Morale Down the Shitter

The Crap Times ran an article about the poor morale of state employees a month or so ago. For the life of me, I cannot find it on their webpage and can only come up with this opinion hoolie. Don't take the evil liberal media's word for it, don't take my word for it - listen to the employees themselves.

Yesterday, our Guvner, James Doyle proclaimed June 15 to be State Employee Recognition Day here in Wisconsin and sent the following email:

An Open Letter to State Employees

June 15, 2005

I have designated June 15, 2005 as State Employee Recognition Day in Wisconsin. I'd like to extend my thanks to all of you for your hard work and dedicated service to the people of our great state during the past year. I hope you are as proud as I am of the important work you do every day to improve and protect the wonderful life shared by Wisconsin's citizens.

As you may know, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the civil service system in Wisconsin. Governor Robert La Follette signed the bill creating a civil service system into law on June 17, 1905. The law introduced merit-based hiring standards for classified employees in an effort to address a culture of political patronage that existed not only in Wisconsin but across the nation. Then, as now, the purpose of the civil service law was to "provide state agencies and institutions of higher education with competent personnel who will furnish state services to citizens as fairly, efficiently and effectively as possible." The Office of State Employment Relations has more information about this important anniversary at http://www.civilservicecentennial.wi.gov/.

I'm proud that Wisconsin has maintained this commitment to merit-based hiring for its classified state employees over the past 100 years. The value of a highly qualified workforce has never been more apparent than over the past two years - when the state was in the toughest fiscal situation it has ever been in. I know that you, our state's public servants, did not cause the budget deficit that jeopardized our university and technical college system, our public schools, our environment, our ability to provide health care for our state's neediest citizens, and in many other ways threatened what we value about life in Wisconsin. State employees have helped to pull our state out of this fiscal crisis in so many ways - by delivering essential services with fewer resources, by coordinating work across agency lines to improve the efficiency of state government's administrative operations, and by shouldering increased workloads - even while the state's fiscal problems precluded significant compensation increases. I am deeply grateful to all of you for the sacrifices you've made on behalf of your state and fellow citizens.

At the same time, I am optimistic that Wisconsin is now back on track economically, thanks in no small part to your collective efforts. While we must continue to search for ways to streamline state government and improve the efficiency by which we deliver essential services to the public, I am also committed to ensuring that state employees receive their share of the benefits of the state's improving economic picture in the coming biennium. In my 2005-2007 budget, I gave priority to funding fair wage increases, maintaining benefits, and adding state employees in areas of critical need, such as university faculty, state troopers, drug and alcohol counselors, highway engineers, and nursing home staff.

I have designated this day as State Employee Recognition Day to publicly acknowledge and celebrate the many contributions of state employees in improving and protecting the quality of life in Wisconsin. On behalf of Wisconsin's citizens, I thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Sincerely,

Jim Doyle
Governor

The email has prompted a flood of replies from low morale-ridden employees. Let's listen.

From James **** 06/15/05 03:09PM
Dear, Governor Doyle
If your so deeply grateful for all the sacrifices that state employee's have made and that we helped pull our state out of a fiscal crisis don't you think it's about time you to give the non-management state employee a fair wage increase?

Steven **** 06/16/05 07:22AM
Blanchard you get my vote

John **** 06/16/05 09:03AM
ditto

It seems the Governor neither appreciates State Employees nor the other good people of this state. Denying fair benefits & eliminating positions represses the state economy, having negative impact on every citizens quality of life.

Annette **** 06/16/2005 9:12:41 AM
And I too agree with you all...Governor Doyle don't seem to care about our families needs...cost of living is continuously going up while our wages are being played...Come on Governor who's being recognize here?

Rodney **** 06/16/05 09:21AM
"...State employees have helped to pull our state out of this fiscal crisis in so many ways -" by receiving Federal assistance to pay for their kids' school lunches, by going without heat to buy medications, by sneaking to the local food pantry when there's no grocery money, by driving beater cars ... you fill in the rest!

Laurie **** 06/16/05 09:23AM
Please quite replying all. Thank you.

Julie **** 06/16/05
ALL: I think it is time to put an end to this email nonsense. If anyone wants to be proactive about this issue, you should act on it more appropriately. You should start by contacting your local Alderman, County Supervisor, Common Council, or State Representative. After, you should start a State wide petition.......writing these emails will get you nowhere!

And for the person who wrote:
Raymond **** 06/16/05 09:37AM >>>did you mean "quite, quiet, or quit"? and if its the latter, QUIT reading them-

That is so High School! Please reply to me personally, if anyone has any comments worthwhile reading!

Nevzat **** 06/16/05 10:10AM
How about the union? Is there a reason why you left them out?

Terry **** 06/16/05 10:20AM
We are all in the same boat as state workers and everyone should be responding to this as our union is not suporting us. I say Keep Writing!!!!!

Gail **** 06/16/05 10:36AM
you know i believe sarah has a good point, no one minds the first note, we want to know what's going on, but we don't know to know everyone's thoughts an the issue. epecially as we are working and we got enough to do.


Well, that's a selection of the comments that have gone around. Being a contractor, I am beginning to get scared. A mob could get together, head to DOA for some rope and then find a tree on the Square. I don't care what the US Senate apologizes for. I'm turning my ID badge around so no one can see what color it is.