Nevada Budget Process An “Insiders” Game
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
In spite of the need for transparency in how our government operates – staying in touch with what takes place in Carson City and Washington, D.C. is incredibly difficult. When it comes to the state budget process it’s sort of like trying to figure out what cup the pea is under in the game operated by the con-guy.
The 2009 Nevada Legislative Session will be the 11th session that I have represented Nevada Farm Bureau as a paid advocate. This isn’t intended to suggest that I’ve got it all figured out and somehow have insights that normal folks don’t have – actually, I consider myself to be more like Forrest Gump than any expert or high-powered suit.
I fully understand, from my experiences, that staying on track with what’s taking place in developing the budget that will guide Nevada governmental operations for the next two years is almost beyond what someone with a real life would be able to manage.
Watching Paint Dry:
Legislators assigned to the “money committees” (Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means) will begin their process of going through Governor Gibbon’s proposed budget January 22nd – the rest of the crew of 63 will arrive in town eight days later.
After the February 2nd start of the 75th Nevada Legislative Session the next 120 day process will include daily and often multiple sessions of the full committees – Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means. Subcommittees of these groups, in various combinations of joint gatherings, will go through in mind-numbing detail the funding request by each agency and entity with access to Nevada’s checkbook.
Throughout this marathon, advocates for increases will work the committee’s, hallways, legislative offices and probably the front-lawn of the Legislative Building attempting to gain more for their selected line-item(s). Legislators themselves will be positioning for their point of view, not only to gain resources for their specific legislative initiative(s), but for broad-based concepts like educational funding in general.
When all the grinding, sorting, jockeying, posturing and back-room deals are made, the legislative packages for spending will show up on the floors of the respective bodies and votes will be taken to finalize who’s going to get what. Somewhere along the line, separate committees (with many of the same members as those who constitute the spending committees) will have fashioned the necessary tax mechanisms to bring in the revenue required to fund the bottom-line of the spending bills.
Keeping In Touch:
Our form of representative government doesn’t require us to be totally immersed in the nuts and bolts details of how any level of government financing. That isn’t to say though that we don’t deserve as the folks footing the bill to not be made aware of what we’re getting for the money being spent.
Accountability is key, regardless of your personal perspective on what should be funded; what should be cut; who should be paying -- which tax…
That accountability, between you and the person(s) you elect to be your representative(s), can only come from having the contact and relationship you need to initiate. When you’re encouraged to be involved – that is what’s being asked for. Your engagement in the system can best be achieved with regular contacts of phone calls, e-mails or personal visits (sometimes with your representative when they come home for the weekend).
They actually care what you think and doing their job depends on knowing your perspectives. To keep up you don’t have to be an insider – you might actually have the advantage because instead of the minutia you’ve got the ability to cut right to the heart of the matter – just ask the question… “What is the spending going to buy us?”
In spite of the need for transparency in how our government operates – staying in touch with what takes place in Carson City and Washington, D.C. is incredibly difficult. When it comes to the state budget process it’s sort of like trying to figure out what cup the pea is under in the game operated by the con-guy.
The 2009 Nevada Legislative Session will be the 11th session that I have represented Nevada Farm Bureau as a paid advocate. This isn’t intended to suggest that I’ve got it all figured out and somehow have insights that normal folks don’t have – actually, I consider myself to be more like Forrest Gump than any expert or high-powered suit.
I fully understand, from my experiences, that staying on track with what’s taking place in developing the budget that will guide Nevada governmental operations for the next two years is almost beyond what someone with a real life would be able to manage.
Watching Paint Dry:
Legislators assigned to the “money committees” (Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means) will begin their process of going through Governor Gibbon’s proposed budget January 22nd – the rest of the crew of 63 will arrive in town eight days later.
After the February 2nd start of the 75th Nevada Legislative Session the next 120 day process will include daily and often multiple sessions of the full committees – Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means. Subcommittees of these groups, in various combinations of joint gatherings, will go through in mind-numbing detail the funding request by each agency and entity with access to Nevada’s checkbook.
Throughout this marathon, advocates for increases will work the committee’s, hallways, legislative offices and probably the front-lawn of the Legislative Building attempting to gain more for their selected line-item(s). Legislators themselves will be positioning for their point of view, not only to gain resources for their specific legislative initiative(s), but for broad-based concepts like educational funding in general.
When all the grinding, sorting, jockeying, posturing and back-room deals are made, the legislative packages for spending will show up on the floors of the respective bodies and votes will be taken to finalize who’s going to get what. Somewhere along the line, separate committees (with many of the same members as those who constitute the spending committees) will have fashioned the necessary tax mechanisms to bring in the revenue required to fund the bottom-line of the spending bills.
Keeping In Touch:
Our form of representative government doesn’t require us to be totally immersed in the nuts and bolts details of how any level of government financing. That isn’t to say though that we don’t deserve as the folks footing the bill to not be made aware of what we’re getting for the money being spent.
Accountability is key, regardless of your personal perspective on what should be funded; what should be cut; who should be paying -- which tax…
That accountability, between you and the person(s) you elect to be your representative(s), can only come from having the contact and relationship you need to initiate. When you’re encouraged to be involved – that is what’s being asked for. Your engagement in the system can best be achieved with regular contacts of phone calls, e-mails or personal visits (sometimes with your representative when they come home for the weekend).
They actually care what you think and doing their job depends on knowing your perspectives. To keep up you don’t have to be an insider – you might actually have the advantage because instead of the minutia you’ve got the ability to cut right to the heart of the matter – just ask the question… “What is the spending going to buy us?”
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