Comments on: “THE PRICE OF GOVERNMENT”—-A PRINCIPLED APPROACH TO UTAH’S STATE BUDGET http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/ LaVar Christensen Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:22:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Julie Wilson http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-406 Julie Wilson Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:03:33 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-406 Great ideas! One idea I would love to see implemented on the federal government side, is that ALL of the legislators who VOTE on specific programs MUST be under the same program..i.e. healthcare, social security, salary cuts (or at least no increases during a down economy) etc. As long as the legislators themselves do not have to actually LIVE with and be under the same programs they propose and pass for the general population, they will continue to make bad decisions for our country--because it doesn't directly effect them. If their government salary increases, government pensions (which have almost entirely disappeared in corporate America), and special healthcare options for those employed by the government go away and they have to face the same issues as the general public, then maybe they look at it more objectively and would be able to come up with better solutions to fix the problems--instead of coming up with options that will greatly damage our country both fiscally and in reducing our freedoms overall--by having more government run programs. Great ideas! One idea I would love to see implemented on the federal government side, is that ALL of the legislators who VOTE on specific programs MUST be under the same program..i.e. healthcare, social security, salary cuts (or at least no increases during a down economy) etc. As long as the legislators themselves do not have to actually LIVE with and be under the same programs they propose and pass for the general population, they will continue to make bad decisions for our country–because it doesn’t directly effect them. If their government salary increases, government pensions (which have almost entirely disappeared in corporate America), and special healthcare options for those employed by the government go away and they have to face the same issues as the general public, then maybe they look at it more objectively and would be able to come up with better solutions to fix the problems–instead of coming up with options that will greatly damage our country both fiscally and in reducing our freedoms overall–by having more government run programs.

]]> By: Mark Ellis http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-405 Mark Ellis Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:17:33 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-405 I agree with Joe Miller. Hold a States Convention and gut the federal budget, then force the feds to come to the states for their hand out. In a way it is good that Obama was elected. He will drive this country to its knees and we will be forced back into a Constitutional government of the United STATES of America. One way or the other, we need to get back to a Constitutional government. I agree with Joe Miller. Hold a States Convention and gut the federal budget, then force the feds to come to the states for their hand out.

In a way it is good that Obama was elected. He will drive this country to its knees and we will be forced back into a Constitutional government of the United STATES of America. One way or the other, we need to get back to a Constitutional government.

]]> By: James S Peters http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-404 James S Peters Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:09:44 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-404 Dear LaVar: Great message, but it seems hopeless to force the government to shrink. It has become way too massive and is attempting to control everything. The working class is in danger of an overload of taxes to fund all of the programs and carry the weight of it all. I am glad to see that there is reason out there in written form. When a private business faces a downturn, it is forced to cutback on expenses to survive. Too bad the government doesn't have to proportion itself accordingly as well. Perhaps this budget shortfall will be the impetus to cut costs in the government. I fear that increased taxes will be the solution. Dear LaVar:

Great message, but it seems hopeless to force the government to shrink. It has become way too massive and is attempting to control everything. The working class is in danger of an overload of taxes to fund all of the programs and carry the weight of it all.

I am glad to see that there is reason out there in written form. When a private business faces a downturn, it is forced to cutback on expenses to survive. Too bad the government doesn’t have to proportion itself accordingly as well. Perhaps this budget shortfall will be the impetus to cut costs in the government. I fear that increased taxes will be the solution.

]]> By: Joe Miller http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-403 Joe Miller Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:08:08 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-403 I would like to see a constitutional passed in each state that the us government could only get their taxes from state governments and interstate businesses. That they could not tax any citizen of any state. Maybe the States could reign in big government spending since we have little to no control over it. I would like to see a constitutional passed in each state that the us government could only get their taxes from state
governments and interstate businesses. That they could not tax any citizen of any state. Maybe the States could
reign in big government spending since we have little to no control over it.

]]> By: Leonard Olds http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-401 Leonard Olds Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:44:21 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-401 Thank you LaVar for these great insights. It's unfortunate that Government has become the only "growth industry" in our economy. Perhaps outcome based budgeting can revive an interest in the concepts of limited government. And with current concerns over such things as "affordable housing" and "affordable health care," we need to be equally concerned over "affordable government." Thank you LaVar for these great insights. It’s unfortunate that Government has become the only “growth industry” in our economy. Perhaps outcome based budgeting can revive an interest in the concepts of limited government. And with current concerns over such things as “affordable housing” and “affordable health care,” we need to be equally concerned over “affordable government.”

]]> By: Dan Hudson http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-400 Dan Hudson Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:15:55 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-400 An excellent article. I hope that it will come to the attention of the governor, legislators and department heads. Government is the least efficient provider of any service so it should only provide those services (such as national defense) that cannot be provided in any other way. An excellent article. I hope that it will come to the attention of the governor, legislators and department heads. Government is the least efficient provider of any service so it should only provide those services (such as national defense) that cannot be provided in any other way.

]]> By: Keith Saunders http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-399 Keith Saunders Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:32:42 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-399 Very good!! I agree with your thoughts on recurring annual audits of all departments' base budgets. Base budgets are not all bad if the base is $0. As the CFO of ZCMI for over 19 years our budgeting process never was an across the board cut for every department. In years of plenty or famine programs were cut or added to if they could help generate profits. We need to treat our States" business as a business. I consider governments next to unions as the biggest waist of efficiency - thus equaling waist. We need people like you in our legislature. Very good!! I agree with your thoughts on recurring annual audits of all departments’ base budgets. Base budgets are not all bad if the base is $0. As the CFO of ZCMI for over 19 years our budgeting process never was an across the board cut for every department. In years of plenty or famine programs were cut or added to if they could help generate profits. We need to treat our States” business as a business. I consider governments next to unions as the biggest waist of efficiency –
thus equaling waist.

We need people like you in our legislature.

]]> By: Ron Shaw http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/2010/01/%e2%80%9cthe-price-of-government%e2%80%9d-a-principled-approach-to-utah%e2%80%99s-state-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Ron Shaw Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:23:34 +0000 http://citizensforprincipledgovernment.com/?p=376#comment-398 I am in agreement with you. I was a state employee for over 35 years. I saw the exact things you mentioned with budgets happen over and over again. I was once ordered to procure a bunch of new desks at $500 a piece because we were under spending the budget. When my boss and I tood exception to this we were told that if we didn't spend the money we wouldn't get as much and more next year. I finally retired as an eligibility supervisor in the Dept. of Workforce Services, primarily because of some of the things you have voiced here. My department, and particularly the managers, were more enamered of "new" ways of doing things than in doing things that had been proven to work much more efficiently. And when they failed, there were no consequences. Additional staff was then added. I am in agreement with you. I was a state employee for over 35 years. I saw the exact things you mentioned with budgets happen over and over again. I was once ordered to procure a bunch of new desks at $500 a piece because we were under spending the budget. When my boss and I tood exception to this we were told that if we didn’t spend the money we wouldn’t get as much and more next year. I finally retired as an eligibility supervisor in the Dept. of Workforce Services, primarily because of some of the things you have voiced here. My department, and particularly the managers, were more enamered of “new” ways of doing things than in doing things that had been proven to work much more efficiently. And when they failed, there were no consequences. Additional staff was then added.

]]>