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Editorial
How Will 23rd. Legislature Control Spending? Malcolm G. McBride; Kenai; January 21, 2003
In the next 120 days legislators will be accosted
from every direction with requests to spend funds that we as a state do
not have. We must end past legislative practices of robbing Peter to
pay Paul. Peter is knocking at our door, and he wants his money now!
Many of the established bureaucrats tell us that we have a budget deficit. In reality, this is not true. What we have had is deficit spending! Total state spending is about $8 BILLION dollars a year. $2 Billion of which is used for the operating budget, and $6 billion used for “other spending”, such as: Capital projects, non-essential spending bills, permanent fund dividends, and supplemental appropriations. Using departmental reviews the Governor can consolidate staff and services, streamline management positions, and direct funding for appropriate programs. By elimination of “capital spending projects” we can save enough to finally begin repaying money borrowed from the Constitutional Budget Reserve. The legislature has been using the CBR to balance past deficit budgets. The State Constitution clearly states this money must be re-paid. I would further recommend the Governor direct his department of revenue to develop a budget which can be read by anyone. The current format is so convoluted that even CPA’s have trouble sorting out the details. The state is using what are commonly called “generally accepted auditing standards” which are nothing more than “Enron/Arthur Anderson style smoke and mirrors” accounting practices, not what the honest hard working people of Alaska deserve.
Citizen watchdog groups have formed which will
keep an eye on each legislators performance. They will report on
introduced legislation, excessive spending practices, abuse of power,
and voting records. This information will be made available to ALL
Alaskans at the following link:
www.akvoters.org.
We must all work together, and get this huge spending machine under control. Let’s do it NOW, before all our money is gone; and better options are no longer available to us. This year let’s do what’s RIGHT for Alaska, not the special interest groups.
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