Furlough

I used to think furlough was a good word. At work when patients are granted furloughs it means that the state has deemed them OK to leave the unit and go out for fun activities or to work to make some money. Good, right? Well, now New York State is making state employees have furloughs. Some employees will now work 4 days a week instead of 5. Cool, an extra day off you say...not cool...you don't get paid for it. Basically, it's a 20% cut in your salary. I read in the paper that police, health care, and management won't be affected. Management??? Excuse me, those are the people that should be furloughed. They make enough money and they are most expendable for a day (or more). Nooooo lets keep all the high paid muckety mucks and make the people who make the state run earning small wages suffer. Since I'm direct care, I don't think I'm at risk, but I just found out our time keeper got furloughed. A woman who works harder than anyone at a horrible, thankless job (dealing with overtime and scheduling and more) who is only a grade 6-will get a 20% pay cut because the stupid high paid government in this state are a bunch of idiots who can't pass a budget. They're the people who should forfeit their salary!