I’m not really sure who the Washington Management Service is, but man… everybody sure does hate them. Governor Christine Gregoire announced today that she would eliminate 1,000 middle-managers from the 5,400-member service, saving $50 million per biennium, a move that elicited applause from both organized labor and the virulently anti-labor Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
Tim Welch, spokesman for the Washington Federation of State Employees, said his members likewise are thrilled.
“This is long overdue,” he said. “Next to our collective bargaining contract, this is the most emotional issue for our members. Our members hate WMS with a passion.”
What… both WFSE and EFF are enthusiastically supporting the same thing? As a knee-jerk liberal with no mind of my own, I’m so confused!
According to a press release, Governor Gregoire also expects another $50 million in savings by creating a bulk-purchasing program, and has proposed cutting or eliminating low priority programs, like the state Film Office.
“We must change the culture of state government,” Gov. Gregoire said. “We must reduce bloated management, cut reckless spending and eliminate programs that don’t work.”
With rhetoric like that, I’m sure there are some Republicans who are now even less sure that their party didn’t win the governor’s race, but the silly notion that the Democratic agenda primarily consists of wastefully spending tax dollars is, well… silly. Democrats believe in government, and it doesn’t do us any good to have it bloated with inefficiencies. I’ve always expected Gregoire to be more fiscally conservative than her predecessor, but either way she brings a new perspective to the job that facilitates cuts like these.
“These cuts are just the beginning,” she said. “Our Government Management Accountability and Performance Program
Goldy, you’re overlooking an important fact — these are permanent savings, which are much better than the 1-time kind, because $120 million per year over 10 years adds up to over a billion bucks. That ain’t pocket change.
THIS is why I supported Gregoire — she’s a bold, imaginative, visionary who is not afraid to tackle difficult challenges — and she GETS THINGS DONE. Gregoire is exactly the kind of dynamic, forward-looking, thinking-outside-the-box, not-business-as-usual leader our state needs right now. The reactionary Rossi with his 19th-century retread knee-jerks is NOT what Washington State needs!
Rossi’s and the GOP’s gooses are cooked. All Gregoire needs is six months in office and it will be obvious to Washington citizens they made the right choice in electing Gregoire instead of Rossi. By the end of this year, all the GOP-manufactured brouhaha over the election will be nothing but a dim nightmare from the past. People will shake their heads and ask themselves, who did these Republicans think they were kidding?
Stay tuned for more exciting initiatives from Olympia!
Goldy: “As a knee-jerk liberal with no mind of my own, I’m so confused!”
There, there. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. ;)
As I commented when I posted the link to her press release earlier, you gotta give her credit for taking this step. I just hope it is a serious change in mindset and not just token PR moves to sap support from the election contest.
Now, in the interest of fairness, Goldy, are you going to post from whose book Christine got the idea for GMAP?
With rhetoric like that, I’m sure there are some Republicans who are now even less sure that their party didn’t win the governor’s race, but the silly notion that the Democratic agenda primarily consists of wastefully spending tax dollars is, well… silly.
The interesting thing is that Rossi likely could not have done this if he had tried as it would have been perceived as too partison.
THIS is why I supported Gregoire – she’s a bold, imaginative, visionary who is not afraid to tackle difficult challenges – and she GETS THINGS DONE.
Today’s action was nice.
Let’s see if she can follow it up by firing all of the useless school adminstrators who are very pricey and add very little to the school system.
I have to say; I am impressed with yesterdays move.
The cynical side of me says that this is just a desperate grasp at seeking validation from the conservative voters who have been calling this administration a scam from the start. Kind of like the new, fat, ugly kid at school who brings in cupcakes for his/her whole class… A desperate attempt at seeking approval.
At any rate, it certainly is a start in the right direction. I completely agree with Erik @ #4 with his comment on cleaning house in the school system.
I think other bold moves that would make sense and save big money:
Firstly, fire the entire King County election staff and hire a bunch of monkeys for a bag of peanuts. Obviously, I am on a rant on these people but there does need to be accountability brought to this group. No one is arguing that voter confidence is at an all time low because of incompetence and the fact that they are still on the public payroll is a disgrace.
