Find the best way to cut budget

“The quick way to fill a hole is across the board,” House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, said in dismissing Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ strategic spending cuts in her 2009 and 2010 budget proposals. But surely Kansans would have their lawmakers exercise judgment rather than take a hacksaw to state government. Speaking of saws, here’s an old one: Better to do something right than to do it fast and badly.

6 Comments

  1. JWink
    Posted January 16, 2009 at 6:04 am | Permalink

    Someone will say, “Rather than cut the budget across the board, couldn’t we simply increase taxes across the board?” Then, I predict, a rush will develop by all the special interests to jump on that train.

  2. Mary_Caruso
    Posted January 16, 2009 at 6:47 am | Permalink

    Someone has to pay the piper..unfortunately it’s always the average working American who ends up paying for the incompetance of those in charge.

  3. RFL
    Posted January 16, 2009 at 8:43 am | Permalink

    “Speaking of saws, here’s an old one: Better to do something right than to do it fast and badly.”

    Rhonda the saw expert. I’ve never heard that “old one” before. It sounds like it was made up by a newspaper editorial writer.

    How about “Measure twice, cut once.”?

  4. KSGolfnut
    Posted January 16, 2009 at 9:14 am | Permalink

    …unfortunately it’s always the average working American who ends up paying…

    You’re kidding, right?

    You DO know that the lower 50% of working Americans pay about 3% of the tax, right?

  5. Phantom
    Posted January 16, 2009 at 11:23 am | Permalink

    Oneal would also favor using an axe instead of a scalpel, I take it.
    Reminds me of corporate layoffs, just cut every tenth person.

  6. Regular
    Posted January 16, 2009 at 12:01 pm | Permalink

    - No new hires unless it’s declared a life essential or emergency (this includes schools)

    - No new building projects unless funding outside of Kansas, not using Kansas funds.

    - No fleet purchases of vehicles unless it’s an emergency.

    - Close down state run offices to 35 hours a week, so there can be energy resource savings.

    - Reduce freebie mail outs by thirty percent and make the public aware of addresses they can write to get forms and other information from Kansas government.

    - more later