Dig deep to find savings

Carroll County Times Editorial, January 26, 2009 

Republicans looking to make long-term fixes to the state budget are right to focus on mandates and should spend the months after this session and before the next one identifying areas where changes can be made.

Some Republicans, including minority leader Allan Kittleman, R-District 9, lamented the fact that Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget proposal unveiled Wednesday appeared to be just a short-term fix, and problems that keep spending higher than revenues will continue in the years ahead.

O'Malley's budget proposal includes laying off 700 state employees, reductions in some areas of funding and moving money from savings funds to help eliminate an expected $1.9 billion revenue shortfall.

Kittleman said mandated spending makes up about 79 percent of the budget, and the state needs to look at the formulas used to determine funding in order to provide more flexibility. That type of scrutiny should not be reserved for times when revenues are off. Instead, processes should be put in place so that formulas for mandated spending are looked at on a regular basis, along with the costs involved and benefits received in return.

Routine auditing of state spending and program effective would reveal areas where money is being spent unwisely, as well as areas where more spending may be necessary.

The battles over funding would likely take on a higher prominence during the legislative sessions, so having committees complete the audits when the legislature is not in session, and then providing detailed reports to lawmakers, as well as recommendations for changes, prior to each year's legislative session would be an essential component in getting changes passed.

This year, lawmakers should commit to doing this necessary work and having recommendations ready for when the legislature meets next January.

In truth, this is something that should have been done last year, instead of the last-minute running around to fill budget holes that has become the norm in state government. But each year it seems our elected leaders are only interested in doing the minimum required to get through yet another year.

That's no way to run government.

Effective government means effective use of our tax dollars, and that is something that cannot be accomplished in a few short months while the legislature is session.

Hopefully some Democrats will listen to Kittleman, and before the session adjourns they will have a plan for reviewing mandated spending at all levels and return next year with detailed plans on how to curtail state spending.