‘When the money’s gone, the job’s gone’
Sen. Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton, asked legislative budget analyst Ray Houston if all the federal grant money being made available through the federal economic stimulus will prompt the hiring of more state employees to administer all the grants. "DEQ is thinking they may need some temporary staffing," Houston said. The Office of Energy Resources is working on a plan to present to the governor. Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said, "We heard the governor say this again this morning," when the JFAC co-chairs met with Gov. Butch Otter: Any state workers who are added because of stimulus funding must be temporary, limited-service positions. "When the money's gone, the job's gone, they're gone," Cameron said. He added, "It may help us to be able to keep from laying somebody off."