Seriously though, we need to disband the various administrations of the differing types of transportation in this state and have one state transportation agency. In King County alone, we have the Ferry system, King County Rapid Transit, Monorail & Light Rail (Am I forgetting any?) all with duplicate types of Administrative staff, & all collecting big bucks for their job. The funny thing about these is that while they all are separate, they all rely on each other to cover their short falls.
For example, the answer to how a commuter would get from Seattle to SeaTac Airport is to take either of these to the end of their line and then get a bus. For answers such as this, the administrators are collecting 6 figure incomes? Would it not have made more sense to have the state step into this local zoning dispute and say we are building this right up to the airport, so Seattle and SeaTac need to settle their differences for the good of the people?
I have no doubt that combining these agencies into one state agency would save billions over a ten-year span.
Ultimately, what I like about Governor Gregoires (First time I have called her that) announcement yesterday was that unlike most democratic budget plans, is that it makes sense and recognizes and brings public, just a very small amount of the sheer waste involved with government agencies.
It is a good start and a good move. Having a questionable Governor in this state may just be the best thing that happened to both parties is a long, long time.
Cheers to Governor Gregoire. If Rossi had made Governor he would be too busy chasing windmills to think outside the box.
This is just a ploy to get Rossi supporters to hold back. Politics at its purest. Gregoire must have one smart advisor to come up with this!
Erik@4 and prr@5-
I say amen to eliminating pricey schooladministrator next. Add to that other layers of bureaucratic goo like ESD’s and force consolidation of the many super-small Districts. Last but not least, BAN ALL CONTRACTS WITH OUTSIDE EDUCATION CONSULTANTS UNLESS THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS PROVES THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIALS< DOCUMENTS REASONS AND DISCLOSES ALL DETAILS. Let's call this the 'gut Terry Bergerson's cronies initiative. Let's just try keeping virtually all $$$ in the classroom, reward great teachers and support them with smaller class sizes. Don @ 1-- I TOLD YOU THERE WAS PLENTY OF EXCESSIVE BUREAUCRATIC GOO YOU FUCKING IDIOT. Don has been a staunch defender of the bureaucracy screaming for people to show where cuts can be made, that State Employees are overworked and ALL NECESSARY. You sure are changing your tune now Don you fucking loser guv'mint hack attorney! They should have fired your sorry ass long before you swindled tax payers out of your juicy pension sitting on your ass, making work for yourself by harrassing citizens you ASSHOLE!! That said Erik---announcing PLANS to do something and actually DOING it are often 2 different things. Understand? I'll bet right now that many of these "LAY-OFFS" end up finding other positions in state government. Wanna Bet?? I'd like to see a documents list of these 1,000 CUTS. Seeing is believing.
Announcing PLANS and actually following thru are 2 different things. I want both names and $$ amounts of ACTUAL CUTS! Seeing is believing.
Don..you said such cuts are impossible and repeatedly have defended the bureaucracy. You challenged folks to show where cuts could be made. You are truly a pathetic piece of crap…a bureaucratic loser who stands for nothing but government jobs.
WMS is the epitome of the oversized middle manager staff that sucks up budget funds at the same time local state offices are having to cut line staff positions (making more work for who’s left) because of budget limitations.
I’m with Mr. Cynical. This will never happen, or at least won’t happen the way portrayed. There will be no layoffs, just attrition. Watch the hiring process. If no freeze is put in place, then this is a meaningless action.
Also watch for the double dipping. A mid-level manager might retire or get layed off, but then get hired somewhere else. All we will hear about is the decrease. We won’t learn of the net increases in employment, unless the press actually does their job and digs into it.
I’m an unapologetic “tax and spend Democrat” and I am thrilled at the Governor’s move. Those of us who believe there is a legitamate function for government in our society have an almost “sacred” responsibility to ensure government works and is productive. I know it is often easy to bash middle managers and that these people are probably good managers and I feel for them individually. But accountability, efficiency, and the public trust demand that Democrats be innovative in delivering services. I also recommend that you read the New York Times editorial “Hilary Gets It” as another reminder that Democratic women leaders are stepping up to the plate to be responsive to the last election while remaining true to their own constituency. Perhaps the uncivil debate polorizing our contry can be calmed by leaders of both parties willing to move toward the center and hearing the other side and finding the proverbial middle ground.
prr @ 5
The ferry system is not a King County operation. It is merely a division within the WA Department of Transportation. Court rulings back some time ago determined that the ferries are part of the highway system (i.e. “water roads”).
