If you sat in the governor’s office, what would you cut?
Even as the federal number-crunchers are telling us that the recession is over, more bad economic news is coming to Missouri.
As my colleague Virginia Young reports today, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will be making more budget cuts today — probably at least $300 million and maybe more.
A comment from one state lawmaker in the story really struck me. Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said: “The big places you go to get money are higher education and (elementary and secondary) education, but those are the untouchables.”
That’s because of Nixon’s pledge to keep funding for colleges stable.
I have a daughter in college (not in Missouri OR Illinois) so higher education funding stories get my attention. But Nixon, like many governors across the country, is in a tough spot. He’s got to balance the budget, and that means something’s getting whacked. And it’s getting whacked by a first-term governor who almost certainly wants a second term.
Pretend you sit in the governor’s office. Where would you wield the budget ax? Would you try to spread the pain evenly — say a 10 percent across the board cut everywhere — or would you look for entire programs to deep-six? What about asking lawmakers to take a pay cut? Have all the thermostats been turned down yet?
We all know how to cut our household budgets. Now, give the state some helpful hints.
I’m sure this debate will devolve quickly, with Republicans demanding Nixon’s staff be slashed and Democrats blaming Matt Blunt for today’s situation.
Where to start? Wherever Nixon chooses, it should NOT begin with an across-the-board cut, which is unfair to those departments who have already been operating efficiently for years.
Wishful thinking on my part, but if they are going to make regular state employees take a pay cut, they need to take a pay cut themselves. Same with furlough days.
They could all drive their own vehicles. The Gov. could live in his own home and close up and shut off all utilities at the Gov. Mansion. Start paying for stuff out of your own pockets. Instead of the tax payers pockets. Look around yourself and make the cuts. Don’t take away from the hard working common person. If you have 5 high paying assistants working for you cut it down to maybe 2. And Don’t vote for huge raises for yourselves. Us common people only get maybe a 2% or 3% raise. Oh I forgot we did not get one this year and possibly next year. And I make less than 30,000 a yr.
1st I would claim State Sovereignty. 2nd have all federals leave our Great State of Missouri. 3rd declare that the federal income tax is unconstitutional. 4th no Chinese products will be aloud in our Great State.5th Put Missourians back to work in skilled jobs.6th Result, problem solved.
Balancing the Missouri state budget requires either a reduction in general revenue spending or a tax increase…as Governor Nixon is a politician looking eventually for a second term, he will choose the road that will cause him the least amount of political damage…simply put, a tax increase is off the table…that leaves a reduction in general revenue spending which means either education or healthcare (Medicaid) will get hammered…my guess is that Medicaid will get whacked today…not because it’s the right thing to do but because it will provide Governor Nixon the least amount of political fallout…
To be a successful society, most everyone has to be a productive citizen. Missouri as many other states has overflowing welfare and medicaid roles. Freebies are breaking the bank.
If I were governor, I would spend to hire more people to investigate the recipients of free money and health care at the states expense. This is perhaps one of the most abused programs if not the most abused.
Social programs are killing the states bank accounts. If that was trimmed to those only in need instead of those that find a way to get it, state money would be plentiful.
Cut higher education.
Most Major Colleges and Universities have turned into huge cash cows for the many people and businesses associated with them, along with the universities themselves; which is part of the reason why tuition inflation has far outpaced actual inflation even as state monies to the universities has increased over the last decade. Universities now focus more of their efforts on keeping underperforming and deadbeat students in school (students who are on state taxpayers dimes) in order to make more money through grade inflation and flat out poor academic standards. Higher education is a privilege not a right of young adults and should be funded as such.
I’d raise taxes. Of course take a hard look at lawmaker’s salaries/perks. I’d go with first tom on hiring a few more investigators to crackdown on medicaid fraud. I know there are people out there who need it, but there are as many who take advantage, time to pull some weeds.
It would also be great if our state gov would stop wasting time and energy debating things like gay marriage and abortion rights, let it happen and move on to more important things like keeping businesses in state and maybe even attracting more.
Were I the Governor, I would start by proportionally cutting my own salary and staff to reflect projected revenue reductions. I would be cautious and hesitant about Missouri education cuts though, that seems like eating the seed corn.
Believe it or not, Delta Airlines once saved over a million dollars annually simply by reducing the number of olives in its passengers’ martinis from two to one. Few people realize that Missouri’s school lunch program currently calls for two slices of swiss on sandwiches rather than a single slice. Therefore, the decision is simple. I ask you all to join me in encouraging our governor to cut the cheese.