Yeah, let’s not fire the people who caused the problem

by Erick on October 8, 2008

Wouldn’t want to do that.

The State Transportation Board voted Tuesday to yank millions of dollars from road construction and maintenance rather than lay off state workers to balance a $190 million deficit.

Gena Evans, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation, gave the board a list of options for erasing the red ink, including laying off 566 agency employees and ordering once-a-month furloughs for the remaining workers.

Together, the two steps would have saved $37.8 million.

Instead, board members chose to cut $52 million in state aid used to help cities and counties build and maintain roads and bridges, leaving two programs that are highly popular with local officials without a penny for the rest of this fiscal year.

{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

Icarus 10.08.08 at 8:29 am

If the GOP leadership of this state doesn’t stop the war against local governments, we’ll be in the minority party again by 2010.

Three Jack 10.08.08 at 8:40 am

Brilliant!

Game Fan 10.08.08 at 9:55 am

Never fear. These guys surely have a “private sector” solution in the works. Where can I buy into the people who manufacture toll booths?

Vic 10.08.08 at 2:49 pm

Game Fan,

You could start with Spain based CINTRA-ccit.mc but it is a foreign owned company and not subject to U.S. disclosure and transparency rules. Therefore, like the bailout, you’d be guessing everyday where your money went, as will Gena and Sonny when they commits all of our GDOT money to them…

And to further complicate your investing dilemna, Cintra is controlled by Grupo Ferrovial-fer.mc, which is not subject to corporate disclosure rules.

CINTRA
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ccit.mc

GRUPO FERROVIAL
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=fer.mc

so, if you like to throw darts in the dark on a dark night, and hope that the us treasury and jesus will bail your investments out, ccit-mc and fer.mc are the two stocks for you.

Chris Farris 10.08.08 at 2:58 pm

Erick,

There is still time to fire the people who caused this. The election is still 27 days away!

Game Fan 10.08.08 at 5:24 pm

Vic
I’ve been raising a stink about the NAFTA superhighway for a few years now (even if it’s not real)

I’m also opposed to the Chupacabras. ( Even if it’s not real. )
http://www.cryptomundo.com/wp-content/LuchaChupacabras.jpg

Jmac 10.08.08 at 7:28 pm

Um, how exactly is laying off workers who work for DOT ‘firing the people who caused this problem.’

The folks who ’caused it’ seem to be sitting underneath that Gold Dome.

Vic 10.08.08 at 7:49 pm

The pink slips won’t come out until after the election or after the Cintra annoucement.

you have a good point Jmac…

Chris Farris 10.08.08 at 7:57 pm

Chupacabras are too real. One was just elected to the Riverdale City Council.

Game Fan 10.08.08 at 10:17 pm

http://forgetomori.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/forgetomorichupacabras.jpg