Getting Less Is Going To Take A Whole Lot Of Hard Work
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Many observations start with the phrase – “There’s two kinds of people…” Actually, experience demonstrates that there are a lot more than two and when it comes to the role “we” envision for government playing in our lives there is a continuum with those on the “left” believing it ought to be more and those on the “right” considering less to be better.
I tend to find myself on the spectrum of “Less Is Better” – but I don’t think getting less is accomplished by simply wishing for our elected representatives to do nothing. I firmly believe that getting less government is going to be a heavy lift (as they say about legislative or policy accomplishments which are not going to be easy to achieve). At every level of government – from Washington, D.C. to Carson City to local government everywhere – expansion is the natural course to be pursued.
Within government circles you have those who believe progress is measured by passing more laws, enacting more vigorous regulations, increasing services for citizens who seek assistance, providing more “protection” for ever-expanding threats or inconveniences. Oh by the way, that also will mean the need for those being governed to pay more to support the bigger government being offered to us as a service…
While there seems to be a camp which believes limiting government resources will magically create a world of smaller government – I maintain the route to get smaller will mean actual program development to build a smaller framework for government. Legislators have demonstrated an ability to simply “cut” spending and reduce the level of support required. In the 2009 Nevada Legislature we were told that they cut and made hard choices to trim – overall the budget allocations for spending were higher. We also got a tax increase package intended to boost revenue by a Billion dollars.
The mindset of government insiders thinking more is their entitlement also was at the heart of the discussions during the just concluded lame-duck Congressional session. Extending the current rate of taxes was portrayed as a decision of giving wealthy people a break, certain to devastate the federal treasury. Somehow, we were supposed to believe that increasing taxes is necessary, but reducing spending or foregoing special earmarks are misguided.
A position of not increasing taxes is simply too hardcore and deserves as much vilification and indignation as can be mustered – who could think of such a thing?!?
That’s why we have to have a deliberate public discussion oriented to reforming government of limits and restrictions from expediential expansion. If taking a positive approach of proactive action needs to be pursued to measure improvement – the focus of increasing accountability would be a worthy matter for lawmakers to deliberate and implement. Getting more for the dollars available – rather than just taking more dollars should be the agenda for 2011.
Citizen Outreach is attempting to put this type of an action plan in effect – calling on our state legislature to create the mechanism to shrink Nevada’s government. They offer this proposal in the form of a letter to be sent to the majority leaders of the 2011 Nevada Legislature (something that could be mailed to all Nevada legislators, by those who believe it is a good idea…)
For those who want to make a difference in 2011 – here is one thing to get you started. Reach out and let your elected representative know what you want them to do…
Many observations start with the phrase – “There’s two kinds of people…” Actually, experience demonstrates that there are a lot more than two and when it comes to the role “we” envision for government playing in our lives there is a continuum with those on the “left” believing it ought to be more and those on the “right” considering less to be better.
I tend to find myself on the spectrum of “Less Is Better” – but I don’t think getting less is accomplished by simply wishing for our elected representatives to do nothing. I firmly believe that getting less government is going to be a heavy lift (as they say about legislative or policy accomplishments which are not going to be easy to achieve). At every level of government – from Washington, D.C. to Carson City to local government everywhere – expansion is the natural course to be pursued.
Within government circles you have those who believe progress is measured by passing more laws, enacting more vigorous regulations, increasing services for citizens who seek assistance, providing more “protection” for ever-expanding threats or inconveniences. Oh by the way, that also will mean the need for those being governed to pay more to support the bigger government being offered to us as a service…
While there seems to be a camp which believes limiting government resources will magically create a world of smaller government – I maintain the route to get smaller will mean actual program development to build a smaller framework for government. Legislators have demonstrated an ability to simply “cut” spending and reduce the level of support required. In the 2009 Nevada Legislature we were told that they cut and made hard choices to trim – overall the budget allocations for spending were higher. We also got a tax increase package intended to boost revenue by a Billion dollars.
The mindset of government insiders thinking more is their entitlement also was at the heart of the discussions during the just concluded lame-duck Congressional session. Extending the current rate of taxes was portrayed as a decision of giving wealthy people a break, certain to devastate the federal treasury. Somehow, we were supposed to believe that increasing taxes is necessary, but reducing spending or foregoing special earmarks are misguided.
A position of not increasing taxes is simply too hardcore and deserves as much vilification and indignation as can be mustered – who could think of such a thing?!?
That’s why we have to have a deliberate public discussion oriented to reforming government of limits and restrictions from expediential expansion. If taking a positive approach of proactive action needs to be pursued to measure improvement – the focus of increasing accountability would be a worthy matter for lawmakers to deliberate and implement. Getting more for the dollars available – rather than just taking more dollars should be the agenda for 2011.
Citizen Outreach is attempting to put this type of an action plan in effect – calling on our state legislature to create the mechanism to shrink Nevada’s government. They offer this proposal in the form of a letter to be sent to the majority leaders of the 2011 Nevada Legislature (something that could be mailed to all Nevada legislators, by those who believe it is a good idea…)
The Honorable Steven Horsford
3450 West Cheyenne Avenue, Suite 100
North Las Vegas, NV 89032-8223
The Honorable John Oceguera
7655 Chaumont Street
Las Vegas, NV 89123-1491
VIA FAX & EMAIL
Dear Majority Leader Horsford and Speaker-Elect Oceguera,
On behalf of the thousands of Nevada taxpayers represented by our organizations and districts, we write to urge you to institute a joint Committee on Reduction of Nonessential Government Expenditures in the Nevada Legislature to combat and eliminate excessive government spending. This “Anti-Appropriations Committee” should be modeled on the federal Joint Committee on Nonessential Federal Expenditures which was operational from 1941 until 1974.
Commonly referred to as the “Byrd Committee” after its creator, Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. (D-Va.), the committee focused exclusively on cutting spending, much in the same way Nevada’s Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means committees today focus on sanctioning new spending. As such, the panel was able to net real savings for taxpayers, cutting over $38 billion (in 2010 dollars) in waste and inefficiencies.
Many efforts to reduce government spending have been undermined by the distraction of spending and taxes – history shows that only when the temptation of spending is removed can fiscal prudence take center stage. The success of the Byrd Committee was due to this singular nature; tasked only with cutting spending, rather than appropriating, the committee was able to propose targeted and effective rescissions.
Established in the wake of the New Deal, the Byrd Committee was able to dial back some of the unprecedented government growth of the preceding decade. We believe the creation of a similar committee here in Nevada would be the natural extension of the work begun over the last two years by Bruce James’ Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission.
After two years of failed federal “stimulus” efforts and government bailouts which delayed the “day of reckoning” for government spending in Nevada, taxpayers today would be well-served by similar initiatives to adjust the non-stop government growth ethos of Carson City. As such, we urge you to institute the Committee on Reduction of Nonessential Government Expenditures for the 76th Regular Session of the Nevada Legislature scheduled to begin on February 7, 2011.
For those who want to make a difference in 2011 – here is one thing to get you started. Reach out and let your elected representative know what you want them to do…
Posted by Doug Busselman at 1/1/2011 9:07 AM 
Categories: 2011 Nevada Legislature
Tags: Nevada Budget and Spending
Categories: 2011 Nevada Legislature
Tags: Nevada Budget and Spending
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