Assemblyman Jim Whelan

WHELAN CRAFTS DOABLE PLAN FOR REDUCING STATE GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE
Strategy Mirrors Approach Whelan Took When Serving as Atlantic City Mayor;
Would Decrease Public Employees One Percent Each Year over Next Decade

(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Assemblyman Jim Whelan today announced that he is crafting legislation that would generate taxpayer savings by reducing the number of state government jobs by one percent a year over the next 10 years.

Whelan (D-Atlantic) said his "Taxpayer Savings Through Attrition Plan" is modeled on a approach he employed when serving as Atlantic City's mayor from 1990 to 2001. Under his administration, the city's workforce was reduced by 13.4 percent over his 12-year service as mayor.

"This is a proven method, not a gimmick," said Whelan. "The state has an overall workforce of 74,190, so the opportunities for achieving reductions are undeniable and the corresponding potential for generating cost savings is too significant to be ignored."

Whelan said the greatest virtue of the one-percent-through-attrition approach is that it will save taxpayer money without triggering abrupt disruptions in the delivery of state services. He also said the one-percent-a-year target is an achievable goal that would set an example for other state, county and local government entities to emulate.

He noted that the state's workforce encounters significant turnover. For example, he said 20 percent of the current public employee workforce in New Jersey has held its jobs for five years or less.

Whelan also said New Jersey could very well stand some belt-tightening. He pointed out that Pennsylvania -- a state with four times the land mass and almost double the population of New Jersey -- employs 6,000 fewer workers than New Jersey.

"It's time New Jersey scaled down its workforce numbers in a manner that puts downward pressure on state taxes without disrupting vital services," said Whelan. "The annual one-percent jobs reduction is both a conservative approach and entirely manageable. If a municipality like Atlantic City could put such a cost-savings plan into effect, New Jersey should have an easier time given the scope and cost of its workforce."

Whelan said he plans to complete his bill so that it may be introduced at the Assembly's first quorum call in early October.

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FOR RELEASE:
September 20, 2006
CONTACT:
Assemblyman Whelan
(609) 383-1388
Alescia Teel
(609) 292-7065