Heflin: Most Sensible Solution Is Reduced Spending
Austin insiders say additional revenue is needed to close the state’s projected multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. Without the extra income, they claim, lawmakers risk the state’s future fiscal health and prosperity. But is that really the case? Is more money the only viable solution?
Of course not. Just as anyone managing a household budget knows, when a family’s expenses grow beyond its income, the solution is not to instantly drain your savings and demand a raise from your boss. The proper response is to cut back on household expenses — particularly if your family’s spending habits resemble anything ...
Comments (5)
tthomas48
But if you haven't asked for a raise in decades, and it means the difference between your kids having a place to sleep and food on the plate. And the only reason you need the raise now is because for some reason a few years back you just out of the blue asked your boss to give you a paycut for no reason.
In that case, I'd say the average household would ask for the raise.
BurningFeet
"...get by without some recent and expensive environmental and health care spending."
One wonders why anyone would try to keep the environment of old, fat, white men clean so we wouldn't have to spend money taking care of them. And exactly which household in Texas has a yearly budget in the billions, so the state can emulate it? Anybody out there running a prison in their back yard?
I do so adore rich people telling the rest of us how easy it is to cut back on spending. Me, I'm giving Jeeves the boot and answering the door myself.
Tio_Juan
Are you serious Heflin? Really? You served 11 terms in the house when Texas Govt had this 139% growth, adjusted for inflation didn't you? And talk about accounting gimmickry. This whole column is based on it as well as your speak. Your numbers are so inflated and convoluted that people who work for you can't believe what you are saying. That band of gypsies you call the TPPF is of way off base even for conservatives. Don't touch the rainy day fund? Let me get this straight. Lets OVER collect $10 plus billion in taxes and sit on it. That's right, sit on it. Don't give it back to the people we collected it from in times of need. And lets earn 1/10th of a point of interest on it. Yeah that is really good government Heflin. Good thing your no longer in office.
Jerry Thompson
We sit on $9 Billion while the state slashes budgets in a fruitless effort to balance the budget but keep necessary services going? Kind of sounds like someone with $50K in savings not wanting to spend it on medical care to keep his/her spouse alive - talk about throwing out the baby with the bath water! I am a conservative, and voted that way in the most recent election for state-wide offices, but I am sick to death of Republicans and Tea Party folks who have plugged their ears so they won't have to hear about ideas to RAISE REVENUE, and closed their minds to what is obvious (the 800 pound gorilla in the room) - we MUST raise taxes AND cut excess to get to a balanced solution to our current financial mess. I am so frustrated with politicians that I will probably never vote again. THey are not in it to help solve problems - they are in it and do what they do just for the publicity and to get re-elected!! I wouldn't trust ANY politician in the state out of my sight with my last dollar or daughter!
Rhonda Hutchison
You are right when you say everything in the budget needs to be evaluated, including education and Medicaid. However, I think some of the Rainy Day fund should be used to help education in the sort term because some of what is needed are adjustments in funding policies and laws on the State level. This is the mother of all unfunded mandates, as local districts do not have full control over how their locally raised school-tax dollars are used. Did I hear right that the TEA is rolling out a new testing program for 2011-12? Good grief, who is paying for that?
In my own large urban school district (95% minority, 60% underprivileged), we've had the same dollar amount per student allotted to us by the State since 2006, although unfunded mandates from the State and the Federal Government have increased every year. Now, even the funded mandates are being cut, but we are still expected to meet them all.
Because some of the changes need to come on the State level, it will take time to make the necessary changes that make long-term budget cuts possible without doing expensive long-term harm. That's the sort of emergency for which the Rainy Day Fund is intended.