Catching Up

Sorry I haven't been writing lately. Things have been kuh-razy around here. I actually have only 15 minutes so I'm going to be pretty brief.

It's been hard to want to write in the blog when the only things in my head are paranoia and anxiety. It isn't the sort of thing I would want to read and it definitely isn't the sort of thing I want to write. But things being what they are, I have reason for concern.

The state of Arizona (greatest state in the union dontcha know) is officially in the terlet. I guess we don't have it as badly as California, who will be sending IOU's instead of tax refunds this year, but as far as this recession affects me it's pretty bad.

A couple days ago our governor was added to the Obama cabinet (I never really liked her all that much, but whaddaya do) and the lines of succession brought us a new governor, one who does not have a college education (I do not state this to imply anything about her intelligence, but I state it as a fact that may have bearing on her commitment to education). Our new state government, in an attempt to right the ship and get us out of the mess we're in, decided to let the heaviest part of the axe what cuts the state budget fall on education.

Yesterday every ASU employee received a frightening email from President Crow (you know him, he read my blog and emailed me about it once) detailing the possible ramifications of the proposed budget cut. Among the points he made, he stated that in order to cut the millions from the budget that the state would mandate, he might be forced to lay off another thousand or so employees (in addition to those who are already being laid off. We don't know yet who is getting the ol' pink slip, but the cuts would mean even more people would be going) and close a satellite campus or two. These are drastic measures and would certainly damage the stability of the university, not to mention my job.

We found out recently that the revised layoff for the library system has been approved. We don't know who's going yet, but everything has already been decided. Even if I don't get cut the first time 'round, who's to say I won't get cut the next time or how many rounds of layoffs there will be.

I don't worry about losing my job in the sense that it would be nice to not work here and get paid for 3 months. The part that worries me is the part where I would have to find a new job during the worst recession of my lifetime (thanks to years of corporate deregulation which lead to the creation of a bubble economy which has officially burst and lost every bit of air that it once held). These are not easy times. Megan was unemployed for 4 months before taking a job that wasn't as good as the jobs she is qualified for. I don't know how I would fare in this job market.

Anyway, it's a frightening time. I know that any day I walk in here I could be getting a letter from the university telling me that I am getting the ol' shaft. So forgive me for not wanting to write about this sort of stuff every day. I just try to keep my mind off it.

Thanks for remembering us in your prayers. We always need it.