Home Mobile Archives Reader Blogs Register Login

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Utah Goes To Four Day Work Week For Government Employees

Ostensibly to conserve fuel since one less day of commuting will mean less gas used, apparently, but how many people are going to increase their fuel consumption during those three day weekends?

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Starting next month, it will be “TGIT” for Utah state employees. As in: “Thank God It’s Thursday.”

In a yearlong experiment aimed at reducing the state’s energy costs and commuters’ gasoline expenses, Utah is about to become the first state to switch to a four-day workweek for thousands of government employees.

They will put in 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, and have Fridays off, freeing them to golf, shop, spend time with the kids or do anything else that strikes their fancy. They will get paid the same as before.

“One of the jokes is that one of the biggest benefits will be for golf courses,” said Ryan Walker, 49, an information technology director. He said he is looking forward to tackling items on his long-neglected “honey-do” list (As in: “Honey, do this” and “Honey, do that"); camping; and traveling more around the state.

Traveling more around the state?  Doesn’t sound like he’ll be conserving fuel.

So will this work?  Doesn’t seem like it would.  If they’re keeping state offices and such open an extra two hours, is that not an extra two hours of energy consumption for the other four days of the week?  And an extra two hours of government vehicle usage?

Seems like a pretty dumb idea to me.

Comments

With drastically reduce hours perhaps they can do substantially less damage to the people they, ostensibly, “serve”? Maybe?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 5, 2008 at 08:18 am

I think a better idea would be to lay of 20% of the government workers.  Better yet 60%.

If they lay off the right ones then they might even get something productive out of the remainder.


What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on July 5, 2008 at 01:05 pm

I’m not sure they aren’t redefining the word “work” here…


Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

robert108 on July 5, 2008 at 01:10 pm

And an extra two hours of government vehicle usage?

They must drive some pretty unusual cars out in Utah.
thetodd on July 5, 2008 at 06:35 pm

I think a better idea would be to lay of 20% of the government workers.  Better yet 60%.
If they lay off the right ones then they might even get something productive out of the remainder.
The Whistler on July 5, 2008 at 01:05 pm

Can’t do that. The unemployment
rate will go up, the Bush administration will take another hit, and you will be blaming the liberals for it.

ellinas on July 6, 2008 at 08:41 am

Can’t do that. The unemployment rate will go up,

Again you illustrate your colossal ignorance of basic economics.  Those govt drones will be hired by productive businesses, now that their tax burden will is reduced, thus boosting the economy.  You fail to realize what an economic benefit it will be to the productive sector to not have to support all the useless govt bureaucracy.


Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

robert108 on July 6, 2008 at 09:22 am

Robert’s got it right.  The fact that they are doing unproductive jobs is a loss to the economy.  If they were producing something someone wanted the entire government would grow.

Add to the fact that government workers are actually counterproductive the economy would get a further boost. 

Plus knowing that they weren’t worthless would probably help their depression problems.


What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on July 6, 2008 at 10:02 am

Decreasing govt interference in our economy is always a good thing.


Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

robert108 on July 6, 2008 at 10:12 am
Avatar for todd

robert108:

Decreasing govt interference in our economy is always a good thing.

We agree!!!

todd on July 6, 2008 at 12:20 pm

As usual, todd, you have nothing but lying smear.


Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

robert108 on July 6, 2008 at 01:07 pm

So, leftodd, other than being a racebaitingpovertypimp, what’s your point?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 6, 2008 at 01:22 pm
Avatar for todd

what’s your point?

That it’s baaaaad when 10-year-olds work in coal mines for 14 hours a day.
todd on July 6, 2008 at 01:28 pm
Proof
Proof
11167 comments
Send a private message

That it’s baaaaad when 10-year-olds work in coal mines for 14 hours a day.

None of which has anything to do with whether or not government employees in Utah switch to a four day, forty hour week!



For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.

Frederick W. Kagan

Proof on July 6, 2008 at 01:33 pm

And that has what to do with reducing the hours worked by government employees?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 6, 2008 at 01:36 pm
Avatar for todd

And that has what to do with reducing the hours worked by government employees?

Nothing. Are you really too stupid to follow a simple conversation? This is remarkable.

Again, robert108 wrote:

Decreasing govt interference in our economy is always a good thing.

todd on July 6, 2008 at 01:52 pm

Again, leftodd, what does you being a racist have to do with reducing the hours of government employees?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 6, 2008 at 02:14 pm

And the pic is nice, illustrating how children were forced to work in gold and diamond mines in Africa 50 years ago. And entirely irrelevant to the post about reducing the hours of non-productive parasites in a state government in America today.

So, again, what is your point?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 6, 2008 at 02:19 pm

2hotel9: Why did you call me a racist?

thetodd on July 6, 2008 at 06:28 pm

thetodd
Your heckling is poor, even by my standards.

Also, i voice a ‘yay’ to the idea of cutting 60% of the govvy desksitters. All they are doing is snooping on their fav basketball stars.


rasberry

Sparkie Arbuckle on July 6, 2008 at 06:44 pm

Since you were not in this thread I didn’t call you a racist, I called leftodd(todd on July 6, 2008 at 03:52 pm)a racist.


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 6, 2008 at 07:00 pm

hotel
leftodd! they make it easy for you.


rasberry

Sparkie Arbuckle on July 6, 2008 at 07:04 pm

2hotel9:

I called leftodd(todd on July 6, 2008 at 03:52 pm)a racist.

Why?
thetodd on July 6, 2008 at 07:31 pm

You’ll have to familiarize yourself with its usual crap. Racist is the mildest term applicable to it.


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 6, 2008 at 07:49 pm

2hotel9 wrote:

I called leftodd(todd on July 6, 2008 at 03:52 pm)a racist.

Why? I have asked three times; if you again fail to provide a reason, I will assume it is because you have none.

I will then call you a pedophile.

thetodd on July 6, 2008 at 07:55 pm

Again, familiarize yourself with leftodd’s usual crap.

Or are you trying, in an oblique manner, to tell us that you are leftodd? Commenting using multiple usenames is what racist pedophiles do.


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on July 7, 2008 at 03:12 am
Page 1 of 1        

Post a Comment


Before commenting, please recite:

Grant me the serenity to ignore the trolls,
the courage to debate with honest opponents,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Name   
Email   
URL   
Human?
  
 

Upload Image    

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Note: Notifications will only be sent to confirmed email addresses.