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State Representative Michael Beard
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8872
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS COLUMN
BEARD: LET’S MAKE SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF THIS DEFICIT
After the end of the 2008 legislative session in May, I talked about what I felt were some good things we accomplished, but also warned that some of what the Legislature chose to do could come back to do damage to future state budgets. I said then how over spending and too heavily relying on one-time fixes to on-going problems is not fiscally responsible. This is a time where I would rather not have been proven correct.
When the state Finance Department told us the state faces a $5.2 billion budget deficit, it cited the fact that spending is going up more than six percent, even while government revenues are falling. That is not a recipe for prosperity. In the short term, we have to fix the fact that the state is spending $2 million per day more than it takes in. Long term, we have to make some serious decisions about our government and how it operates.
Here’s what I suggest.
First, we can’t shy away from reform. This is a big problem that we face and it will require big solutions. Politicians are sometimes afraid of making big changes that disrupt the status quo, but if we fall victim to that mentality this year it will be doing our state a real disservice. We should be open in advocating for and listening to reform ideas.
Another idea – itself a big reform – is to entirely change the way we approach the task of building the state’s budget. In the past, spending items have carried over from one year to the next without a lot of close scrutiny. This allowed a lot of inefficient, ineffective spending programs to go on far longer than they should have.
Instead, we should adopt a philosophy of “priority-based” budgeting that says every two years we have to take a serious look at everything. Let’s start fresh with our priorities set, funding them within the amount of money that taxpayers can afford. This will allow us to spend money where money needs to be spent, but in a way that is more affordable for taxpayers. It’s a good idea that has received a positive reception from members of both parties.
If we are willing to embrace this challenge, I think our state can come out of this recession leaner and more suited to prosper.
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