By
Associated Press
.
Published: Sun, April 20, 2008 - 5:16 pm
Last Updated: Sun, April 20, 2008 - 5:32 pm
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The number of state employees in Alabamahas reached the highest level in a decade.
Public records reviewed by The Associated Press show state
government went from 34,553 employees in fiscal 1998 to 37,512 in
fiscal 2007. The numbers were taken at the end of each fiscal year
in September.
Gov. Bob Riley says the 8.6 percent increase has enabled Alabama
to put behind it long-running lawsuits over discrimination in
hiring, improper care for foster children, and prison overcrowding.
For the first time in more than 30 years, state government is
operating without federal courts controlling some portion of it.
Riley says while the number of state workers is up, the
operation is more efficient without court control and costly legal
battles.
Riley says, "There is no question we are more cost effective
today than we've been."
State Personnel Director Jackie Graham points to evidence of the
change in Governing Magazine, a publication that analyzes and ranks
state governments.
In its last "Grading the States" report, the magazine gave
Alabama a "B minus" in the "people" section, which considers
work force planning, hiring, retention and development.
The national average was "C plus."
In a state more accustomed to being below the national average
than above, Graham proudly points to the grade as progress.
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State employment is up but our local school district can’t adequately staff positions? Who signed off on approval for all the spending that was done? I think the school board needs to go line by line in the recent budgets and explain their spending. If they can put a mayor and his wife in prison for stealing from Little League, why can’t we prosecute our school board for STEALING from us?