Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 19 NUMBER 933
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SECTION C
City workers face
budget axe in 2000
®Budget recommendations by
county administrator Randy
Oliver could balance budget
and abolish some city jobs.
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA POCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Instead of being concerned about Y2K, a
number of Richmond County employees could
be asking the question: Why me?, when the
clock strikes midnight on New Year's Day
2000.
Based on the proposed county budget for the
upcoming vear, as many as 100 county workers
could find themselves jobless, according to
sources within the county.
Richmond County commissioners were re
cently presented with recommendations from
County Administrator, Randy Oliver, suggest
ing that in order for the county to attain a
balanced budget, job cuts could become part of
the plan in achieving financial fitness. Layoffs
could become effective as soon as Jan. 1, said
Augusta mayor, Bob Young, who admits lay
offs are a “real threat” in depleting county’s
work force.
“Youdon't want to lay off anyone, but, layoffs
are always a threat. If we (commissioners)
don't authorize a position, that position would
not be available next month,” said Mr. Young
from his cellular phone while on his way home.
The mayor and the commissioners discussed
the county’s proposed budget during the com
missioners’ regular Dec. 7 meeting. They're
scheduled to further discuss the budget on
Tues., Dec. 14 and come up with a final plan by
Dec. 31 in order to incorporate changes by the
fimtoftheyw.'l‘hepro:o-endounty
budget is $88.4 million — $1.3 million dollars
less than last year's $89.7 million financial
plan.
District 1 commissioner, Lee Beard is con
vinced discussion about looming job losses this
year, is no different from in past Decembers,
when county budgets are proposed.
“It usually doesn't happen,” said Mr. Beard,
when questioned about Mr. Oliver's lumm..r.{
of recommendations. “We won't incorporate
ofhis recommendations.” Mr. Beard said it was
not safe to say layoffs would occur during the
upcoming year.
Meanwhile, Mr. Oliver offers mixed mes
."j.uh concerning the stability of county work
ers
“Our base budget does not provide for any
layoffs, at all.” However, the county adminis
trator explained that if commissioners voted to
See JOBS MAY BE CUT, page 3A
City gains jobs, but are they enough?
BLabor experts say,
service sector jobs abound,
but manufacturing jobs are
what the city really needs
to attract.
By Viemothry Cox
A i
New poppingupall
Black judge sues LAPD
in DWB incident ~ see 24
MLK to get national monument
~ See 24
Senving Metropolitan ™ Augusta, South Coroling and the Central Savannah River Area
Glover complaint draws apology from cabbies
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Actor Danny Glover and his doughter Mandisa Glover are shown ot o press
briefing after filing o discrimination complaint with the Taxi and Limousine
Commiission in New York in this Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1999 file photo. Glover filed o
complaint with the city on Nov. 3 after five cub drivers passed him by on a
Horlem street. The actor received on apology Sunday, Dec. 5, 1999 from
Forooq Bahti, who heads one of the driver's groups. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews. Fie)
the once-green Riverwatch Parkway. But, are
these new businesses stable enough to allow
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According to a local Georgia Department of
g e b
in attracting jobs, those
tions are not the types of jobs sufficient enough
to sustain the area'’s economic base, while pro
viding a “living wage.”
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Department's Augusta region, cites stores
DECEMBER 9 - 15, 1999
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Daniel Parkway Road) as busi
nesses which offer jobs, but not careers.
“It’s good to get those kinds of jobs, but we
need positions that pay entry level some
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is
a perfect example of what has happened to
Augusta. We've had virtually no real job
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moving in, besides retail,” said
Carter. *Not to pick on Target, but, for those
See SERVICE JOBS, page 7A
University, city
indigent care
. ——————————————————————————————eatsri
By Eileen Rivers .
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
RUGUSTA
A tug-of-war battle between county government and University
Hospital, which takes care of the largest percentage of the CSRA's
indigent population, has temporarily put a halt on the passage of the
county’s coming budget
Richmond County’s latest indigent care proposal falls at least $2
million dollars short of what is needed to care for the area's more than
36,000 uninsured, University Hospital administrators say.
“No business would be able to run with this little amount of
funding,” explained Richard Parks, president of health services and
extended care for University Hospital. “The problem is that the
government doesn't think it ils their responsibility to take careof their
indigent population ” ’
Sofar the county has set aside $1.25 million for indigent care as part
of next year's budget. That's half of this year's contribution.
Parks made a plea, during the budget meeting held on Monday,
December 6, for at least $2 million more, stating that the $2.5 million
cap alloted in this year’s budget was reached by September, and that
hospital administration and staff can no longer afford to carry the
brunt of the bill
“The employees and physicians make up the difference that the
county doesn't pay for,” explained Parks “We don't get a state
appropnation, we're not a for profit organization .. we have to make
it on our own, and we had a significant number of layoffs last year. In
the end that affects the quality of indigent care, because we no longer
have the number of nurses, doctors and staff needed to treat them
effectively.” .
By the end of this year, hospital administrators estimate that they
will have spent over $5 million caring for approximately 2,000 of
Richmond County's uninsured That's $3 75 million more than the
county is willing to give them 1n next vear's budget
However University Hospital does not just treat Richmond County
See INDIGENT CARE, page JA
Former S.C. legisiators to call
’ .
for flag’s removal; students skip
"
Charleston trip to honor boycott
COLUMBIA, 5.C
(AP) A contingent of legislators who were serving when the Confed
erate flag was hoisted atop South Carolina’s Statehouse plan to
gather there to call for the flag's removal.
“We call it the has-been brigade,” said former Gov. John West, who
helped organize the news conference for Tuesday afternocon, 'lh
group will present a petition signed by 90 percent of the surviving
members of the 1962 General Assembly,
On Monday, the College of Charleston announced that 308 of its 439
full-time professors have signed a petition calling for the flag to he
moved. .le
The professors signed the petition because they felt compelled o
voice their opinion that moving the flag is the morally correct thing
to do, said Trisha Folds-Bennett, the speaker of the faculty.
The two groups are the latest in a long line calling for legislators to
uhdwnlhefiu.whichopponenuuyh;:y-bd“ Lfflfiw
slavery. supporters say it honors those w in 1
mn:l;'unuonaummm 1962 as part of a Civil -
centennial celebration Members of that Legislature have said it was
never intended to stay up this long. Ao 4
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
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when the is removed.
To honor that boycott, a group of Baltimore students on Monday
said they would cancel plans to visit Charleston this spring.
The students, who attend the Green Acres Schopl, have visited
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traveling to New York instead. Lo
After much debate. students made the decisslf a-scrap the trip,
said Assistant Head Nan Shapiro. b o
sented many arguments, pro con,” Shapiro %
She said, in the end, they decided that honering the NAACF boycott
against South Carolina was important. :
Shapiro said teachers chose to take the students to New York. They
plan to visit the United Nations, Broadway and Wall Street. - ..
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