Oregon Public Broadcasting

Numbers crunchers got to work at state agencies in Oregon Wednesday. They have just under two weeks to outline how they plan to slice nine percent from their budgets.

That's in response to Governor Ted Kulongoski's directive for across-the-board cuts to deal with an unexpected half-billion dollar budget shortfall.

Salem Correspondent Chris Lehman reports on what those cuts are likely to look like.

It's hard to get away from talk of budget cuts these days. It even showed up in a recent episode of "The Simpsons."

Mayor Quimby: "And so it is with regret I announce the following cost-cutting measures: Eliminating dead animal pick-up. Dramatic cutbacks in our education budget."

Principal Skinner: "Good morning children. Today we are instituting shortened school hours."

Lisa Simpson: "How shortened?"

Superintendent Chalmers: "Take'em home, Otto."

But no one's cheering budget cuts in Salem right now.

Ted Kulongoski: "There will be layoffs."

Governor Ted Kulongoski delivered that grim news at a state capitol press conference. He says there's no way to cut $560 million from the state budget without reducing services.

This won't be the first time in recent years that state agencies have assembled so-called cut lists. They did that twice during last year's legislative session.

They produced another set of possible reductions in advance of this January's tax election. In that case the cuts never materialized since voters approved Measures 66 and 67.

But it might give some indication of what will happen this time around.

For instance, there may be fewer voices on the police scanner. The Oregon State Police said last year a 10 percent reduction would prevent it from restoring full 24/7 coverage.

The state school fund is in line for a $237 million roll back. The Oregon Education Association estimates that's the equivalent of about 4,000 teaching jobs.

But the Department of Education notes that actual decisions about how to apply the cuts will fall largely to local districts.

A monitor raises the alarm in the emergency room at the Salem Hospital. Deep cuts will mean that fewer people will have access to medical care through the Oregon Health Plan. The Department of Human Services is facing a $154 million reduction.

A 16-page list of possible cuts issued last fall included everything from in-home care for seniors to dental coverage for the poor. A DHS spokeswoman says it's unclear how many of those cuts will be duplicated on the upcoming list of cost-cutting measures. That's because of shifting demands for services in a turbulent economy.