Alabama's Jefferson County makes massive job cuts

[xav]

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (*******) - Alabama's debt-ridden Jefferson County laid off about two-thirds of its 3,600 employees on Monday because of plummeting revenues, a move that will sharply curtail services in areas ranging from roads to courthouses.

The cuts are just the latest blow to Jefferson, whose population of 660,000 includes Birmingham, the state's largest city and its economic powerhouse. They come after the county racked up around $4 billion in debt by using exotic financial instruments to fund a revamp of its sewer system.

The work-force cuts will hit the roads and transportation, revenue and security departments, and reductions will also affect the courthouse and information technology department as well as laborers paid on an hourly basis, according to a senior county official.

One senior county employee said his land development department was slashed from 29 employees to just eight but they were nevertheless adjusting, a process eased because there were fewer queries from the public on Monday.

"Our traffic has slowed (because) ... people are following the news. People did not take a chance by waiting until this week to do their business," said Bo Duncan, deputy director of land development at the county.

"We are having to make do," he said.

For some families, the layoffs were particularly hard, he said, adding he knew one family in which both husband and wife had lost their jobs.

Jefferson County has been forced to make drastic cuts because of a lawsuit questioning the legality of a county occupational tax, which raised $78 million annually and was vital to the county's operation.

Although the revenue is still being collected, it is being held in escrow under orders from an Alabama Supreme Court justice pending a decision on the tax case. Some members of the state Legislature hope to pass a new tax bill this month to raise revenue for Jefferson County.

County workers placed on administrative leave under the cuts will be entitled to unemployment and some health-care benefits and will be called back after 45 days, according to a senior county official.
http://www.*******.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5724P720090803

So it is not just California?

[Ordie]

Just as I predicted.

If it happens in California, the rest of the states will follow.

Now the City of Birmingham will seek direct aid from the feds rather depend upon the state.

[oda14]

This mess in Jefferson county has nothing to do the economy. It has to do with corrupt local politicans. Currently Jefferson county has the largest public debt in the country, 3.2 billion dollars at last count. All of this was caused by a county sewer project that got out of control. Every local politician and their buddies got a piece of it and caused this mess. Several former and current members of the county commission have been convicted or are awaiting trial in federal court of fruad. The current mayor of Birmingham, a former member of the county commission is awaiting trail at the month, on a 101 count enditement. One of his former "partners" pleaded gulity last week in federal court and will testify against him.

This latest mess with the layoffs is an attempt by the commission to create a "sky is falling" atmosphere in the county and get the Governor to call a special session of the legistature to pass a new tax to replace the Occupational Tax. Which was declared unconstitutional by the state supreame court in 1999, but the county was still collecting and spending the tax. The Occupational Tax accounts for less than 10 percent of the total taxes in the county but the county commission says this is why they had to lay off all of the county workers.

This is just another attempt by local corrupt politicians to get their asses out of a jam by blaming someone else. Hopefully this latest attempt at taxing will fail and the county will have to deal with this and do like the rest of us and stay within a budget and the ones who are continuing to take from the people with go to jail. There should be more enditements coming down soon.

Concerned local American

[StinkyStreet]

If it happens in California, the rest of the states will follow.



Not all states are as bad as California

[XShipRider]

Not all states are as bad as California

True, several are worse off. Michigan, for example, has been in the dumps since the mid to late 80s. Unemployment has done nothing but increase, tax revenues have decreased, population has decreased, yet Gov Granholm continues her crusade to spend while trying to cover the losses through taxation. Hello Governor. You're killing the cow but expecting more milk. Michigan's main problem has been living in the past -- politicians who remember the glory days of auto manufacturing and their inability to adjust to new realities (not just Gov Granholm in this case).

California gets the press because of sheer budget size.

[MaverickCowboy]

why don't we just turn to socialism? Freedom is failing.

[tea drinker]

why don't we just turn to socialism? Freedom is failing.
I think the freedom to exploit would be one that might be revoked - if enough of us plebs take an interest.

