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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, January 30, 2005
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Governor Makes Education Top Priority
JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com) January 30, 2005 - Missouri Governor Matt Blunt kept his promise to make Missouri public school children his top priority by pledging an additional $170 million to fund the state's education formula without increasing taxes.
During his State of the State message before the Missouri Legislature, Blunt said, "Education is an investment in our future. If it is to be our top policy priority then it must also be our highest budget priority. That is why my budget provides 170.6 million dollars in new funding for our state's schools. This is a 4.7 percent increase over last year. Tonight, I reaffirm my commitment that dollars approved for our class rooms will never be withheld."
Blunt said his commitment to Missouri students was based, in part, on the political stalemate of past years when students were used as political pawns in the State Capitol City that resulted in local school boards being forced to cut their budgets.
As part of his ongoing commitment to Missouri families, Blunt called for a $5 million increase in funding for the Parents As Teachers Program which has helped strengthen the bonds between parents and their children. The program also helps prevent child abuse, reduces the number of children in special education programs and ensures that young Missourians are better prepared to learn and advance.
The governor also reiterated his support for strengthening Missouri's economic climate. Blunt called for reforms in Missouri's worker's compensation system that in recent years has forced businesses from the state and comprehensive litigation reform bill that limits punitive and non-economic damages, venue restrictions and increased sanctions against unscrupulous attorneys who file frivolous lawsuits. The governor also supports a re-examination of telecommunications regulations to take into account the changes in technology and realities of the market.
"The same litigation reform that will improve health care will also help Missouri's Small Businesses create jobs and economic opportunity," Blunt said.
As part of his pledge to stimulate Missouri's economy, Blunt announced his strong support for an improved transportation system that takes into account Missouri's roads, air and mass transit and freight and river transit. Blunt also remains committed to the notion that agriculture is the foundation of Missouri's economy and he supports bio-diesel and ethanol incentive funds which will help make Missouri a national leader in the renewable fuels industry.
As part of his commitment to give taxpayers a proper value for their hard-earned tax dollars, the governor laid out his plans to reform state government in order to make it more modern and efficient The reforms are based on a 20 percent reduction in discretionary spending and include significant reductions in spending for some state agencies and programs including Medicaid. Missouri currently spends more on Medicaid that any other state except one due in large part to rising health care costs and program expansions by previous administrations that more than doubled expenditures in just six years.
"Without reform Missouri will spend a larger percentage of our total budget on Medicaid than all but one other state. Without aggressive action we cannot properly fund education, or any of our other public policy priorities," Blunt said.
As part of his government reforms, Blunt also called for the elimination of more than 1,000 full-time state positions out of a total of more than 60,000 positions statewide while supporting an across-the-board pay increase of 1 percent for all state workers excluding elected officials.
" Missouri is blessed with dedicated public servants. Together we will be tested as we work reduce costs and deliver better service," Blunt said.
Blunt also recommended that $875,000 be set aside for the first time from Missouri's share of the national tobacco settlement to be used to combat youth smoking and called for the continuation of Missouri's SenioRx Program.
"We have many challenges before us, but where there are challenges there are also opportunities," Blunt said. "Working together, we can restructure our government, hold the line on taxes, provide a climate that helps entrepreneurs create good, family-supporting jobs, improve access to affordable health care and provide every Missouri child with a world class education."
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AT&T to Close Call Centers
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) January 30, 2005 - AT&T has announced that it will shut call centers in Mesa, Arizona; Syracuse, N.Y.; Marietta, Ga., and Town and Country, Mo., just outside St. Louis.
In a statement Communications Workers of America Vice President Ralph Maly said workers and customers are paying the price to more bad business decisions by the company. "AT&T's latest announcement that it is cutting another 1,700 jobs and closing four customer service centers is a very clear signal that AT&T does not care about its customers," stated Maly.
"This layoff will eliminate the jobs of more than 200 technicians and 1,500 customer service representatives, workers who are the first line of contact for customers who want and deserve quality service."
Maly stated that AT&T continues to send more jobs overseas to the Philippines, India and other offshore locations, and contracts out work, instead of remaining in the hands of the skilled workers who bring real value to AT&T.
"This downsizing is another in a series of bad business decisions that will affect the operation and reliability of AT&T's network, will force customers to make endless calls to have their problems resolved, and will do nothing to restore the profitability and integrity of a once great company," said Maly.
"Over the past several years, AT&T's bad business decisions have cost employees and shareholders dearly. It's clear to us that AT&T now is accelerating its plan to drop consumer services, just as it's accelerating its outsourcing of tech jobs," Maly continued.
In order for AT&T to provide and maintain state-of-the-art telecommunications it must depart from the layoffs, outsourcing and disregard for customers that have been the hallmark of AT&T's current business strategy," stated Maly.
The Missouri Department of Economic Development will activate its Rapid Response Team next week to help employees who will be laid off as AT&T closes its call center at 14250 Clayton Road in Town and Country.
Meetings will be held every day next week starting at 2 p.m. Monday (Jan. 31), and then at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day on Tuesday through Friday (Feb. 1-4). The meetings will be held at the company's facility to inform employees about state services available to help them find a new job.
The Team, along with the local employment and training agencies, will provide immediate services, free of charge, to workers needing assistance in the areas of assessment and testing, career counseling, resume writing, interviewing skills, job search methods, on-the-job training and tuition assistance for vocational training or education.
Workers facing layoffs who are interested in the training or re-employment services offered through the Rapid Response team can call DWD at 1-800-877-8698.
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