YNN SHIFTS FURLOUGH FOCUS TO TAXPAYERS AND VOTERS

Rochester, N.Y.--  The 24/7 Time Warner news affiliate out of Rochester, N.Y. reached out to our CSEA WNY Region 6 President Flo Tripi yesterday to get her thoughts on how the furloughs of state workers will affect ordinary taxpayers.  Will the ineptness of the governor and the state legislature translate to a new elected delegation in Albany next term?  Only time will tell.  

Virginia Butler, long time anchor and news reporter for YNN, interviewed residents at City Place in downtown Rochester.  They were not happy with these developments and are looking for accountability come November.  Along with furloughs, these feelings are consistent with a Siena College Poll that was taken on April 19 which found that most citizens also disapprove of Governor Paterson withholding negotiated cost of living increases for state workers. “When it comes to the Governor’s proposal to withhold the contractually agreed upon pay raises for stateworkers, 47 percent oppose the idea, while only 38 percent support it,” said poll spokesperson Steven Greenberg.

Tripi says if the furloughs stand, there will be more protests across the state, and she said taxpayers will notice a difference in state offices which are already understaffed.

“We're talking about law, we’re talking about workers comp, we’re talking about unemployment insurance, state insurance, we're talking about DMV, DOT, mental hygiene and direct care facilities in developmental disabilities areas,” Tripi said. “These are things that people do every single day that are so important to the public that most people don't even realize it until they don't have the services.”

To see the YNN video and read the online news story, please go here.