The state budget was balanced without raising taxes. It was far from a painless process, but the groundbreaking approach that was used can serve as a model to make government more effective, accessible and accountable for years to come.
That approach, dubbed by Gov. Gary Locke as the Priorities of Government, involves identifying and prioritizing state government’s core services, creating a template against which smarter funding choices can be made. Rather than raising or cutting the level of funding for a certain program simply based on the previous year’s allotment, the POG method calls for a careful analysis of each program, with a program’s benefits then crossed with a list of priorities. (In this case, Locke produced that 10-item list.) Items that fit into Locke’s essentials for state government were given the money they needed, but low- priority items, often ones added in boom times, were targeted for cuts.
It’s puzzling why the state hasn’t used this method before. There is still room for partisan debate when determining what the top priorities of the state government should be, but once priorities are established, the maneuvering of funds through the budget process would be streamlined.
When combined with effective performance audits, both parties can benefit from the POG method. Republicans can use it to ensure accountability and root out waste, fraud and abuse. Democrats can use it to justify putting more money into crucial programs that have proven themselves as cost-effective components of government.
If a majority thinks taxes need to be raised, the transparency of the process makes such a move easier to justify. If too much money is being spent on programs that aren’t proving themselves effective, axing them from the budget becomes easier as well.
A bill that would have mandated this approach had bipartisan support this year, but failed to garner the support it needed in the House. After the seeing the benefits of the innovative process this year, lawmakers should take a second look at the idea.
Governments must be guided by principles, and their budgets should reflect those principles. Permanently adopting the Priorities of Government structure, along with performance audits, would result in easier budget battles and more effective use of taxpayer money.
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