably helped. In fact, she was relaxed enough that she even napped a few times. She’s still very eager to explore and is a bit reluctant to want to bring me to where I’m intending to go in the building. Actually, this morning she walked me right passed the front doors and was quite insistent we should try a whole different building!
Work itself is . . . well, kind of boring. No one’s been in my position for about two months and so there’s a bit of lag with . . . I don’t even know how to define it. Mind you, I’m not complaining; rather I just feel like I should be doing something and I’m not.
Of course, the best part of my first (very short) week? I get a three day weekend; a paid one at that!