
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, September 20, 1993                   TAG: 9309200029
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TODAY'S TOPIC: STATE EMPLOYEES

Where do you stand with state employees regarding salaries, benefits or whatever. We are the first to be thought of in bad times, and the last to be thought of in good times. Our health insurance coverage has been drastically reduced while the rates have increased. What is your opinion, and what do you plan to do about bringing our salaries up to the current general working economy salary?\ - Barbara Overstreet, Roanoke

How do you plan on bringing state employees' salaries up to their corporate counterparts' level?\ - D.T. McCoy, Blacksburg

Mary Sue Terry:

"I'm the only candidate in the race who has said I view a good working relationship with our state employees as critical to the success of my administration. And I intend to work with our state employees, whom I value, and not run against them. It's been George Allen who has called state employees `the fox in the henhouse' when I have talked about wanting to use state employees to learn from them how we can cut waste in government, make government work and find ways to do more with less, so we can not only become more productive for our citizens, but be in a position to compensate our state employees to more competitive levels.

"I'm committed as governor to a more productive state work force as well as one that lets me know how to do more with less, so we can make their salaries more competitive, because I think that's in the interest of all Virginians."

George Allen:

"Without knowing what the budget situation will be, other than some of the comments that have been made, I don't think it would be appropriate to make a promise I'm not sure we can keep. So I'm not going to promise a 4 percent increase, or a 3 percent increase, or whatever. I just will have to look at the budget situation.

"The state employees [who posed these questions are] accurate. They've been treated like second-class and third-class citizens. Unlike the Wilder-Terry administration, I'm not going to make promises that I can't keep. These people assume they're going to get a 2 percent or 3 percent increase in their salary and then it's taken away from them. [And then there's this health-care plan] that's been pushed upon them called Key Advantage, which is more like Key Disadvantage. That's the arrogance we've had in Virginia government, where something as significant as health-care policies are changed without any consultation whatsoever with state employees or doctors, and confusion ensued. In fact, it's still not working well in many areas of Virginia. I'm going to treat employees with respect, and decency. . . . The best way to have more revenue to adequately compensate our state employees and meet our priorities in state government is to have our economy improve."

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by CNB