Governors Looking to Turn State Jobs Over to Private Contractors

At a Republican governors’ retreat this week, plans to eliminate thousands of state jobs and award the work to private contractors were discussed, the AP reports.

NFIB.com

The governors considered cutting positions in human resources, health care, road construction, computer management and prison agencies, and instead hiring contractors on an as-needed basis. According to the governors, this could save millions in tax dollars.

Many of the governors are following a precedent set up by the Bush administration, which has stressed competitive bidding for government jobs as an effective way to cut costs.

The governors emphasized that they would only look at the jobs that could be successfully eliminated as full-time positions.

"There is a point at which you cannot outsource. You need talented people in government who understand the system,” Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne told the AP.

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