Inquiring minds want to know: what is Washington Management Service, and why does everyone hate it or them? Must be some kind of internal auditing organization to raise that much ire. Don, help us..what is WMS?
I hope she follows through with this; if she does it is a good move that I support.
Me @ 14
If I had read the local papers I would have known that WMS is a classification, not an organization. Apparently, it is the classification that covers middle managers, no matter which agency they work for. I’m no expert on state government, but this makes sense in a general way. Bureaucracy (in its original sense) is a great thing, but there seems to be a natural inclination to adding unnecessary and counterproductive layers of supervision over time. Turnover must be high enough in state government to find places for most of the managers who are cut.
RDC, you’ve answered your question. WMS is a hybrid of the Merit System and Exempt classifications. State agencies generally fill low-level management positions with experienced Merit System employees, but it’s difficult to get someone to give up job tenure for a minor promotion and 5% to 10% increase in pay. Prior to WMS, desirable candidates sometimes would turn down promotions because exempt employees have very little job security — they pretty much serve at the agency’s pleasure. To encourage experienced Merit System employees to apply for entry-level and mid-level management positions, the state created WMS in order to offer them job tenure and rights equivalent to what they had under Merit System rules, while retaining the “management” characteristics of these jobs.
Don, don’t get too carried away. When Gregoire was head of Ecology she doubled staff in just a few years. She even threw a few temper tantrums to get more money.
Now, she has seen the light and is getting rid of some of them?
Wanna buy the Fremont Bridge?
prr @ 5
It sure was hard for you to say anything positive about Gregoire and the Democrats, wasn’t it? And you couldn’t resist scapegoating KC Elections for what individual voters do (beyond anyone’s control) and taking a cheap shot at Gregoire as a “questionable” governor (only in your mind, prr, and in the minds of your fellow rightie partisans). Nor could you avoid factual misstatements in regard to transportation agencies. As Mark pointed out @ 13, the ferry system is run by DOT, and this requires no further discussion. Sound Transit’s light rail route didn’t go all the way to the airport because of cost and lack of money, not zoning issues. The Monorail never intended to go to the airport; being funded entirely by City of Seattle taxpayers, its proposed route of course lay entirely within the city limits, and it was nothing more or less than a mass transit north-side paralleling 99 but that does something 99 doesn’t: It directly links West Seattle to downtown and the neighborhoods northwest of the ship canal. We have different agencies for buses, light rail, and monorail because (1) these systems were created at different times, (2) from different funding sources, and (3) run through different political jurisdictions. While it is superficially tempting to consolidate them, the risk you would run by doing this is that one system would become dominant and bleed off resources from the others for itself, resulting in a parasite-host relationship between the various systems. Even if you wanted one system to get most of the resources and drive the others into extinction, there are more efficient ways to accomplish this end than by creating a Pac-Man organization.
Hey Goldy, what happened to my Perpetual Motion Machine post under the ANWR thread? It was eaten by either your spam filter or a black hole!
Swatter @ 18
It really grinds you to have to give Gregoire credit for something, doesn’t it? LMAO … don’t give yourself an aneurysm!
The school districts in the area have a bulk purchasing system called the King County Directors Association, I hope her plan works better than that because it is one of the biggest taxpayer rippoffs in history, with basketballs costing over $100.00 ea.
It sounds like a good start by Governor Gregoire so far. There is so much more work that can be done to get rid of meaningless and senseless government spending.
Take education for example. The number of managers and administrators is staggering. Put at least a third of time back into the classroom, and we can easily meet the class size reduction and teacher salary increase requirements of the initiatives we passed a few years ago.
Get rid of these “Educational Service Districts”. They don’t do anything other than add another layer of bureaucracy. Take maybe 1/4 of their staff and budget and transfer it to the SPI for legitimate administrative needs. Take the other 3/4 and transfer it either to local school districts for classroom teaching or back to the state general fund.
Do many other states even have anything like the “Educational Service District”? I do a Google search for this term, and almost all of what I come back with is from Washington state.
And what about all of these school superintendents and administrators who are getting a higher salary than Governor Gregoire? Is the job of a school superintendent really more important than that of Governor?
