The state of Utah is moving to a 4-day workweek in a bid to cut state spending, according to this AP report on MSNBC.com. Just keeping government buildings closed on Fridays will save $3 million, according to state officials.
I have a better idea. How about we go to a four-day week as well, but let’s keep 8-hour days, cut state employees to 32-hour weeks, and cut pay and benefits accordingly. For FY 2007, Maine spent $413 million on “personal services,” which is salaries, health insurance, and retirement benefits for state employees. Cutting that by 20% would have saved $82 million.