Why not cut pensions and impose buy-out packages?
Vested pension benefits of public employees are protected against reduction by the federal and State constitutions. Operating within these legal constraints, this Administration still has made important changes in employee benefits and reduced our employee headcount. For the first time in 20 years we’ve taken real steps to control benefits for state workers and not added to them. This Administration has cut our net headcount by 2000. This number includes the almost 1,000 positions for homeland security and child welfare, so we’ve actually had to cut the existing workforce by 3,000.
