There are more ways than one to skin fat off the state's budget

by HOWARD M. BERLIN

2/16/2003

Governor Minner recently instituted a new program with the catchy name, "Open Door After 4." Presumably this is her way to find out what's on the mind of the average citizen—out of range of those who usually have her attention and some measure of influence.

For me, the bad news is that all the five-minute slots have been quickly filled for this first round and there's no guarantee there will be others. What I have to tell her just can't be said in a five-minute meeting and it rubs me the wrong way that I should have to provide my Social Security number just to be considered. I've written letters to governors, legislators, and policy wonks before. Most letters are rarely acknowledged; those that are get only a generic thank you with a facsimile signature.

Anyway, I would tell Gov. Minner that one way of reducing the budget is to get rid of the wasteful practice whereby agencies feel obligated to exhaust all their budgeted funds by June 30. This is so they can justify asking for an increase in the next fiscal year's budget. Bureaucrats consider it a kiss of death when an agency has to say it overestimated funding and didn't spend it all. Then the agency will be penalized in next year's request.

It's like being sent to bed early because you didn't finish all of your vegetables at dinner. I know this is heresy, but why do we always have to increase spending in government? At least the Department of Transportation is experimenting with this opposite approach.

A second idea is to require a political party to pay for the expenses of holding its own primary, even the presidential one.

Back in 2000, Democrats wasted an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 of the state's money by holding a bogus primary; the results counted for nothing. Only 5 percent of registered Democrats voted in the meaningless popularity contest. At least Republicans covered the costs of staging their primary that produced committed delegates.

The state should put its money to better use and stop the obsession of trying to upstage New Hampshire. Colorado, also in budget trouble, is now thinking about scraping its 2004 presidential and state primaries to save $2.4 million.

A third concern I have is that one major legislator bemoans about the number of hours he and others put in for a part-time elected job and the inadequate compensation that goes with it. So let's cut the number of elected state senators and representatives in half. Also, let's make the remainder full-time legislators and double their $34,100 part-time base salary so they won't cry poverty and have to decide how to divide their time between their day job and the political one. About a third of the legislators are already double dippers, having regular government jobs like teachers and administrators.

In 2001 there was a misguided attempt to increase the size of the Legislature, last done in 1970. In the 2002 election, every General Assembly seat was up for grabs and only 45 percent of the electorate voted. Furthermore, nine of the 21 Senate races and 18 of the 41 House seats went uncontested—pretty much like past election cycles. When more than half of the eligible voters don't care about voting, it follows that fewer legislators will only have to be concerned with representing the minority who do care.

These proposals require legislative approval and constitutional changes so I'm not holding my breath. My space here is also limited and I hope that Gov. Minner is listening.

Howard M. Berlin, of Wilmington, teaches electrical engineering and is a member of The News Journal Community Advisory Board. Send e-mail at w3hb@yahoo.com.