Let’s get rid of the fat in public universities as well. Why should the president of the University of Washington make well over half a million dollars a year? Why should the football coach make nearly a million dollars a year? I am sure you would have plenty of reasonably qualified people applying for each position if it “only” paid as much as the Governor …
There is tremendous waste in local agencies as well. In public transit, why do fares cover only 1/10 of the total operating cost? Why does it cost a million dollars or so to buy a single Metro bus? Let’s say a bus seats 60 people. You could get seating capacity more cheaper by buying Mercedes cars! Aren’t Sound Transit and the Seattle Monorail each employing many dozens of people making over $100,000 per year? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to pay for taxi rides for everyone now using the Sounder commuter train, than to operate the train itself?
Or how about local governments pi$$ing money down the toilet? This may seem like small change, but the City of Seattle a few years back signed a 10 year contract to lease five mechanical toilets for a total of $650,000 per year. That is $130,000 per year for each single seat mechanical toilet!
Chuck @ 22
$100 for a basketball? Jeez Chuck that’s outrageous! The Pentagon can get a case of Coca-Cola from Halliburton for that kind of money! Halliburton gets only $96 a case for pop.
Don, don’t get me wrong, but I like the cuts. However, has the woman discovered religion or what? The track record doesn’t speak for itself. Why not get rid of a lot of regulations, also?
As for Ecology, it was bloated before she got there, but she got that fish even more bloated.
swatter @ 25
“Why not get rid of a lot of regulations, also?”
Don’t go away, stay tuned to this channel!
If you believe that Gregoire is going to cut back government, I have a bridge to sell you. It is all a shell game. Mid-level managers are eliminated, but consultants crop up everywhere. She has to bend over to the public unions, who got her into office, so don’t look for reductions in their ranks.
Hold on to your wallets – it is going to be a wild ride!
GOLDY–
FYI
Just learned this whole 1,000 managers cut is a huge ruse. The vast majority are going to be re-assigned or re-titled.
Like I said, I’ll believe it when I get the names and salaries of the 1,000. Typical LEFTIST approach to controlling the size of bueaucracy…just move them around & call ’em something else.
This charade will hurt Gregoire pretty badly if she doesn’t legitimately follow thru (which she won’t!)
Cynical @28,
Okay, cite your source and information.
She’s budgeting $50 million in savings from this cut. Your a CPA… how do the savings add up if the cuts aren’t real? The budget has to balance at the end.
I just updated the blog entry to note that the revenue forecast has been revised up by an additional $739 million. That’s a few hundred million more than what most lawmakers were expecting, and it should make balancing the budget a little easier.
Yeah, and I also read that she shit-canned four guys and put women in their place. Where’s the justice in that? Just like before when lil Crissy, Maria Cuntwell and Patty Murray were up in arms ranting and screaming about the fact that they are women in power; which to me should be viewed as a step backwards for women’s rights. The fact that they ARE women is completely irrelevant, they should be happy that they got elected. I don’t wanna hear about the fact that they are women, I want to know what they can and will do for this state. Shame on them. Maybe they can remove all the urinals in all state offices and change the name of the state to “Twat-shington”. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to be sexist, but this BS is way over the line. God help us all and everyone have a good St. Pat’s Day! Thanks.
But will she fire her husband Mike who is now working in the Governor’s office when he was working in the AG’S office before as an investigator? She needs him working there ,why?
Whiner @ 28
Cynical, you wouldn’t be satisfied if Gregoire ordered 1,000 state managers taken out and shot! (Russian-style downsizing.)
If these paperpushers are put in the field to inspect nursing homes and day care centers, that’s a plus for the citizens of our state, but you’re too dense to see that.
Gregoire saves taxpayers $50 million a year — and you bitch about it.
Is there ANYTHING that makes you happy? Would a blowjob by
Mrs. Cynical make you happy?
Mrs. Cynical, we need you …
christmasghost-
I wonder too, but maybe he’s exempt and all. After all, he is the first lady…..I mean gentleman. Hehe.
Not-Mark @ 31
Just to be clear… The “Mark” that posted @ 31 is NOT me. I think even Don would have to agree that I wouldn’t say such a thing.
Mark @ 35
Thanks. I’ve occasionally been perplexed here on reading comments from “Mark” that seemed to be coming from two distinct voices. I thought perhaps it was a medical things; Jekyll/Hyde or pill/no pill. I’m pleased that it’s not…..or maybe it is? Are you sure you’re not Marks?
