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Washington State Human Rights Commission
1949We Will Survive
WSHRC Budget Cuts
• Three separate cuts since July 1, 2009• Staff reduction from 51 to 31 employees• Closed three of our five offices• Only five administrative staff left• Flattened the agency• Hiring, spending, and travel freeze• Eliminated much of our outreach program• 10 days of furloughs• Washington State is facing another shortfall of
over 3 billion dollars
The Economics of Civil Rights
• The work must live on• Without out funding we cannot do the
work• This means meeting contracts• Establishing MOUs with other state
agencies• Applying for grants• Finding alternative
funding for outreach
How to survive
• Legislature• Legislation• Partnerships• Free Opportunities• Reorganize• Good fiscal
Control
Legislature/Allies• Lobby for your budget• Hot sheet regarding impacts of budget
cuts• Know who is on what committee• Tell them about significant work• Make friends off session• Get other organizations to lobby for yours• Work closely with the
Governor’s office
Legislation• Do your statues help or hinder the
work• Can you streamline the work via
legislation?• Decide your
own destiny before they do
• Look at what other states do
PartnershipsMost important element of
survival • Washington State Partnership
• Advocates• State agencies• Federal agencies• Local civil rights
organizations• Local officials• Build Alliances
Beg, Borrow and Share• Co-locate share spaces• Share services (IT, Admin staff, HR…)• Free training and outreach opportunities• Use interns• Joint trainings and outreach• Free facilities to use• Work with groups and
organizations• Let it be known you are are
suffering
Boards or Commissions• Manage your board• Working boards and commissions• Use their legislative and community contacts• Ask them to find ways to save money• Use Technology
Web-cams for meetings• Training increases efficiency for
boards• Decrease the cost of meetings
and public hearings
Reorganize• Does your current structure work with
budget cuts• Where are your offices located• Save jobs by downsizing office spaces• Use senior investigators as
supervisors to lead teams• Ask staff for ideas• Get staff to buy in to what you are
doing
Serving your state with limited resources
• Washington State is a huge geographical area• Use technology and media to get the word out• Secure talk radio and other free media
opportunities• Develop a newsletter to send out electronically
(let your state know about the good work you are doing)
• Conduct investigations by geographical areas• Meet with community groups and organizations• Work smarter
Good fiscal control
• Internal Fiscal audit• Pre-authorization form for all spending; • Contrast all spending requests to fiscal
impacts• Stay within your allotments• Get increased federal spending authority• During these times a good fiscal analyst
on staff is important.
Most important keep in mind we are tasked with preserving civil rights for future
generations.