ALBANY—Public employees unions were already girding for a fight to prevent the state from cutting some 3,100 positions – mostly through attrition, but also including 521 layoffs. Now, more fuel: a spokesman for CSEA said he's "extremely disturbed and disappointed" with comments made this morning by State Senator Malcolm Smith about possible cuts to the state workforce.
"We went through this a year ago with Senator Smith, and he hasn't really learned," said Stephen Madarasz, spokesman for the Civil Service Employees Association.
Smith said on Tuesday that he and fellow senators were reviewing the budget and that everything was on the table, but in an earlier speech he had expressed support for some spending programs currently on the chopping block.
I asked Madarasz about Smith standing up for some funding programs but blasting public employees.
"It's always an easy, cheap shot," Madarasz said.
