1015 news this morning reported that the Guv was pitching a 7½% increase in the state budget with “no tax increase”.
Now I may be an “injineer”, but I know a tax increase when I hear one. Where to people think that money is going to come from?
There was also the whine about state workers having to pay 1½% towards their benefits.
And, the news mentions the 2B$ budget short fall next year.
Here’s a clue! Stop spending NOW.
It’s simple, Stop.
I bet when the Guv was on wall street, he had zero based budgeting exercises. A famous wall street strategy is “just say no”. Not no to drugs. No to any spending at all. Those drills were famous and epidemic. If Merrill did it today, you were assured that Goldman would do it tomorrow.
So, here’s a little list of some “modest steps” for the guv to take:
(1) No increase in spending by anyone. No cuts in taxpayer services allowed. you want to be a honcho with the state figure it out.
(2) No pensions for anyone. 401ks for all. Recognition bonds for obligation we have incurred. But zero going forward.
(3) Half pay for all state executives and legislators when the budget and the budget forecast isn’t in balance. (Betcha that gets fixed faster than a Jersey pothole!)
(4) End the dole. No one collects from the state. Wean everyone off the “welfare”. That includes corporate and charitable and “insurance”.
(5) End the propagandizing of the youth. No more gooferment skools. Privatize now. Put a transition plan in place for the state to get out of the education and education financing business.
How’s that for a start, guv?
Reinke Faces Life 