Deal: State government workforce too big

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By Patrick Fox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gov.-elect Nathan Deal said Wednesday state government was too big for taxpayers and called for downsizing of the state's 104,000-member workforce.

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Georgia Gov.-elect Nathan Deal speaks to a luncheon sponsored by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Wednesday in Duluth. Deal says layoffs of state government employees will be needed to balance the state budget and that the state must shrink its 104,000-person workforce.

David Goldman, AP Georgia Gov.-elect Nathan Deal speaks to a luncheon sponsored by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Wednesday in Duluth. Deal says layoffs of state government employees will be needed to balance the state budget and that the state must shrink its 104,000-person workforce.

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Speaking to about 700 business and community leaders at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Deal called on the business community to help sell his platform of government retrenchment and help fill the breach of job losses from the public sector.

The state's high personnel costs are a key obstacle in meeting budget obligations, Deal said.

"We're going to have to downsize in that department as well and that's tough, because sometimes there are people who are doing very good jobs," he said. "But because of the change in circumstances, we may not be able to justify those in the public sector any longer."

The challenge Georgia faces, he said, is that while tax dollars have dwindled, government still has a structure in place that anticipates much more money to sustain it than is available. The situation requires that government shrink to match its means, he said.

Business leaders can help in several ways with this government transition, Deal said.

First, business leaders can support tough decisions that inevitably will need to be made by state lawmakers, he said. Cuts in government programs and personnel cannot be sustained, he said, without local support.

"That's going to mean somebody's got to step up and fill the breach," Deal said. "That's why I turn to you as chambers of commerce, because I think you can do that."

The governor-elect said all private organizations need to step in to help.

"We have become a society in which ... we believe it's easier for the government to pay our tithe than for us to do it ourselves," he said. "And I think that's the kind of attitude we need to continue to try to reverse."

In his address, Deal also alerted businesses that the state is in arrears to the federal government for $454 million in loans to its Unemployment Trust Fund. That money is due for repayment next November.

The consequences to businesses is that if the state does not make timely payments on interest and the principal, federal law begins payment penalties for employers.

Deal's speech drew rousing applause from the business community attending.

"He has a very pro-business agenda, which we look forward to working with," said Justin Clay, manager for state and local government relations at NCR. "We're looking forward to working with him in the future and looking into corporate tax rates among other things."