Those figures for lay offs are nothing short of horrendous. Are the cops or fraud squad going to investigate how things got so out of whack?

So much for the recovery.

[vryhpyammoadded]

And this is a problem? Either the government/people fixes itself, cutting the over burden, in an organized manner or the lack of funds brought about by their abysmal failure to loosen the tyrannical grip on anothers labors decides for them. I see no reason for the writer’s melodrama and hope the locals vote for better politicians next go around.

[Ordie]

I don't know how Jefferson County is organized.

But most County Supervisors hire an Adminsitrator (CEO) to manage the day to day fuctions of the county (Public Works, Libraries, Sheriff, Firefighting).

The County Supervisors approve a budget with revenue estimates from the Assessor's office (Tax Collector). Based on the article, the revenues included an Occupation Tax which was deemed unconstitutional in a middle of a budget cycle with no backfill.

The County's Legal Department could have least settled the lawsuit with provision to eliminate or replace the tax at the end of the budget cycle. This would have given the county some time to freeze hirings and encourage retirements as a means to avoid layoffs.

[Ordie]

And this is a problem?

Not unless if you are okay with a local fire station being shut down, or unfilled pot holes damaging your suspension.

[Laconian]

@oda14, thanks for the local insight. Corrupt government at local and county levels is something I see a lot of. It is frightening.



Not unless if you are okay with a local fire station being shut down, or unfilled pot holes damaging your suspension.

Another article I read about this said the only services not being cut were police and fire, everything else was getting hammered.

[Ordie]

Another article I read about this said the only services not being cut were police and fire, everything else was getting hammered.

Time to get a 4X4 to deal with the potholes.

[bounceandburst]

This mess in Jefferson county has nothing to do the economy. It has to do with corrupt local politicans. Currently Jefferson county has the largest public debt in the country, 3.2 billion dollars at last count. All of this was caused by a county sewer project that got out of control. Every local politician and their buddies got a piece of it and caused this mess. Several former and current members of the county commission have been convicted or are awaiting trial in federal court of fruad. The current mayor of Birmingham, a former member of the county commission is awaiting trail at the month, on a 101 count enditement. One of his former "partners" pleaded gulity last week in federal court and will testify against him.

This latest mess with the layoffs is an attempt by the commission to create a "sky is falling" atmosphere in the county and get the Governor to call a special session of the legistature to pass a new tax to replace the Occupational Tax. Which was declared unconstitutional by the state supreame court in 1999, but the county was still collecting and spending the tax. The Occupational Tax accounts for less than 10 percent of the total taxes in the county but the county commission says this is why they had to lay off all of the county workers.

This is just another attempt by local corrupt politicians to get their asses out of a jam by blaming someone else. Hopefully this latest attempt at taxing will fail and the county will have to deal with this and do like the rest of us and stay within a budget and the ones who are continuing to take from the people with go to jail. There should be more enditements coming down soon.

Concerned local American

Very well said and true. I'm almost glad I live north of the border now, in Tn.:roll:

[vryhpyammoadded]

Not unless if you are okay with a local fire station being shut down, or unfilled pot holes damaging your suspension.
Well actually… You should see the first half of my daily hour long commute to and from work in Tallahassee. When the sky dumps the biblical flood of rain down here, about 1600 every day for seven months, my old logging trail commute has anywhere from three to five, one to three foot fording’s to manage. Then there are those pesky trees occasional falling over in the sucking mud… My truck regularly has city folk “Wash Me” finger painted on it seeing I gave up after the first month living here but I hear the occasional hurricane will get the cleanup done.

As for the fire department…
I’m not sure if we even have one, but there is a neighbor with a helo who works for the lumber mill who will medivac people during medical emergencies for a nominal fee.

Around here gubment is something that harasses us on occasion for a cut of our hard earned money and throws a hissy fit anytime we go for a swim in the springs or our livestock busts out into the national forest to disturb the speckled something or other and the whistling dingus.

I guess I’m ok with damaged suspensions, they’re easy to fix. :)