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By Tom Brennan
If neither the Legislature nor Gov. Bill Walker can bring themselves to cut the budget enough, let’s impose a hiring freeze on state jobs.
We may want to exempt law enforcement and health-related positions, but all other jobs should be frozen and kept frozen until attrition shrinks state hiring rolls and programs enough to reduce government to something smaller, something we can afford without imposing new taxes.
When state employees retire or quit, their jobs should not be filled. Let each agency and department reallocate and reprioritize its responsibilities and carry on with whatever workforce remains. Some state programs and services would be eliminated or downsized as the fiscal situation changes.