MI Legislators Go To Budget Boot Camp
Click on blog entry title to see linkMichigan is experiencing a budget crisis. We are in a single state recession and officials are projecting an $800 million budget deficit. In an effort to save face, lawmakers got together for a “budget boot camp.” They went over a 160 page report detailing what the state spends money on and how much is being spent.
After going over the details of the report, they got together in small groups to discuss possible resolutions. What did they come up with? Something profound, of course. They concluded that we have a budget crisis and that we must either:
A. Raise taxes
B. Cut spending
C. Do a little bit of both
Nothing like stating the obvious!
Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, Republican, says that officials have to “reinvent state government, find ways to become more efficient, more streamlined.” Representative Tom Pearce, R-Rockford, says that it is his hope that the congress will review what services the state provides, consider their results, and make cuts wherever needed.
Sure, the state could do a pro/con analysis of their current programs where they would decide to trim the services that are performing “above the bar” while cutting (or throwing more money at) those programs that are “failing.” Problem lies with the fact that cutting programs, even those that perform as well as a quadriplegic valet driver, is about as easy as finding a three-legged ballerina.
Another problem lies with the fact that this approach is purely utilitarian. It doesn’t deal with the most fundamental question of whether or not it is the state’s responsibility to provide any given service. Then again, questioning the legitimacy of the state’s right to get involved in virtually anything it desires is tantamount to political suicide.
In the end, what we have are a bunch of people stating the obvious, ignoring the fundamentals and putting forward patchwork proposals that are the economic equivalent of someone expecting a band-aid to stop the bleeding of an amputated leg.
After going over the details of the report, they got together in small groups to discuss possible resolutions. What did they come up with? Something profound, of course. They concluded that we have a budget crisis and that we must either:
A. Raise taxes
B. Cut spending
C. Do a little bit of both
Nothing like stating the obvious!
Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, Republican, says that officials have to “reinvent state government, find ways to become more efficient, more streamlined.” Representative Tom Pearce, R-Rockford, says that it is his hope that the congress will review what services the state provides, consider their results, and make cuts wherever needed.
Sure, the state could do a pro/con analysis of their current programs where they would decide to trim the services that are performing “above the bar” while cutting (or throwing more money at) those programs that are “failing.” Problem lies with the fact that cutting programs, even those that perform as well as a quadriplegic valet driver, is about as easy as finding a three-legged ballerina.
Another problem lies with the fact that this approach is purely utilitarian. It doesn’t deal with the most fundamental question of whether or not it is the state’s responsibility to provide any given service. Then again, questioning the legitimacy of the state’s right to get involved in virtually anything it desires is tantamount to political suicide.
In the end, what we have are a bunch of people stating the obvious, ignoring the fundamentals and putting forward patchwork proposals that are the economic equivalent of someone expecting a band-aid to stop the bleeding of an amputated leg.
Labels: Bob Sutherby, budget, debt, deficit, government, Jeremiah Bannister, Michigan, paleocrat, politics
posted by Paleocrat at Friday, February 16, 2007
2 Comments:
This is only one logical answer.
CUT SPENDING !!!
Let's stop the endless spending on Nextel's for every government employee. I can't think of anyone that would need a cell phone, except for a few over paid employees that hold the keys to the Water Works. Um... cancel all T-1, T-3 access to internet access for ALL empolyees. Have yet to see any employee keeping up any webpage to be granted access serving the public. Oh yea, ration out toilet paper for all city employees. They might want to take home rolls of toilet paper. Oh wait, a jail officer has already been fired for stealing toilet paper. Sure he would get his $37.45/hour job because his union steward found a loophole in thier contract about toilet paper.
Um... Close a few prison's and make more use of the home teather. Too simple.
Cut all court fines in half, and no longer pay judges to charge fines that they get a percentage of for their retirement funds.
Would it be so bad if every state employee had 1 week off with NO pay? They would have to wait an extra week to take that Hawaii vacation.
CUT SPENDING.... then lower taxes.
4:13 PM
I cannot believe I am reading all of your posts, but, again, why do you refer to the Michigan Legislature as Congress?
8:19 PM
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