Mark @35,
I have emailed the other “Mark” and asked him to modify his screen name.
RDC @36
I can assure you that Mark, Not-Mark, and I are not related (though Mark could be mistaken for me, at times). Not-Mark seems a bit too high-strung…oh, well…
chuckie @ 22 funny how you always just pop in here. spit your two cents worth of fiction that is usually off topic, and then dissappear into the sunset………
Mark @ 35
Maybe there’s two Marks here?
jpgee @ 39
We should investigate whether Chuckie is a Perpetual Motion Machine. He might be worth something if we could chain him to a plow.
Don@24
In the 1980s I was involved in setting up Spanaway Lakes High School, a Spalding basketball cost a sweet $98.00 EACH from the KCDA. You may not believe it but this is a fact.
Jpgee@39
Try me…the quote I gave you was in the 1980s check back when you can tell me how much a Spalding basketball costs a school district today from KCDA (King County Directors Association). Tell me I am wrong. By the way it is normal rubber (not leather) ball. Give it a shot!
Don@41
Dont chain me to a plow, but a telephone and puter on the net, I will squeeze lincolns head till he screams!
Don@41
Im guessing you still fight popups with M$ Explorer…. or you use dialup. Personally Im done with your buddy Gates and I am changing my entire puter system…but you stay the same road with Bill Gates and sweet Chrissy….
Janet@27. Janet, have you forgotten? Were still holding onto our wallets from Bush’s wild ride.
Mark@31. Yes, male or female is indeed irrelevant. But is is? Five new male faces to cabinet may not have gotten a comment even if they replaced woman. A mere testimony to change. The five woman replace Governor Gary Locke’s appointed, five males. So much for tradition. Best for the job could be five men or five woman or a mix. I doubt of the long historical discrimination of woman in power re church or state (even voting) has been erased from the nature of men or their minds. There are men who dont mind banishing the old custom of woman walking behind a man. They can walk beside woman without getting a kink in their groin.
Cynical@28,
This charade will hurt Gregoire pretty badly if she doesn’t legitimately follow thru (which she won’t!). How about SHE WILL. I suspect your program to be one where a woman walks in front of you in case their is a landmine.
Mark@31. A rather un-distinguished coining of Cantwell. OINK OINK! :-) According to the news, GOP chairman Chris Vance said Wednesday in an interview the following about Rossi. “If Dino Rossi doesn’t become governor through court action, he would be the best Republican to challenge Sen. Marie Cantwell.”
ANNOUNCMENT: Mark@31 denounces woman while announcing. Mark says, “don’t take me wrong. I’m not trying to be a sexist.” No your are not trying to be a sexist, you have made the grade, you ARE one. Proof: “Cuntwell” and “Twat=shington.”
GOLDY@37. That is not all he should modify, :-)
Don @ 33
Oh, God, Don. Do I have to? He’s so smelly down there. I guess I’ll see what I can do.
Hugs and Kisses!
A completely ridiculous move by the Governor. No plan, no real analysis, just dump on an easy target. This is Eyman mimicry and talk radio logic. Across the board cuts are panic reactions to political heat elsewhere. What happens to Rep. Armstrong’s bill now (where lots of D’s exposed their complete ignorance by supporting)? This is R behavior in D clothing. The worst kind of political pandering. It makes me plan to vote Libertarian next time if this is what we are going to get.
Don @ 19
I’ve been out of town on Business and have, unlike the rest of you, been unable to waste away my day in front of a computer, blathering about the proper way one should be running the State.
However, I am back this morning and thought I would check in and see how my post offended you old women.
Apparently it has hit a few cords.
However, your response on the monorail and certainly proves my point. Quite Frankly, developing a rapid transit system that does not like the airport, is idiotic, shortsighted. It is clear that the city, & county run transportation systems are a waste of money and manpower and should be brought under one umbrella.
As to your conspiracy about having one monopolizing, run-away organization? As opposed to having the five monetary sink holes? I fail to see your point, get your head out of your ass.
You have mentioned in the past that you were a judge and a lawyer in your previous life. With a thought process such as your, its not hard to see how we have gotten into the mess we have with people like you in a position to make decisions.
I am pleased that you are retired