State employees answer Governor's challenge

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The state's second largest public employees union Tuesday answered Governor Tim Pawlenty's challenge to come up with ideas to save the state money instead of simply seeking more.

The president of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, or M.A.P.E., summoned Capitol reporters to a news conference to say the union has identified hundreds of millions in savings now eluding the Pawlenty administration.

"We heeded the governor's call," M.A.P.E. president Chet Jorgenson announced, "We found significant waste. We found more than $350 million dollars to help reduce the budget deficit."

On his radio show April 10th Pawlenty reacted sharply to ads run by public workers unions calling for targeted tax increases to restore fairness to the state's income tax system.

"The public employee unions, and the spenders, and the DFL should quit coming up with the tax increase of the week, or the day idea," Pawlenty told his statewide audience, "And focus on how we can reduce our means by reducing spending!"

M.A.P.E. executive director Jim Monroe said the state could save $240 million over the next two-year budget cycle by simply pursuing unpaid fees and other outstanding debt which the Department of Revenue isn't actively collecting. That includes unemployment insurance payments not being paid by employers.

"In the Department of Revenue our members are told when they have documented fines of $17,000 a day in unpaid taxes it's too much work."

Monroe said the state could also shave $110 million off the 2010-2011 budget by eliminated excess management in those divisions the union considers too top heavy.

"During negotiations and were told by the governor's negotiating team it was interesting information but not issues that should be taken care of at the bargaining table," Monroe said.

"Why would Governor Pawlenty and this administration sit on information that would reduce the deficits facing the state of Minnesota by millions of dollars?"

The governor's communications director Brian McClung told KARE, "It's a nice change of pace to see a state employees union looking for ways to balance the budget without raising taxes."

McClung said, however, the uncollected debt highlighted by M.A.P.E. is written off for a good reason.

"The accounts receivable funds they identified are not collectable due to situations were the debt was discharged in bankruptcy court, the debt cannot be substantiated, or other similar reasons."

M.A.P.E. represents more than 12,000 state employees, including many of the scientists involved the state's response to the H1N1 virus, as well as scientists in the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension lab.

Monroe said he expects members of his union will be among those cut from the payroll in response to the recession and the state's $4.6 billion budget shortfall.  He maintains lawmakers will not be able to cut their way out of the crisis, that it will take more revenue in the form of higher taxes for smokers, drinkers and the state's highest earners.

By John Croman, KARE 11 News

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