State Government Spending

To me, controlling government spending is the key to reforming governments, protecting taxpayers, and avoiding tax increases.  Unfortunately, with billion dollar state budgets and trillion dollar federal budgets, tax moneys are treated like Monopoly money:  there is little understanding of the costs.  Most people understand what $100 is because they can hold it in their hands and they know what it can buy.  However, few really know, understand, or appreciate what $100,000,000 ($100 Million ) or $100,000,000,000 ($100 Billion) is.  Yet, such figures are often thrown around by state and federal officials.

When it's time to pass a state budget, members of the General Assembly receive considerable information to help explain the various elements of the budget bill (which is usually hundreds of pages long).  Following is the final budget printout from the Senate Appropriations Committee for the 2010 – 2011 state budget.  As you can see, this document provides information for state agencies and their various initiatives and programs.

Each of these line items comes with a constituency who will advocate for equal – or higher – spending and will oppose any attempt to cut or reduce spending.  Since joining the State Senate, I have opposed three of the four state budgets proposed because I believe they spent too much.  By sharing this information with you, I hope you will identify line items, programs, or Departments that need closer scrutiny.  It's a daunting task.

While I have looked at each of these line items, I have paid particular attention to technology initiatives (I chair the Senate Communications & Technology Committee), DCED's community and economic development programs (I would prefer fewer government programs and lower taxes), the Department of Education (I defy anyone to explain their contracts with Intermediate Units), and the Department of Public Welfare (which has grown considerably over the past eight years).

As a starting point for your review, I recommend you look at the Final Report of the Senate Government Management & Cost Study Commission, which spent six months gathering information, doing research, taking testimony, and finalizing its report.

Pennsylvania's new state budget of $28.04 billion for 2010 – 2011 represents state spending of approximately $76 million per day, $3 million an hour, $53,000 a minute, and $889 a second.  You can't tell me we aren't spending enough – we're just not spending it wisely.  Thanks for your help in assessing current spending and in taking the time to share your thoughts with me.