Here’s A Nevada Budget Proposal
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
As the Economic Forum presents their forecast for anticipated revenue for the coming two-year budget cycle and as news accounts report even worse tax receipts, Geoffrey Lawrence, Fiscal Policy Analyst for the Nevada Policy Research Institute has released a budget proposal for the state – not raising taxes and not even relying on Washington, D.C. stimulus funds. We would suggest that you might take a look at the proposal (even though we doubt Nevada Legislators will)
To accomplish this process, Lawrence offered these insights into what he based his proposal on:
Guiding Principles
This alternative budget was influenced by a set of guiding principles that provide insight and clarity into how Nevada’s state government should be structured. These principles are:
1. Setting Priorities: When resources are limited, it is necessary to set clear priorities and determine which programs are most important to the long-term health of Nevadans and which are relatively expendable. In addition, public funds should be budgeted for the purchase of demonstrable results that are of meaningful benefit to the state. As such, any programs that have not demonstrated themselves to be effective at achieving their purported goals should be discarded in favor of higher-priority uses of public money.
2. Consistency: State fiscal policy should take a consistent approach that treats all individuals fairly and equitably. Tax breaks and government expenditures that benefit only specific groups at the expense of all others should be eliminated and discouraged in the future.
3. Agency Thrift: Often the individuals with the greatest knowledge on how to reduce the cost of government services are the government employees who provide those services. The institutional knowledge of these employees can inform them of specific incidences of inefficiency within their agencies that can be corrected by altering the methods of operation. Hence, when agency officials claim the ability to accomplish a task at lower cost than the governor requests on their behalf, this budget recommends that the agency’s request be granted. While the governor’s requests may often reflect admirable intentions of expanding funding to worthwhile endeavors, this budget cycle is regrettably characterized by significant fiscal challenges and any thrift that can be provided by government agencies should be pursued aggressively.
4. Last In, First Out: The Freedom Budget recognizes that government programs have recently expanded rapidly in the Silver State. Following the largest tax increases in Nevada’s history in 2003, tax revenues rose to record levels. Policymakers eagerly responded to flush coffers by creating a bevy of new government programs or program expansions in the 2005 and 2007 legislative sessions. Yet, the Silver State experienced vibrant health and economic growth prior to the existence of these new programs. As a result, the Freedom Budget curtails these new or expanded programs first.
We’ve not had the chance to look at the proposal in depth, but we’ve downloaded it to review.
The fact that the proposal has been prepared indicates that it would be possible to accomplish what we’ve been reading isn’t doable. Since it demonstrates that it can be done, following some very principled foundations – maybe we should be asking why those who have been elected to do this job – haven’t and probably won’t.
As the Economic Forum presents their forecast for anticipated revenue for the coming two-year budget cycle and as news accounts report even worse tax receipts, Geoffrey Lawrence, Fiscal Policy Analyst for the Nevada Policy Research Institute has released a budget proposal for the state – not raising taxes and not even relying on Washington, D.C. stimulus funds. We would suggest that you might take a look at the proposal (even though we doubt Nevada Legislators will)
To accomplish this process, Lawrence offered these insights into what he based his proposal on:
Guiding Principles
This alternative budget was influenced by a set of guiding principles that provide insight and clarity into how Nevada’s state government should be structured. These principles are:
1. Setting Priorities: When resources are limited, it is necessary to set clear priorities and determine which programs are most important to the long-term health of Nevadans and which are relatively expendable. In addition, public funds should be budgeted for the purchase of demonstrable results that are of meaningful benefit to the state. As such, any programs that have not demonstrated themselves to be effective at achieving their purported goals should be discarded in favor of higher-priority uses of public money.
2. Consistency: State fiscal policy should take a consistent approach that treats all individuals fairly and equitably. Tax breaks and government expenditures that benefit only specific groups at the expense of all others should be eliminated and discouraged in the future.
3. Agency Thrift: Often the individuals with the greatest knowledge on how to reduce the cost of government services are the government employees who provide those services. The institutional knowledge of these employees can inform them of specific incidences of inefficiency within their agencies that can be corrected by altering the methods of operation. Hence, when agency officials claim the ability to accomplish a task at lower cost than the governor requests on their behalf, this budget recommends that the agency’s request be granted. While the governor’s requests may often reflect admirable intentions of expanding funding to worthwhile endeavors, this budget cycle is regrettably characterized by significant fiscal challenges and any thrift that can be provided by government agencies should be pursued aggressively.
4. Last In, First Out: The Freedom Budget recognizes that government programs have recently expanded rapidly in the Silver State. Following the largest tax increases in Nevada’s history in 2003, tax revenues rose to record levels. Policymakers eagerly responded to flush coffers by creating a bevy of new government programs or program expansions in the 2005 and 2007 legislative sessions. Yet, the Silver State experienced vibrant health and economic growth prior to the existence of these new programs. As a result, the Freedom Budget curtails these new or expanded programs first.
We’ve not had the chance to look at the proposal in depth, but we’ve downloaded it to review.
The fact that the proposal has been prepared indicates that it would be possible to accomplish what we’ve been reading isn’t doable. Since it demonstrates that it can be done, following some very principled foundations – maybe we should be asking why those who have been elected to do this job – haven’t and probably won’t.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 5/1/2009 4:47 AM 
Categories: Nevada Budget
Tags: Nevada State Budget No Tax Increase
Categories: Nevada Budget
Tags: Nevada State Budget No Tax Increase
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